Most people associate the STD genital herpes symptoms with painful blisters or sore “down there.” Yet, while genital herpes undoubtedly causes such irritating symptoms, most people don’t realize that this virus is more commonly asymptomatic. In fact, among the 16.2% of the US population infected with the STD, up to 90% is unaware of their status due to the lack of “textbook” herpes symptoms.

But among the statistics, ignorance, and confusion, there is one thing people should know: the virus can be transmitted even when symptoms of genital herpes are lacking. This fact begs one question:<em> Exactly how contagious is a person with an asymptomatic case of genital herpes?

Thanks to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers now have a quantifiable answer: People who have asymptomatic genital herpes, meaning they have never had an outbreak (not even one), have a 10% chance of transmitting the virus to a partner. Conversely, people who have had at least one herpes outbreak in the past have a 20% chance of passing along the virus.

Keep in mind, 10% is an average. Some people have a higher likelihood of transferring the virus and for some people, the risk is lower. However, the 10% risk is subject to interpretation; some people may feel as though 10% a pretty high percentage whereas other may see it as a very low.

This study underscores the importance of safe sex and knowing your partner’s sexual history. If you or your partner has genital herpes, the two of you can decide on the best treatment method and sexual lifestyle for your relationship. To reduce the risk of genital herpes transmission even further, those infected can take antiviral medication which suppresses the virus. Condom use can also reduce the risk of passing herpes to a partner. Each precaution reduces transmission by about half.

Furthermore, everyone should know their status and undergo genital herpes testing. Aside from unknowingly passing the virus to others, pregnant women who have genital herpes risk transmitted the virus to the child during birth. This can cause devastating effects, even death. As a rule of thumb, every sexually active adult should have genital herpes testing performed along with their annual STD testing.