They might mean HPV. HSV consists of HSV-1 (oral herpes) and HSV-2 (“pubic area” herpes). There isn’t really a consensus across studies for what percentage of

They might mean HPV. HSV consists of HSV-1 (oral herpes) and HSV-2 (“pubic area” herpes). There isn’t really a consensus across studies for what percentage of the population has HSV-1, but all studies agree that it’s “very common”. The reason you don’t see more people with herpes sores around their mouths is because most people with HSV-1 never have an outbreak, and those that do only usually have an outbreak when they are under a lot of stress or ill (because the immune system is occupied with things other than the HS virus). A few companies are working on vaccines and cures for HSV-2 and even HSV-1 that are based on the COVID 19 RNA vaccines and we might be able to get them in the next decade.