Compare and contrast the two most common forms of HSV, and explain why one form is considered “acceptable” in society, while the other form is considered “bad.”

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answers can vary.The two most common forms of HSV are types 1 and 2. In type 1—the HSV most often known to cause oral herpes—cold sores or fever blisters appear on the lips and mouth. HSV-2 is better known as the virus that causes genital herpes. The fundamental difference between the two main types of HSV lies in their preferred “site of residence.”The HSV-1 virus typically establishes latency in a collection of nerve cells near the ear known as the trigeminal ganglion.  HSV-2 usually establishes latency at the base of the spine in the sacral ganglion. The virus can remain dormant for a long time, but repeated outbreaks are common.Society has typically labeled HSV-1 infection (cold sores) an “acceptable” viral infection, whereas infection with HSV-2 is viewed as a “bad” infection. The social stigma and emotional perspective of genital herpes make it difficult to objectively compare it with an oral infection, labeled as “just a cold sore” and acceptable to most people.HSV types 1 and 2, nonetheless, both cause oral and genital herpes. People who have an outbreak of oral herpes should not touch their own or someone else’s genitals after touching the oral cold sores. Doing so can lead to a herpes infection of the genitals (genital HSV-1 infection). Oral sex can also result in transmission of HSV from the lips to the genitals. Thirty percent of all new cases of genital herpes result from HSV-1 infection. A 2011 study involving college students showed that HSV-1 accounts for 78 percent of female and 85 percent of male genital herpes infections.