What Herpes Looks Like and other Herpes Information

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.

Receiving the diagnosis of genital herpes can be
emotionally challenging with emotions of shame and
isolation. And how does one date when having herpes?

The statistics show that if you are diagnosed with herpes,
or if you think you may be, you have a lot of company. Take
a look at these statistics:

Approximately one in four women and one in four men in the
United states are infected with Genital Herpes. That is 20%
of our population. The infection is spreading at the rate of
an estimated one million new cases per year.

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.

Combining the fact that most do not know that they are
infected, with another fact, that the disease can be
transmitted even in the absence of symptoms, and it is easy
to see how it can spread so rapidly.

Not everyone infected with the virus will have outbreaks
after the initial episode. For those infected with the
Herpes Simplex type 2 (HSV-2) virus approximately 80% will
have at least one additional reoccurrence, and those
infected with Herpes Simplex type-1 have only a 50% rate of
reoccurrence. The average number of outbreaks is around 4-5
per year.

While it can be tempting to self diagnose, using pictures to find out what does herpes look like Herpes should be diagnosed by an experienced clinician utilizing proper testing.