Basic Summary for Genital herpes

Main name of condition: Genital herpes
Other names or spellings: herpes simplex virus type 2, HSV type 2, HSV-2

What is Genital herpes?
  Brief description of Genital herpes: Sexually transmitted infection of the genital region.
  Parent types of Genital herpes: Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Herpes, Viral diseases, Male sexual conditions, Adolescent conditions, Under-diagnosed conditions, Diseases contagious from sex, Diseases contagious from oral sex, Diseases contagious from anal sex, Diseases contagious from vaginal sex, Vagina conditions
  Organs Affected by Genital herpes: genitals, vagina, penis

How many people get Genital herpes?
  Prevalance of Genital herpes: 67 million people (NIAID)
  Prevalance Rate of Genital herpes: approx 1 in 4 or 24.63% or 67 million people in USA [about data]
  Incidence (annual) of Genital herpes: 500,000 new cases annually; 1 million annual cases (CDC 2001)
  Incidence Rate of Genital herpes: approx 1 in 544 or 0.18% or 500,000 people in USA [about data]
  Prevalance of Genital herpes: Nationwide, 45 million people ages 12 and older, or one out of five of the total adolescent and adult population, are infected with HSV-2. ¹ ... About one in five people in the United States over age 12 – approximately 45 million individuals – are infected with HSV-2, the virus that causes genital herpes.² ... Genital herpes affects an estimated 60 million Americans.³ ... Genital herpes is a contagious viral infection that affects an estimated 30 million Americans.⁴
  Incidence of Genital herpes: Up to 1 million new HSV-2 infections may be transmitted each year in the United States.² ... Approximately 500,000 new cases of this incurable viral infection develop annually.³ ... Each year, as many as 500,000 new cases are believed to occur.⁴

Who gets Genital herpes?
  Patient Profile for Genital herpes: Teens and adults (sexually active ages)
  Gender Profile for Genital herpes: HSV-2 infection is more common in women (approximately one out of four women) than in men (almost one out of five). This may be due to male-to-female transmission being more efficient than female-to-male transmission.¹
  Race Profile for Genital herpes: HSV-2 infection also is more common in blacks (45.9%) than in whites (17.6%).¹

How serious is Genital herpes?
Prognosis of Genital herpes: Although the infection can stay in the body indefinitely, the number of outbreaks tends to go down over a period of years.¹ ... HSV remains in certain nerve cells of the body for life, and can produce symptoms off and on in some infected people. ⁵
Complications of Genital herpes: see complications of Genital herpes

What causes Genital herpes?
  Class of Condition for Genital herpes: viral
  Causes of Genital herpes: see causes of Genital herpes
  Risk factors for Genital herpes: see risk factors for Genital herpes

What are the symptoms of Genital herpes?
  Incubation period for Genital herpes: 2-10 days after exposure
  Incubation period for Genital herpes: The first episode usually occurs within two weeks after the virus is transmitted, and the sores typically heal within two to four weeks.¹
  Duration of Genital herpes: last an average of 2 to 3 weeks.⁴
  Symptoms of Genital herpes: see symptoms of Genital herpes

Can anyone else get Genital herpes?
Contagion of Genital herpes: Sexual activity; sexual intercourse, anal sex, oral sex.
More information: see contagiousness of Genital herpes

How is it treated?
  Treatments for Genital herpes: see treatments for Genital herpes
  Prevention of Genital herpes: see prevention of Genital herpes
  Research for Genital herpes: see research for Genital herpes

Society issues for Genital herpes
  Costs of Genital herpes: approximately $237 million in 1994 (NIAID)
  Costs of Genital herpes: Costs associated with genital herpes totalled approximately $237 million in 1994.²
  Hospitalization statistics for Genital herpes: The following are statistics from various sources about hospitalizations and Genital herpes:

0.0022% (284) of hospital consultant episodes were for anogenital herpesviral infection in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
93% of hospital consultant episodes for anogenital herpesviral infection required hospital admission in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
8% of hospital consultant episodes for anogenital herpesviral infection were for men in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
92% of hospital consultant episodes for anogenital herpesviral infection were for women in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
89% of hospital consultant episodes for anogenital herpesviral infection required emergency hospital admission in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
3.5 days was the mean length of stay in hospitals for anogenital herpesviral infection in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
3 days was the median length of stay in hospitals for anogenital herpesviral infection in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
28 was the mean age of patients hospitalised for anogenital herpesviral infection in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
79% of hospital consultant episodes for anogenital herpesviral infection occurred in 15-59 year olds in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
4% of hospital consultant episodes for anogenital herpesviral infection occurred in people over 75 in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
4% of hospital consultant episodes for anogenital herpesviral infection were single day episodes in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
0.0017% (899) of hospital bed days were for anogenital herpesviral infection in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)

Footnotes:
1. excerpt from Genital Herpes: DSTD
2. excerpt from Sexually Transmitted Diseases Statistics, NIAID Fact Sheet: NIAID
3. excerpt from Sexually Transmitted Diseases, NIAID Fact Sheet: NIAID
4. excerpt from Genital Herpes: NWHIC
5. excerpt from Genital Herpes, NIAID Fact Sheet: NIAID

Last revision: April 11, 2003

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