[Question #10191] How many people know they have oral herpes?
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25 months ago
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Hi guys,
This is kind of a weird question, but here it goes: I know that over half of the US population has oral herpes, but is there any data about what percentage KNOWS they have it? Since HSV-1 isn't included in normal STD screenings, it seems to me that the number of people who actually know they have oral herpes must be quite low (this seems especially true when we take into account how only 20% of people with genital herpes know they have it, and HSV-2 IS included in standard STD screenings).
Thanks!
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Terri Warren, RN, Nurse Practitioner
25 months ago
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Yes, there is data. About 70% of those infected with HSV 1 are unaware of their infection.
HSV 2 is not included in standard STI screens and the CDC recommends not using it in a screen due to the very high rates of false positives
Terri
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25 months ago
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Oh wow I didn’t realize there was an established number. If you don’t mind, would send over a link to that study? I’ve been looking through the CDC and WHO databases and can only find information on HSV-2 (also, just to be clear, I’m interested about whether people know they have oral herpes, not genital HSV-1)
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24 months ago
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One clarifying point. I saw you post somewhere else on this forum that about 70% of people infected with oral herpes don't have symptoms. Were you citing the same study here? If so, it seems like this finding only tells us about how many people have symptoms, and not how many people are unaware they have oral herpes. One would think there is some public record about how many people are diagnosed with oral herpes each year but I can't find any. Thank you!
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Terri Warren, RN, Nurse Practitioner
24 months ago
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Yes, that is the same study, I'll look for the reference, it is in a classic virology text but I don't recall which one.
There is no requirement to report oral HSV anywhere that I know about.
What the text reports is that 70% of those infected with HSV 1 are unaware of their infection.
Because so much of HSV 1 is now genital, and that was an older study, it is likely a bit different now, but because HSV 1 genital infection recurs so rarely, it is likely still true that most people with HSV 1 infection are unaware of their infection.
Terri
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