What is herpes? Essentially, herpes is the popular name for a viral infection. The infection causing virus from which herpes gets its name is known as the Herpes Simplex Virus. There are different forms of the Herpes Simplex Virus, but its main variations are Herpes Simplex Virus 1, commonly referred to as HSV 1; and Herpes Simplex Virus 2, commonly referred to as HSV 2.

The symptoms of an HSV 1 infection are typically referred to as cold sores -- sometimes fever blisters, sometimes oral blisters, and there are other descriptions as well. When symptoms occur -- they don't always -- HSV 1 infection results in an outbreak of blisters about the face, and typically about the mouth. Infection with HSV 1 is extremely common: up to ninety percent of people are infected with HSV 1, though not everyone infected with HSV 1 present symptoms.

The symptoms of an HSV 2 infection are typically referred to as genital herpes. Roughly twenty percent of adults are infected with HSV 2, but symptom recognition is very low: only twenty percent of people, give or take, infected with HSV 2 are aware of their status. When HSV 2 symptoms appear, they usually appear in the area of the genitals. HSV 2 infection is classified as an STD.

As a rule, HSV 1 and HSV 2 infection present in different parts of the body. The appearance of HSV 1 typically occurs above the waist, and appears most frequently of all above the neck. It is possible for HSV 1 to occur below the waist: it's rare for this to occur, but it does. HSV 2's infection region is below the waist, and most usually around the genitals. When HSV 1 or HSV 2 happens outside of their respective infection regions, symptoms, should they occur, are typically less severe and less frequent.

All HSV infections spread through direct skin-to-skin contact, and when HSV symptoms appear they affect the skin, usually through blistering. There's some belief that HSV infection can be passed from secondary objects -- a public utility, a towel, a glass, etc. -- but the evidence doesn't support this. As a rule, HSV infection is transmitted by skin-to-skin contact.

A bit of an exception to HSV's skin-to-skin infection rule is ocular herpes. Ocular herpes is a herpes infection of the eye(s). Ocular herpes is typically spread from some form mouth to eye transmission: going to the mouth, where an HSV infection is found, and then going to the eye and transferring the HSV infection there. Ocular herpes can be a quite serious condition that may affect sight.

The official thinking on an HSV infection is that it is permanent: it's basically accepted that HSV stays permanently in the body, hidden from all immune responses. This having been said, there are some HSV treatments that claim to eliminate HSV from the body, or to permanently end HSV symptomatic outbreaks.