More than half the world's population carries the herpes simplex virus commonly known as oral herpes, a new report from the World Health Organization found, 3.7 billion people under age 50 carry the type 1 (HSV-1) virus, which is is primarily transmitted through mouth-to-mouth contact and usually manifests as cold sores. That amounts to two-thirds of the world's population in that age group.
“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,” The study broke down HSV-1 by region, showing the most infections in Africa: Estimates for HSV-1 prevalence by region among people aged 0-49 in 2012 Americas: 178 million women (49%), 142 million men (39%) Africa: 350 million women (87%), 355 million men (87%) Eastern Mediterranean: 188 million women (75%), 202 million men…
