Herpes And It's Rapid Spread -Are You at Risk?

Genital Herpes still carries somewhat of a social stigma and it may not be something one freely shares with friends. The fact is that Genital Herpes is quite common with approximately one million new cases per year in the uS alone.

Being diagnosed with Genital Herpes can be a challenge. Feelings of isolation, shame and unworthiness are common. And the subject of how to date when you have Herpes is a common one.

If you have been diagnosed with genital herpes, or suspect that you are infected, you have a lot more company than you may suspect. Take a look at some of these numbers:

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.

After the initial episode, those infected with HSV-2 have an 80% rate of reoccurrence. Infections caused by HSV-1 have a lot lower risk of reoccurrence -about 50% will have a reoccurrence with 4-5 outbreaks per year being the average number.

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.