According to Yahoo.com, the World Health Organization says more than 3.7 billion people under 50 are infected with the highly contagious virus that results in sores around the mouth and genitals. That’s in addition to the more than 400 million people in the 15 to 49 age range who have HSV2 which causes genital herpes.
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The report vaguely mentions that carrying HSV-2 is associated with a greater risk of catching and spreading HIV, which could happen if you have sexual contact with someone who has HIV and you have an open herpes sore. It also makes a desperate plea for researchers to develop a preventative vaccine.
That’s the one that mostly causes mouth sores, fyi, but is also known to be responsible for a crotch eruption or two.
That doesn’t mean you should screw STI testing and trash your condom stash. It is the first time that the Who has come up with the estimates on the prevalence of herpes virus.
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“Access to education and information on both types of herpes and sexually transmitted infections is critical to protect young people’s health before they become sexually active”, explains Marleen Temmerman, who is the Director of WHO’s Department of Reproductive Health and Research.
And remember, mates, there are now more people on this sweet earth with herpes than there are of either genders, so 1) wrap it, and 2) if you have it, relax, you are just part of the herp club and that is okay.
World Health Organization is working with several pharmaceutical firms to create vaccines against herpes viruses. Considered together, the estimates show that over 50 percent of a billion people between 15 and 49 years old have a genital infection due to either HSV-1 or HSV-2. “Over time, you get them less often”.
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WHO said it is now focusing on the development of a worldwide health industry strategy for sexually transmitted microbe infections (STIs), which includes for HSV-1 and HSV-2, and it is set to be completed for consideration at the 69th World Wellness Assembly in 2016.
