A 20-year-old male asked:
if 80% of us pop. carry hsv1 virus why isnt genital herpes much more common with oral sex being such a popular activity?
2 doctor answers
Dr. Dan Fisher answered
27 years experience Internal Medicine
Both are common.: The prevalence of infection in adult us population for hsv-1 is about 60% and for hsv about 20%. There is a lot of crossover with the two types.
Answered on Mar 9, 2013
1
1 thank
Dr. Scott Bobbitt answered
32 years experience Dentistry
You're right: With the growing popularity of oral sex activity, the hsv2 virus is becoming more common. It used to be that hsv1 was oral and hsv2 was genital. It is now recognized that they are both similar viruses that can affect either site. The strain is truly irrelevant as they are both highly contagious, prone to recurrent eruptions, treated with anti-viral medications & can lead to permanent nerve damage.
Answered on Nov 28, 2017
2
2 thanks
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