Genital herpes is one of the three most prevalent sexually transmitted diseases in the United States and one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases worldwide.
- At least 50 million people in the U.S. have genital herpes.1
- Most genital herpes infections are acquired by the age of 30.2
- More women than men have genital herpes. Recent research estimates that more than 910,000 women are newly infected with herpes simplex virus(HSV-2) each year.3
- The greatest increase in genital herpes infection in the past decade has been among teenagers.
- The risk for transmission from an infected mother to her newborn is highest (30% to 50%) for mothers who have a primary infection but who may not have apparent blisters or sores. If a pregnant woman has recurrent outbreaks, the risk of passing the virus to the baby is reduced to less than 1%.1
References
Citations
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2006). Genital HSV infections. Sexually Transmitted Diseases Treatment Guidelines 2006 (CDC Publication Vol. 55, No. RR-11), pp. 16–20. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Available online: http://www.cdc.gov/std/treatment/2006/rr5511.pdf.
Casper C, Wald A (2002). Condom use and the prevention of genital herpes acquisition. Herpes, 9(1): 10–14.
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (2004, reaffirmed 2006). Gynecologic herpes simplex virus infections. ACOG Practice Bulletin No. 57. Obstetrics and Gynecology, 104(5): 1111–1117.
Credits
| Author | Sandy Jocoy, RN |
| Editor | Kathleen M. Ariss, MS |
| Associate Editor | Pat Truman, MATC |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Joy Melnikow, MD, MPH - Family Medicine |
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Jeanne Marrazzo, MD, MPH - Infectious Disease |
| Last Updated | January 13, 2009 |
