¤ Genital herpes affects an estimated 30 million Americans, 500,000 of which are new annual occurrences.

Herpes is most easily passed through intimate skin contact between the affected partner's skin and your own, thus oral contact of any kind can transmit it. Kissing, blow jobs, going down on a woman and oral anal contact can all result in transmission. The symptoms of this infection include:

• Painful blisters
• Open sores in the genital area, which may be preceded by a tingling or burning sensation in the legs, buttocks or genital region.

When it is found at the lips it is called cold sores. Though herpes is most commonly found on the genitals and the mouth it can happen most anywhere on the body. Outbreaks of herpes normally occur about 4 times a year and are brought on by stress, sunlight or sickness. The herpes sores normally disappear with 2 or 3 weeks, but the virus remains in the body and lesions may recur from time to time. An antiviral drug called acyclovir can be used to help treat the symptoms of herpes but dose not eliminate the virus from the body. Women who acquire genital herpes during pregnancy can pass the disease on to their babies. Untreated herpes simplex virus in newborns can result in mental retardation and death.