Herpes -Are You At Risk? | Lifestyle

by HaroldUlvaeus

Genital Herpes, having a bit of social stigma attached to it, may not be something openly discussed. The truth is that Herpes is much more common than most people think. In the US alone, there is estimated to be 50 lillion infected with the disease.

Being diagnosed with Genital Herpes can be a real shock for many. Emotions of feeling unclean, shame, and less worthy are common.

The statistics show that if you are diagnosed with herpes, or if you think you may be, you have a lot of company. Take a look at these statistics:

In the United States about 20% of the adult population are infected with genital herpes. Somewhere around 50 million Americans. Breaking the statistics down, the rate for women is about one in four, and for men it is one in five.

It is the most prevalent viral sexually transmitted disease. Of all these millions of cases, only about 20% are aware, or have been diagnosed with herpes. That means that 80% of those infected with the herpes virus are possibly infecting their partners.

While the disease is more contagious during an outbreak, the virus can be spread when there are no symptoms present at all.

Once the initial episode has passed, not everyone will ever have an outbreak again. For those infected with HSV-2, about 80% will have additional outbreaks, and those infected with the HSV-1 will have a 50% risk of having additional episodes. Typically, the number of outbreaks is about 4-5 per year.

While getting the diagnosis of genital herpes can be distressing, it is important to get a proper diagnosis which involve the proper blood tests by a medical practitioner.

DISCLAIMER: This article is provided as information only and is not to be taken as financial advice.

What Does Herpes Look Like in addition to Female Symptoms Herpes are some frequent queries about herpes. Find more information about Herpes by clicking the links.