December 11, 2024, 4:00 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
An infection with a sexually transmitted infection (STI) is certainly not a topic that people like to bring up. Yet it would actually be important to be open about it – at least with new sexual partners. After all, unknowingly, people can not only infect themselves but also pass on the pathogens. Researchers have now uncovered the alarming consequences of remaining silent: According to their calculations, one in five people worldwide is affected by a specific, incurable sexually transmitted disease. Find out more from FITBOOK below.
It’s likely that many individuals have experienced an infection with a sexually transmitted infection (STI) at some point. Depending on the specific diagnosis, this can be more or less unpleasant, but most STIs can at least be treated well. Regrettably, with genital herpes, the pathogen persists in the body, even once the acute infection has subsided. As a result, those affected may experience recurrent outbreaks of the disease. And one in five people worldwide apparently live with this fate, as a recent study shows.1
Overview
According to a study, One in Five People Worldwide Has Genital Herpes
It’s not a pretty finding. The STI manifests itself with similar symptoms to cold sores, except that the burning skin blisters appear in the genital area. There are also similar triggers that can provoke a flare-up of herpes symptoms. These include physical or emotional stress and distress. In any case, this also means that genital herpes does not go unnoticed by those affected. They are aware of their findings. However, many keep it to themselves. “The stigmatization of genital herpes means that too little is said about it,” explains Dr. Sami Gottlieb, one of the main authors of the study, in a press release.2
Details of the Study
The study’s data is derived from STI surveillance data collected by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2020. Meta-analyses that have examined the global spread of genital herpes were also considered. The researchers took into account the various herpes simplex viruses (human herpes virus types 1 and 2). Besides herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV 2), which is of particular relevance here, virus type 1—commonly linked to cold sores—can also cause genital herpes, for instance, during oral sex. The researchers also included genital ulcers, which can be triggered by herpes viruses, in the study. In order to create realistic estimates of the frequency of sexually transmitted diseases, they developed a computer-aided model based on mathematical calculations.
Results and Significance of the Study
According to the analysis, around 25.6 million people worldwide between the ages of 15 and 49 were infected with HSV 2 for the first time in 2020. Around 519.5 million are said to have already lived with an existing HSV 2 infection during this time, and 376.2 million with an existing HSV 1 infection. In addition, there were a further 16.8 million new genital herpes infections in the age group in question. These were attributable to the HSV 1 pathogen.
In light of their findings, the researchers advocate for new preventive and therapeutic measures. For example, vaccines against the pathogen are “urgently needed to control HSV infections and reduce the associated disease burden.” They concede that there are certainly those affected who only experience mild symptoms of genital herpes. But for millions of people, the pain and suffering caused by acute infections is immense. In addition, the spread of STIs is a burden on healthcare systems.
Brain inflammation Possible symptoms of encephalitis
Currently rising figures Symptoms that may indicate a mycoplasma infection
Study shows By 2050, 39 million deaths are expected to be attributable to antibiotic resistance
How to Protect Yourself from Genital Herpes
According to estimates by the Federal Ministry of Health, around 10 to 15 out of every 100 people in Germany carry HSV 2 in their bodies.3 In addition, an estimated 60 to 90 (!) percent of Germans carry HSV 1 (the cold sore pathogen).4
Contact with herpes viruses does not trigger an infection in every person. Those people can still carry the pathogen (invisibly). This underlines the importance of protecting yourself. Until a vaccine becomes available, condoms provide the most dependable protection against genital herpes and a range of other sexually transmitted infections.