HSV-1 also can cause genital lesions through oral sex. But more than half of adults in America have been infected at some point in their lives with HSV-1, the herpes virus that commonly affects the mouth in the form of cold sores.
Genital herpes typically is caused by HSV-2, a herpes virus strain.
About one in six Americans ages 14 to 49 has genital herpes, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
