Genital Herpes: Fast Facts

If you have, or think you may have, genital herpes, it can be reasuring to know you're not alone. In fact:

  • About 1 in 5 Americans over the age of 12 has genital herpes.1
  • Genital herpes is the leading cause of genital ulcer disease in the world.2
  • Anyone who is sexually active is at risk of contracting a sexually transmitted infection, including genital herpes. 3,4

Remember, genital herpes is a common medical condition.5 Don't hesitate to ask your doctor about the educational resources and support available to you. Herpeshealth.ca is a great place to start. In this section, you'll learn about the symptoms of genital herpes, what causes them, and how they may be treated.

References
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  1. Public Health Agency of Canada. Canadian Guidelines on Sexually Transmitted Infections; Genital Herpes Simplex Virus Infections. 2008 Edition. Available at http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/std-mts/sti-its/guide-lignesdir-eng.php. Accessed Sept. 27, 2010.
  2. Gupta R and Wald A. Genital Herpes: antiviral therapy for symptom relief and prevention of transmission. Expert Opin Pharmacother 2006;7(6):665-675.
  3. Public Health Agency of Canada. Condoms, Sexually transmitted infections, Safer Sex and You. Available at: http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/publicat/epiu-aepi/std-mts/condom-eng.php. Accessed Aug. 16, 2010.
  4. Sacks SL. The Truth About Herpes. 4th ed. West Vancouver, BC: Gordon Soules Book Publishers Ltd.;1997.
  5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC Fact Sheet - Genital Herpes. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/std/herpes/stdfact-herpes.htm. Accessed Aug. 16, 2010.
  6. Health Canada. It's Your Health: Genital Herpes. Available at: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hl-vs/alt_formats/pacrb-dgapcr/pdf/iyh-vsv/diseases-maladies/herpes-eng.pdf. Accessed Aug. 16, 2010.
  7. Whitley RJ, Kimberlin DW and Roizman B. Herpes Simplex Viruses. Clinical Infectious Diseases 1998;26:541-55.
  8. College of Family Physicians of Canada. Herpes - What it is and how to deal with it. Available at: Ask Your Family Doctor College of Family Physicians of Canada. Accessed Aug. 16, 2010.
  9. Public Health Agency of Canada. Genital Herpes: The Epidemiology and Control of a Common Sexually Transmitted Disease. Can J Human Sexuality 1997;6. Available at: http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/publicat/cjhs/cjhs5-eng.php. Accessed Aug. 16, 2010.
  10. Cusini M and Ghislanzoni M. The importance of diagnosing genital herpes. J Antimicro Chemo 2001;47(Topic T1):9-16.
  11. The Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada. Sexually Transmitted Infections: What are they? Genital Herpes. Available at: http://www.sexualityandu.ca/teens/sti-1-3.aspx. Accessed Aug. 16, 2010.
  12. Department of Health and Human Services. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases: Genital Herpes. Available at: http://www.niaid.nih.gov/topics/genitalHerpes/understanding/Pages/symptoms.aspx. Accessed Aug. 16, 2010.
  13. Wald A, Zeh J, Selke S et al. Virologic Characteristics of Subclinical and Symptomatic Genital Herpes Infections. NEJM 1995;333(12):770-775.
  14. Wald A, Zeh J, Selke S et al. Genital Shedding of Herpes Simplex Virus among Men. Journal of Infectious Diseases 2002;186(Suppl 1):S34-S39.
  15. Lautenschlager S, Eichmann A. The heterogeneous clinical spectrum of genital herpes. Dermatology. 2001;202(3):211-9.