One in six Americans between the ages of 14 and 49 has genital herpes, according to a new estimate Tuesday from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, based on 2005 to 2008 data.
That’s about the same as the rate reported for 1999 to 2004.
Infection rates are worse among African Americans: 39 percent have genital herpes, compared to 12 percent of whites, according to the CDC. Women have higher infection rates than men.