So, you get an ingrown hair on your vag and the first thing you do is rush to Google to see if it's an STD. You type in "bumps on vagina," and "herpes."
Apparently, you and hundreds of thousands of other people are also googling the word herpes.
That's right, according to info released by GetTested, "herpes" is the most Googled STD in 47 out of 50 states. The most common search term for the remaining states (made up of Washington, D.C., Virginia, Maryland, and Oregon) was HIV.
While it might sound a bit gross to think that so many people are googling about herpes, it's not surprising. About half of all Americans have the oral version of herpes, which results in cold sores. This type of the herpes virus is called HSV-1, however, this might not be the kind that people are so anxious to Google.
The type most people are probably worried about is HSV-2, or genital herpes. About one in six American adults between ages 14-49 have HSV-2. Many people do not know they have genital herpes because they never have symptoms, or their symptoms are very mild and are mistaken for something else, like pimples or ingrown hairs.
While both types of herpes might be uncomfortable, they are not typically dangerous or life-threatening. You might have an outbreak every so often, which can be triggered by stress and other factors, but you can live as a healthy adult. They both are, however, pretty easily spread to others.
The data was collected over a period of five years, and also answered some other interesting questions regarding the way America Googles about STDs. The most commonly searched-for question was, "Can I get an STD from oral?"
Other top questions that were searched for include:
1. Can I get an STD from kissing?
2. Can I get an STD from a toilet?
3. Can I get an STD if I use a condom?
Though the results were, well, interesting, it's good to know Americans are pretty proactive when it comes to learning about STDs and safe sex in general.
Fuente: www.vix.com
