40% Of Americans Incorrectly Think Herpes Is Deadly, According To A Study

Due to the fact that that sex education differs so much in schools, colleges and universities, knowledge about STIs, reproductive health, safe sex and birth control can be patchy. Getting to grips with safe sex is imperative for your physical and mental wellbeing. There are so many myths and misconceptions that surround STIs and a recent study found that 40% of Americans think herpes is deadly. Babylon Health spoke to people from both the U.S and UK and found that there’s some serious confusion about how herpes manifests, how contagious it is and some thought it could have deadly consequences. 

If you’re sexually active then getting to know what’s normal for your body could help you spot any symptoms of STIs sooner. Babylon Health spoke to 1,000 Americans about various skin conditions and found that 41.5% of respondents thought herpes was deadly. The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention reported that genital herpes is the most common STI in the U.S. They estimated that more than one in every six Americans aged between 14 to 49 carries the virus. So, the fact that so many people are under the illusion that it could kill you is scary. 

The survey found that a third of respondents overall believed that herpes couldn’t be passed on to other people. The herpes simplex virus is categorized into two types, herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2). They manifest in different ways. HSV-1 is most commonly identified as cold sores and is most commonly transmitted by oral-to-oral contact. However, it can also cause genital herpes. HSV-2 is a sexually transmitted infection that causes genital herpes. Both types of the virus are lifelong and the World Health Organisation predicts that 67% of people under age 50 worldwide have HSV-1 infection and 13% have HSV-2 infection. 

The study found that women were better at identifying herpes as infectious. 32.6% of women thought herpes was deadly compared to 50.3% of men. 77.42% of women could correctly identify a picture of herpes, while only 67.58% of men did and 70.87% of women knew herpes are contagious, compared to 58.47% of men. 

Knowing what herpes looks like and what the effects of the virus are is incredibly important if you think you’ve caught it. The virus can be asymptomatic and people may not know they have it. Outbreaks of genital herpes may look like small blisters that burst to leave red, open sores around your genitals, anus and thighs, tingling, burning or itching around your genitals, pain when you pee or vaginal discharge that's not usual for you. 

While herpes isn’t deadly for adults it can be for babies. Women with herpes before pregnancy can usually expect to have a healthy baby and a vaginal delivery. If you have genital herpes during your pregnancy there is a risk the baby could develop neonatal herpes. This can be fatal. However, most babies recover after antiviral treatment. The risk of your baby getting neonatal herpes is low if you have had genital herpes before. If you think you’ve got genital herpes during pregnancy then you should speak to your clinician. 

There was also confusion surrounding herpes with the UK respondents of Babylon Health’s survey. 41% of Brits also believe herpes to be deadly, 34% said they don’t believe herpes is contagious and 24.9% of Brits couldn’t identify a picture of herpes. The British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (Bashh) has said that the Covid-19 lockdown poses a real opportunity for people to get tested and, where possible, treated for any STIs they may have. You can order STI testing kits online or contact your doctor. 

While the herpes virus isn’t deadly it can have serious medical consequences, especially for pregnant women. The best way to protect yourself from STIs is to use a condom and knowing how the virus manifests could save you from complications down the line.