More than one in five adults infected with the genital herpes virus.
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.
No treatment
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 the transmission of herpes and help reduce the transmission of HIV”said Meg Doherty, director of global programs on HIV, hepatitis and sexually transmitted diseases at WHO.
Two types of herpes
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.
Prevention
The best way to protect yourself from genital herpes is the systematic use of condoms during sexual intercourse and contact. But the condom does not offer absolute protection, because genital herpes lesions can be located outside the area protected by the condom.
Contamination can also occur through fingers. This is why hand washing before and after any sexual intercourse/contact is recommended.
People already infected with the virus can avoid contaminating their partner by avoiding intercourse during an outbreak, by systematically using condoms and by washing their hands well after touching infected areas. Infected people should also avoid sharing bathroom linens with other people during a herpes outbreak.
genital herpes herpes WHO
