Since genital herpes is one of the most common STDs, there are a lot of people looking for herpes facts.
The infection is caused by herpes simplex type 1 and type 2 virus, but in the majority of the cases virus type 2 is to blame for the infection.
Information about herpes
In the majority of the cases the infection has no or few symptoms. If there are symptoms, these include blisters that appear around the rectum or the genital area.
If these blisters happen to burst, they leave sores behind that take a longer period of time to heal when they appear for the first time.
The information about herpes includes that there is a second outbreak weeks after the first one. The good news is that this is less severe and also it lasts for a shorter period of time than the first one.
The downside of the infection is that the virus remains in the body, but the frequency of outbreaks decreases as time goes by.
How common is the infection
When talking about herpes facts we have to mention that this is the most common STD in the U.S. Globally about one out of six people belonging to the age group 14-49 have been infected by the virus. Nonetheless the good news is that the number of infected people remained constant during the last decade.
Regarding the information about herpes you should know that there are more infected women than men, about 1 out of 5, while only 1 out of 9 men are infected. This is because it is more likely that a woman gets infected by a man than a man to be infected by a woman.
How is the infection spread?
Both kinds of viruses can be contracted through getting in contact with the sores that the blisters leave behind. The herpes facts also include that the infection can also be spread between the outbreaks even if there aren’t any sores. In the majority of the cases type 2 virus spreads through sexual activity.
It is also possible to get in contact with the virus in case your partner doesn’t have blisters and doesn’t even know that he or she has been infected. The information about herpes virus type 1 includes that although it could cause genital herpes, it usually causes infections of the lips and mouth.
If the virus causes genital herpes, it is the result of oral sex or sexual intercourse. When it comes to the herpes facts we have to add that the outbreaks caused by the virus type 1 are less predictable than then ones caused by virus type 2.
Signs and symptoms of the infection
The information about herpes also has to include the signs and symptoms. A lot of people who are affected by the condition don’t even know about it. Nonetheless if there are any symptoms during the first outbreak, you can be sure that the affected person will know about it. All you have to keep in mind is that due to medical research there are a lot of herpes facts available for people.
