ATLANTA, April 23 (UPI) -- About 16.2 percent of people in the United States between the ages of 14-49 are infected with genital herpes, U.S. health officials estimate.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, released Thursday, said the rate of genital herpes -- herpes simplex virus type 2 -- is almost twice the amount in women than in men.
In addition, the prevalence of genital herpes is three times higher among African-Americans than whites but is lowest among Mexican-Americans, the report said.
However, African-Americans are more than four times as likely to be infected with genital herpes as are whites, even among blacks who have one lifetime sex partner.
"African-Americans are at greater risk of being exposed to genital herpes with any given sexual encounter," the report said.
