Genital Herpes, having a bit of social stigma attached to it, may not be something openly discussed. The truth is that Herpes is much more common than most people think.

Being diagnosed with Genital Herpes can be a real shock for many. Emotions of feeling unclean, shame, and less worthy are common.

The statistics show that if you are diagnosed with herpes, or if you think you may be, you have a lot of company. Take a look at these statistics:

In the United States about 20% of the adult population are infected with genital herpes. Somewhere around 50 million Americans. Breaking the statistics down, the rate for women is about one in four, and for men it is one in five.

It is the most prevalent viral sexually transmitted disease. Of all these millions of cases, only about 20% are aware, or have been diagnosed with herpes. That means that 80% of those infected with the herpes virus are possibly infecting their partners.

It is a misconception that the disease is only infectious during an outbreak. While it is more contagious when blisters are present, the disease can be transmitted even when there are no symptoms at all.

Not everyone infected with the virus will have outbreaks after the initial episode. For those infected with the Herpes Simplex type 2 (HSV-2) virus approximately 80% will have at least one additional reoccurrence, and those infected with Herpes Simplex type-1 have only a 50% rate of reoccurrence. The average number of outbreaks is around 4-5 per year.

While getting the diagnosis of genital herpes can be distressing, it is important to get a proper diagnosis which involve the proper blood tests by a medical practitioner.