Herpes Facts

  • Genital herpes is a common STI
  • Around 80% of people infected with genital herpes don't know they have the virus.
  • 1 in 8 adult Australians have genital herpes
  • Genital herpes is twice as common in women than in men
  • 80% of people with genital herpes don't realise that they have it
  • 70% of people with genital herpes get it from a partner who didn't have an outbreak at the time of sexual contact
  • The most common symptoms of genital herpes are redness, tingling and itching
  • If you experience recurrent genital symptoms see your doctor and request a STI test that includes genital herpes
  • Genital herpes treatments can be tailored to suit your lifestyle
  • There are simple treatments available to reduce genital herpes outbreaks
  • Suppressive therapy helps to reduce viral shedding
  • Reducing viral shedding lessens the risk of genital herpes transmission
Last updated: December 2011
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