People develop HSV-1, or herpes simplex type 1, most frequently as a child via skin contact with an adult carrying the virus, notes the American Academy of Dermatology. They develop HSV-2, or type 2, through sexual contact. In the United States, one in five sexually active adults is a carrier of HSV-2.Continue Reading
Adults can spread HSV-1 to others without having any active sores, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. The only requirement is contact from the person with the virus to someone else, usually a child, through means that involve touching skin. Sharing a spoon, using the same towel and kissing can all transfer HSV-1 from the adult to the child.
While anyone can catch HSV-2 as a result of sexual contact, there are some risk factors that make contracting the disease more likely, explains the American Academy of Dermatology. These factors include being a woman, having a lot of sexual partners, starting to have sex at a younger age, suffering from another sexually transmitted disease or having a compromised immune system via a medicine regimen or another disease.