Everything You Think You Know About Herpes Is Wrong - Article Health

Turns out, nearly two-thirds of the global populationthis link opens in a new tab is infected with herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), according to a recent report released by the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO researchers estimated that 3.7 billion people under the age of 50 are infected with HSV-1, which is best known as a cause of cold sores.

Another 417 million people worldwide aged 15-49 have HSV-2, the type most often thought of as a sexually transmitted disease. But get this--140  million adults have genital infections caused by HSV-1, meaning half a billion people could sexually transmit either virusthis link opens in a new tab.

While this news may be shocking—don’t freak out. Herpes has been seriously stigmatized for years, but the fact is, if you don't have one type of herpes already, you're very likely to be exposed to it eventually. Below, we bust eight big myths about this common infection. Here's what you need to know.

Myth: Cold sores and genital sores are way different
Many people wrongfully believe that cold sores don't count as “real” herpes, explains Raquel Dardik, MD, a clinical associate professor at NYU Langone’s Joan H. Tisch Center for Women’s Health. This big misconception stems from the general patterns of the two types.

Myth: I’ve never had an outbreak, so I definitely don’t have herpes
Unfortunately, the lack of a visible outbreak doesn’t mean you’re herpes-free. Many people infected with the virus never experience an outbreak, says Mary Rosser, MD, PhD, director of obstetrics and gynecology at Montefiore Medical Center. And when they do, it frequently isn’t recognized. This explains why, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 87.4% of infected individualsthis link opens in a new tab have no clue.

Myth: Well, I got tested for STDs recently, so I still know I'm in the clear
Even if you’ve been hyper-responsible about getting tested—that's irrelevant when it comes to herpes. The guidelines from the CDC don’t recommend testing for the virus, so it’s typically not included with the routine “STD panel.” This is because a blood test for herpes only tells you whether you’ve been exposed to the virus, explains Dr. Dardik, MD. And a positive result only "raises a whole host of concerns of 'when?' and 'how?' and 'where?,' which are not answerable by that test. It's not going to change your management and provide more answers, which is why it’s not routinely offered."

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