Herpes facts: 5 things that you need to know

Are you 100 percent confident that you don't have herpes? Well, you better think twice again.

We are already aware that there are two types of herpes: cold sores and genital herpes. 

According to a health blog, the World Health Organization reported that about two-thirds of the entire world population are infected with cold sores, scientifically known as herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1.)

On the other hand, there are more or less 417 million people from age 15 to 49 who are infected with the HSV-2 or genital herpes.

While there are a lot of people who are infected by the virus, many people are unaware of the important facts regarding herpes. Below are five of the most intriguing facts about herpes.

Fact 1: You might be infected with herpes even without an outbreak.

Many people believe that they are free from herpes when they do not have any outbreak. Unfortunately, this is not the case. One can be infected with the virus even without an outbreak. In fact, a total of 87.4 percent of those who are infected by the virus is clueless with regards to their situation, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC.)

Fact 2: Not all people who are infected with herpes are promiscuous.

People tend to immediately think that those who have herpes have had multiple sex partners. Again, this is not a fact.

According to Raquel Dardik, MD, a clinical associate professor of Joan H. Tisch Center for Women's Health at New York University Langone, there are a lot of asymptomatic carriers of herpes.

An asymptomatic carrier is defined to be a person who is infected with a certain disease, but does not display any symptom. As a consequence, they might transmit the virus to their romantic partners without knowing it.

While it is true that having multiple partners increases the risks of having herpes, not all those who have herpes definitely had or have multiple partners.

Fact 3: You can get herpes with mere skin to skin contact.

There is no need for a sexual intercourse to be infected with herpes. You can get cold sores or HSV-1 by simply kissing someone who is infected. Also, if someone who has HSV-1 on their lips touched your genitals or other parts of the body with their mouth, then you might also get HSV-1 and start to develop lesions where you were touched. On the other hand, you might also get HSV-2 if you touched an infected person's genitals and get lesions.

Fact 4: There is no cure for herpes.

Unfortunately, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that there is no cure for herpes. However, there are some medication that can be prescribed by doctors for the purpose of preventing or even shortening herpes outbreak.

Fact 5: Using condoms reduces the risks of getting genital herpes.

Yes, it is true that using condoms can help in lowering your chances of being infected with the virus. However, it does not completely eliminate the risk.