![]() |
||||
![]() |
||||
Genital herpes — herpes simplex virus type two (HSV-2) — is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases in the United States, with as many as one million people in the United States becoming infected each year. While genital herpes continues to spread across all social, economic, racial and ethnic boundaries, prevalence of infection increased most dramatically in teens and young adults in the late 1980s and early 1990s (Fleming, 1997). The disease is potentially fatal in newborns and can be particularly severe in people with HIV infection. Symptoms of herpes — recurrent painful ulcers — can be treated, but the infection cannot be cured. Most people with herpes have no symptoms and are unaware of their infection. In a national house-hold survey, less than 10 percent of people who tested positive with herpes knew they were infected (Fleming, 1997). With or without visible symptoms, the disease can be transmitted between sex partners, from mothers to newborns, and can increase a person’s risk of becoming infected with HIV. Genital herpes can also make HIV-infected individuals more infectious and is believed to play a role in the heterosexual spread of HIV in the United States. Preventing the spread of herpes may help slow both epidemics.
Herpes is more common in women than men, infecting approximately one out of four women, versus one out of five men. This difference in gender may be because male-to-female transmission is more efficient than transmission from females to males. Herpes is common in all regions of the country and in both urban and rural areas. There are no significant differences in prevalence by geographic location. The percent of people infected with herpes increases with age because, once infected, people remain infected with this incurable disease throughout their lives. Herpes infection is believed to be acquired most commonly during adolescence and young adulthood, as individuals become sexually active and may have multiple partners. According to two national surveys between the 1970s and the 1990s, genital herpes increased fastest among white teens ages 12 to 19 years old (Fleming, 1997). Herpes prevalence among white teens ages 12 to 19 years old in the 1990s was five times greater than the prevalence in the 1970s. Among young white adults 20 to 29 years of age, herpes prevalence increased two-fold over that period. If you think you may have a sexually transmitted disease, you should see a physician immediately to be properly diagnosed and treated. You should not try to diagnose or treat symptoms on your own.
All
Online Dating Magazine content, including the content on this page, Do you agree or disagree with this
article? Have
|
||||
blog comments powered by Disqus
Privacy Statement | Code of Ethics Statement
Bookmark Online Dating Magazine at Del.icio.us
>View Online Dating Magazine Singles Travel Adventures<
Online Dating | News | Columns | Features | Dating
Services | Niche
Dating
Online
Dating Directory | Dating
Humor | Quick
Tip Articles | Online
Dating Industry
Industry History | Online Dating
Reviews | Reader
Reviews | Dating Videos | Book
/ DVD Reviews
Reader
Letters | Self Improvement | Experiences | Newsletter | Interviews
Top
10 Lists | STD
Info Center | About
Us | Advertise
Media Center | FAQ | Search | Contact | Dating Promotions
Dating Cartoons | Dating Jokes | Funny Dating Videos | Dating Games
Online Dating Magazine Needs Your Help!
All
content on this Website is ©copyright by Online
Dating Magazine. All Rights Reserved. The content
on this site may not be reused or republished.
Are
you an online dating site Webmaster? If so...
If
you are looking for free dating content you can republish,
click here