Asmuchas16percentoftheU.S.populationbetweentheagesof14and49hasgenitalherpes,accordingtoagovernmentstudyreleasedTuesday.

    And***uallytran**itteddiseasesofallvarietiesinfect19millionmoreAmericanseveryyear--aratethatcoststhehealthcaresystemsome$16billionannually,theNationalHealthandNutritionExaminationSurvey(NHANES)found.ThestudywasreleasedbytheCentersforDiseaseControlandPreventionaspartofthetheNationalSTDPreventionConferenceinAtlanta,Georgia.

    Theherpessimplex2virus--oneofthemostcommon***uallytran**itteddiseasesintheUnitedStates--causespainful,recurringgenitalsores.

    "ThisstudyservesasastarkreminderthatherpesremainsacommonandserioushealththreatintheUnitedStates.Everyoneshouldbeawareofthesymptoms,riskfactorsandstepsthatcanbetakentopreventthespreadofthislifelongandincurableinfection,"saidDr.KevinFenton,directoroftheCDC'sNationalCenterforHIV/AIDS,ViralHepatitis,STDandTBPrevention.

    WomenandAfrican-Americanshavethehighestrateofgenitalherpesinfections.Accordingtothestudy,oneinfivewomenisinfectedwiththeherpesvirus.Theinfectionratewasalmosttwiceashighamongwomen--nearly21percent--thanamongmen,at11.5percent.

    ForAfrican-Americans,theprevalenceofinfectionwas39.2percent--morethanthreetimesthatofwhites,at12.3percent.Blackwomenaremostaffectedbythedisease,withaninfectionrateof48percent.

    FentonsaidthehighratesofherpesamongAfrican-AmericansismostlikelycontributingtothehighrateofHIVinthatcommunity.Infact,statisticsshowthatpeoplewithherpesaretwotothreetimesmorelikelytogetHIVifexposed.

    TheCDCestimatesthatmorethan80percentof-->>

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