HSV-2 stands for Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2, which is a virus that causes genital herpes. It is a sexually transmitted infection that affects an estimated 491 million people aged 15-49 years worldwide. HSV-2 infects women almost twice as often as men because sexual transmission is more efficient from men to women. The virus can be transmitted even if the skin looks normal and is often transmitted in the absence of symptoms. In rare circumstances, herpes (HSV-1 and HSV-2) can be transmitted from mother to child during delivery, causing neonatal herpes. HSV-2 infection increases the risk of acquiring HIV infection by approximately three-fold. The virus is lifelong, and although genital herpes is a lifelong infection, the number of outbreaks may decrease over time.