The perception that oral herpes symptoms and genital herpes symptoms in men are somehow different is due, at least to some extent, to the fact that genital herpes carries a strong social stigma while oral herpes is generally viewed in a less negative light. Nonetheless, because the HSV-1 (responsible for oral herpes) and HSV-2 (the cause of genital herpes) viruses responsible for the two infections are 98% identical at a molecular level, they elicit nearly identical responses from the body's immune system. Indeed, it may surprise you to learn just how much sufferers of the two diseases have in common.
First off, with regards to transmission, the HSV-1 virus is usually passed on through saliva (although the virus can be picked up by the hands and then transmitted to the mouth and face) whereas HSV-2, as we all know, is generally transmitted via sexual intercourse. Despite these apparent differences, the manner in which the virus infects its new host is identical.
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