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Essay on Genital Herpes Facts

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Genital Herpes Facts

The Sexually Transmitted Disease Genital herpes (to creep) is very common in most Americans especially adolescents. Genital herpes is transmitted through sexual contact and other physical contact with an infected person. Herpes is a viral infection caused by the Herpes Simplex Virus. Once a person is infected with the virus it stays in their body for life. Once you have contracted this virus it is easy to pass it on to someone else even if the virus is not active. The virus remains in certain nerve cells of the body forever, which can produce symptoms on and off in infected individuals. Herpes is spread through direct contact. A Genital Herpes infection will stay in …show more content…

There are so many people who are uneducated about genital herpes; it’s more common than known. There are at least 45 million people infected by this virus and many are as young as 12 years of age. Studies show that 1 out of 5 adolescents/adults are infected with the Herpes Simplex Virus. 1 out of 4 women are infected with genital herpes. This virus is more common in women than in men likely because of the male –to-female transmission.

Genital herpes can be passed through skin-to-skin contact. Once a person has contracted the virus it is fairly easy to pass it along to someone else through various ways. The number one way is by having sex with someone who is shedding the herpes virus either during an outbreak (As pertains to genital herpes, the virus becomes active and produces visible symptoms, such as redness and sores) or during a period with no symptoms. Kissing someone with herpes on the mouth, through casual, oral, anal, and vaginal sex as well as skin-to-skin contact with the infected area. Objects such as toilet seats, public seating, and hot tubs rarely spread the virus.

The signs and symptoms of genital herpes are different with each person who has the virus. Some people with genital herpes mistake their symptoms for simple skin irritations such as razor burn, jock itch, or even a yeast infection. People often assume that because the symptoms may

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