Millions live with genital herpes according to the WHO
According to an estimate by the World Health Organization (WHO), more than one in five people between the ages of 15 and 49 worldwide live with a genital herpes infection. That is a total of 846 million people.
At least one person is infected every second – that equates to 42 million people per year, according to a WHO study published in the journal Sexually Transmitted Infections. The estimates relate to the year 2020.
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Genital herpes is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases and increases the risk of infection with the AIDS virus HIV. About 90% of those infected have no or inconspicuous symptoms. If symptoms do occur, they can be a painful rash in the genital area and a fever.
The herpes viruses remain in the body for life and can lead to repeated outbreaks. According to the Geneva-based WHO, this can be serious for babies if their mother becomes infected late in pregnancy and infects the child during birth.
Protection with condoms
Because the genitals are affected, shame and stigma prevent people from talking about the disease, write the authors of the study. They call for new therapies and vaccinations. According to the study, genital herpes costs $35 billion a year, for example through treatment costs and productivity losses when infected people are ill.
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Young people in Europe use condoms less frequently
According to the authors, the use of condoms can reduce the risk of infection. Anyone who has symptoms following an infection should refrain from having sex in order to avoid infecting their partner.
Adapted from German by DeepL/ac
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