Herpes Prevalent Among 18 To 49 Year olds
(Washington, DC) -- Herpes is one of the most common transmitted sexual diseases in the U.S. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says some 16-percent of the population in this country aged 14 to 49 years old is infected with genital herpes. The agency reports over 80-percent of people who have who have genital herpes do not know they are infected. The highest rate of infection is found among black women at 48-percent. The agency also says women run almost double the risk for infections compared with men. According to the CDC, about 21-percent of females are infected while just nearly 12-percent of men are found to have herpes. The disease raises the chances for acquiring and transmitting the AIDS virus. There is no cure for the condition that causes recurrent and painful genital sores. Genital herpes, or herpes simplex virus type 2, is related to oral herpes which leads to cold sores. |