Both genital herpes and oral herpes are extremely common—about 90% of people have been exposed to HSV (the virus that causes herpes) by the time they turn 50. The CDC estimated that there were 572,000 new genital herpes infections in the United States in a single year. Genital herpes and oral herpes can both be caused by both HSV-1 and HSV-2—in fact, as fewer people are exposed to oral HSV-1 as children (due to increased education for parents), the proportion of genital HSV-1 infections has increased. Those who experience frequent outbreaks can benefit from a daily dose of antiviral medication to help manage their symptoms—this suppressive therapy can reduce outbreaks by 70-80%!