Things You Didn't Know About HERPES........

Hate to break it to you, but you probably have herpes.
Turns out, nearly two-thirds of the global population 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 virus.
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.

Now for some good news: herpes may be super common, but that doesn’t mean you’ll definitely get it. It is pretty unsettling that so much of the population has the virus, but just because someone has the disease doesn’t mean they’re going to transmit it, Dr. Dardik explains. In fact, most outbreaks usually occur in the first 1 to 2 years, and after that many people’s bodies suppress the virus for the most part.

Having herpes or dating someone with the virus doesn’t mean your sex life is doomed, either. Smart safe sex practices can cut the risk of spreading or catching the virus to nearly zero.
And finally, if you do have herpes, there are effective treatments for helping with outbreaks, so you shouldn’t feel hopeless. “Many people have this idea that people with herpes are dirty and taboo, but they’re not,” Dr. Rosser reminds us. “It’s very common. Anyone can get herpes.