Living with Oral Herpes

[JoseReynolds]

I have a few questions and i would appreciate if you can answer the following -:

1. According to American Academy of Dermatology, "most people get infected when exposed to the virus, only 10 percent will actually develop sores"
http://www.aad.org/public/publications/pamphlets/viral_herpes_simplex.html

Is it correct?

The World Health Organization estimates that 90% of the world population currently carry this extremely contagious virus.

In india, which is very highly populated (15% of world population) , you hardly see any cold sores. In USA, only 60% population has HSV1. It's tough to believe that 90% population carries the virus.

Are these figures correct?


2. Chicken pox and Cold Sores are both caused by Herpes Viruses. If we compare the complications of Chicken pox(VZV) virus with Cold Sores (HSV1), which is more serious?
I am asking this question because all websites say that HSV-1 outbreaks are generally mild then why is Oral Herpes such a big deal? Why is Chicken Pox acceptable and cold sores not acceptable in the society? What makes Oral Herpes a more serious virus?


3. Do you have any figures/statistics of Oral Herpes infections in India? (it's 33% according to wikipedia)


4. I see that there are seperate websites like herpesdating.com which makes us think that Oral herpes is also a serious disease. Please comment.


Thanks,
Jose

[JoseReynolds]

Grace,

Please comment.

Thanks,
Jose

[Emma_08]

1.  Most people with oral HSV-1 infections never have cold sores.  About half of the US population has oral HSV-1, but most infections are asymptomatic.  Also, you either have HSV-1 or you don't - you cannot just "carry" the virus.  Even if you have never had a cold sore, you could still be infected with HSV-1.
2.  Chicken pox (VZV) and HSV-1 are similar only in that they are both herpes viruses.  I would assume that chicken pox is more serious because there can be greater health consequences from the virus.  Oral HSV-1 should not be a big deal - it is not even considered to be an STD in this context.  People who make a big deal about HSV-1 are not educated in this matter.
3.  No, sorry.
4.  I wouldn't trust these websites.  They give misinformation about STDs to make people think that they need the site to find a partner.  A lot of information is blown out of proportion and is just not true.
Hope this helps.
Best,
Em