Herpes is more common than you might think — way more common, actually. In 2020 alone, over 25 million people between the ages of 15 and 49 contracted a new genital infection with herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2).

A study estimating the number of under-50s worldwide who are living with genital herpes has highlighted changing sexual behaviors and the need for many countries to consider more effective ways of curbing the transmission of this incurable disease.

About 1 in 5 people younger than 50 live with a genital herpes infection, researchers reported Dec. 10 in the journal Sexually Transmitted Infections. Even worse, more than 200 million people ages 15 to 49 likely had at least one outbreak of herpes sores and ulcers in 2020.

Discover the staggering global impact of genital herpes, with 846 million infected and 205 million symptomatic.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that around 846 million people aged between 15 and 49 are living with genital

The latest global estimates suggest 846 million people are living with genital herpes infection. The findings are published online in the journal Sexually Transmitted Infections. And more than 200 million 15–49 year olds probably had at least one symptomatic outbreak of the infection in 2020,

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has revealed that approximately 846 million people aged 15-49 are living with genital herpes infections, accounting for more than one in five of this age group globally.