Herpes simplex has two main varieties that cause sores to appear in the oral and genital regions of the body, according to FamilyDoctor.org. Current data indicate that 60 percent of Americans between the ages of 14 to 49 have type 1 herpes. About 17 percent of Americans from the same demographic have type 2 herpes. Both types of herpes can be spread when the infected area comes into contact with an open wound. The virus can also be transmitted from mother to child during birth.
Age
One factor that affects the risk of acquiring herpes is age. People between the ages of six months to 3 are at risk of acquiring type 1 herpes, notes the University of Maryland Medical Center. An estimated 45 million Americans aged 12 and up have type 2 herpes. An estimated 60 to 85 percent of 60-year-old Americans have type 1 herpes. About a fifth of teens to adults have type 2 herpes, explains The New York Times Health Americans Guide.
Gender
Gender seems to significantly affect the likelihood of acquiring type 2 herpes. An estimated 25 percent of American women and 12.5 percent of men have type 2 herpes, notes the University of Maryland Medical Center. However, gender does not seem to be a significant risk factor in the transmission of type 1 herpes.
Geographic Location
There is evidence that suggests that living in regions that are generally unsanitary and with a high population density may affect the likelihood of acquiring type 1 herpes in children, cites the New York Times Health Guide.
HIV Infection
The Human Immunodeficiency Virus, or HIV, systematically destroys the body's immune system leaving it more susceptible to other diseases. About 70 percent to a little over 80 percent of people with HIV also have type 2 herpes, explains the University of Maryland Medical Center.
Income Level
Income level may also affect the likelihood of acquiring type 1 herpes. Current data shows that one in every three children ages 5 and above that come from the American lower class have type 1 herpes, notes the New York Times Health Guide. On the other hand, only one in every five children in the same age demographic that come from the American middle class have type 1 herpes, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center.
Unprotected Sexual Activity
Engaging in unprotected sexual activity can significantly increase the risk of acquiring type 2 herpes. Individuals that engage in unprotected vaginal, anal or oral sex are at risk of getting infected with type 2 herpes. The likelihood increases in direct relation to the age when sexual activity started, and number of sexual partners, explains the University of Maryland Medical Center.
