Herpes is a common but incurable infection caused by the herpes simplex virus. Once the virus infects the bloodstream, it remains in the body and can cause periodic outbreaks of blistering sores on the mouth and face or genital area throughout the host's lifetime. Although anyone is susceptible to the herpes simplex virus, certain groups of people are at higher risk of contracting the virus based on various lifestyle, disease-related and socioeconomic factors.
Socioeconomic and Demographic Factors
Women are more likely than men to develop genital herpes. Children between the ages of 6 months and 3 years are most likely to develop an infection of oral herpes caused by the herpes simplex virus 1. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, children from lower-income homes are at higher risk of acquiring oral herpes compared to children living in middle-income homes. Those living in crowded, impoverished and unsanitary conditions are also more likely to develop oral herpes.
Athletes who participate in sports that involve direct contact with other players or sporting equipment are at increased risk of a specific type of infection caused by herpes simplex virus 1. Additionally, certain medical workers are at increased risk for a herpes infection that develops in-between the fingers.
Sexual Behavior
Anyone who is sexually active is at risk for contracting the herpes virus. According to Baptist Health Systems, people who are sexually active over a long period of time, have unprotected sex, begin having sex at an early age or have many sexual partners are particularly at risk. Engaging in sexual activity with a partner who has oral or genital herpes--even if the partner does not have a current outbreak--also increases a person's risk for developing a new herpes infection.
Compromised Immune System
Those whose immune systems are compromised as a result of illness or infection are more susceptible to the herpes virus. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, individuals with human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, are at particularly high risk of infection from the herpes simplex virus 2--the virus that causes genital herpes. Transplant patients and those with autoimmune disorders such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis who take immunosuppressive medications are also more likely to develop herpes.
Neonatal Risk Factors
Babies whose mothers have herpes are at greater risk of contracting the herpes simplex virus. According to the University of Washington Academic Medical Center, the virus may pass to the fetus in utero, during delivery or shortly after delivery. The fetus is more likely to contract the virus when the mother develops a primary, newly acquired infection during the pregnancy and close to the time of delivery, as opposed to recurring infection from a longstanding herpes infection.
