unless no one has ever kissed you and unless you've never had sex it is possible that you've picked up a herpes virus. oral herpes usually caused by the herpes simplex virus type 1 (hsv-1) shows up as cold sores or fever blisters on the mouth. even a casual peck on the lips from someone with a cold sore can give you the virus. that's why it's so common: as many as 50% to 80% of adults in the u. s. have oral herpes. genital herpes most often caused by the second type of herpes virus (hsv-2) is less common but plenty of people still have it. roughly one in five u. s. adults has genital herpes. but up to 90% of those who have it don't know they are infected. you could be one of them.
could i have genital herpes and not know it?