Question: are oral and genital herpes different?
Answer: Genital herpes is caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV). There are two types of herpes viruses — HSV-1 and HSV-2. Genital herpes is usually caused by HSV-2; oral herpes (cold sores) is usually caused by HSV-1. However, genital herpes can also be caused by HSV-1.