How many people does genital herpes affect? This modelling study, by researchers including teams at the World Health Organization and the University of Bristol, was published in Sexually Transmitted Infections. It gives the most recent global estimates, for the year 2020.
Key numbers (ages 15–49, in 2020)
- 520 million people were living with HSV‑2, just over 13% of this age group, with 26 million new infections that year.
- Including genital HSV‑1, 846 million people were living with a genital herpes infection, and 42 million were newly infected.
- About 205 million people had at least one episode of genital sores in 2020: 188 million due to HSV‑2 and 17 million due to HSV‑1.
How the estimates were made
The researchers combined systematic reviews of HSV‑1 and HSV‑2 prevalence for every WHO region and used mathematical models to estimate infections and symptoms. These are model-based estimates, so the exact numbers carry uncertainty.
Why it matters
Most people with genital herpes have few or no symptoms, but at this scale the infection still causes pain and distress for millions, affects sexual and reproductive health, can pass to newborns, and plays a role in HIV transmission. The authors call for new treatments and vaccines, which is exactly why cure research deserves funding.
- Harfouche M, et al. Estimated global and regional incidence and prevalence of herpes simplex virus infections and genital ulcer disease in 2020. Sexually Transmitted Infections 101(4), 214 (2025)
- WHO: Over 1 in 5 adults worldwide has a genital herpes infection