It has been reported by HealthDay that genital herpes simplex 2 virus has become the most common form of STD as it infects almost 16% i. e. one out of every 6 people who are Americans. The report also discloses that the number of victims is greater in females than males, with three times more in black women. People with one life-time sex partner were found to be 27% less infected as compared to those having more than 10 sex partners.

In this study released on Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in National STD Prevention Conference in Atlanta, the US health official stated that mostly the infected are between 14 to 49 years of age.

National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) informs that the cost spent by the healthcare systems for the 19 million affected people suffering from one or other STD is about $16 Billion every year.

Director of the CDC's National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention Dr. Kevin Fenton said, "This study serves as a stark reminder that herpes remains a common and serious health threat in the United States. Everyone should be aware of the symptoms, risk factors and steps that can be taken to prevent the spread of this lifelong and incurable infection”.