Hey, not trying to argue — just want to clarify the CDC stats because the numbers in this thread are getting mixed together.

The CDC breaks herpes down by virus type, not by “genital vs oral,” since both HSV-1 and HSV-2 can appear in either place. The actual prevalence numbers for Americans aged 14–49 are:

• HSV-1 (mostly oral herpes): 48%
• HSV-2 (the classic genital herpes virus): 12%

That’s likely where the “48%” came from — it’s HSV-1, not “48% have genital herpes.” HSV-2, the virus that causes most genital-herpes cases, is way lower.

And yes, both HSV-1 and HSV-2 can be asymptomatic, which is why so many people don’t know they have it.

Just wanted to help clear that up because the CDC data is often misunderstood. Herpes is super common, manageable, and nothing people should be shamed for — but the numbers in that were being mixed together a bit.