Change me!!!Herpes is a virus that causes cold sores (in the case of HSV I) and genital herpes (mostly in the case of HSV II). Cold sores are mainly caused by HSV I and it is estimated that up to 70% of the global population is infected with this form of the virus. It is usually acquired during childhood and infection is lifelong. HSV I is not usually something to worry about. HSV II is widespread (affecting over 10% of people in the UK) and is almost exclusively transmitted by sexual contact.  It causes genital herpes but this can also be caused by HSV I in certain circumstances. Only about a third of those with herpes know they are infected because there are often no noticeable symptoms or the symptoms are so mild that they are interpreted as something else. Herpes can look like a yeast infection, irritation, pimples, and other things that occur on the genitalia. It can take time for IgG antibodies to Herpes to reach detectable levels. To avoid false negative results it is usually recommended to wait 12-16 weeks from the date of last possible exposure to ensure the most accurate test results.