About 846 million people between the ages of 15 and 49 are infected with the genital herpes virus. That is more than one in five people in this age category, according to new estimates from a study relayed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and published in a medical journal devoted to sexually transmitted diseases.
Every second, a person is infected with the genital herpes virus, which also equates to 42 million new infections per year.
In most cases, these infections have few or no symptoms, but sometimes they can cause pimples, blisters or open sores (ulcers) around the genitals or anus. These symptoms can recur, and some can also cause complications, such as neonatal herpes transmitted by a mother at the end of pregnancy to her newborn at birth.
There is no cure for this type of infection, but treatments exist to relieve the symptoms.
According to the study authors, new treatments and vaccines are needed. “Better prevention and treatment are urgently needed to reduce herpes transmission and help reduce HIV transmission,” said Meg Doherty, director of global HIV, hepatitis and disease programs. sexually transmitted diseases to WHO.
There are two types of herpes: Type 1 (HSV-1) is orofacial/labial herpes which causes infections in or around the mouth, or more commonly called cold sores. It is transmitted primarily through oral contact and can also cause genital herpes. Type 2 (HSV-2) is transmitted through sexual contact and causes genital herpes. It increases the risk of contracting or transmitting the HIV virus.
Many people do not know they have an HSV virus and may therefore pass it on without realizing it.
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