In Brief:
Herpes is an infection caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV). The virus has two types, HSV-1 which is oral herpes and HSV-2 which is genital herpes. Some types of genital herpes can be caused by the HSV-1 virus but in most cases it is caused by spread of the HSV-2 strain. The herpes simplex virus has no cure but there are antiviral treatments like Valtrex or Aciclovir available to reduce the outbreaks. The rate of people infected with genital herpes in the United States has remained stable over the past decade with the current infection rate being 16.2% (one in six people) in the age group from age 14 to 49.
