Thread by @WHO

New estimates show billions of people 🌐 living with #herpes, incl. about half a billion with genital herpes, & several billion with an oral herpes infection.

Raising awareness & investment to scale up services are essential to prevent & treat herpes.

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About 13% of the 🌐 population aged 15 to 49 lived with #herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) infection in 2016. HSV-2 is almost exclusively sexually transmitted, causing genital herpes. Infection can lead to recurring, often painful, genital sores in up to 1/3 of people infected.

DYK? Having #herpes HSV-2 infection makes you at least 3-times more likely to become infected with #HIV, if exposed.

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#Herpes HSV-2 likely plays a substantial role in the spread of #HIV globally. Women are more susceptible to both HSV-2 & HIV. Women living in @WHOAFRO Region have the highest HSV-2 prevalence & exposure to HIV - increasing their risk of HIV infection.

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Around 67% of the 🌐 population aged 0 to 49 had #Herpes HSV-1 infection in 2016 – an estimated 3.7 billion people. Most of these infections were oral; however, between 122 to 192 million people were estimated to have genital HSV-1 infection.

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DYK? There is no cure for #herpes.
Antiviral medications can help to reduce the severity & frequency of symptoms but cannot cure the infection. Development of better treatment and prevention interventions is needed, particularly HSV vaccines.

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