Herpes is really just another name for cold sores, so is it really that big of a deal? This dentist says, 'No, it is not. But then again, since 70 percent of us have it, so what.
But in my personal opinion, I'll tell you that HSV-1 is no better or worse and even say that HSV-1 can be tougher to live with, because hey, it's right out there for all to see. HSV-1 is far more common and can be spread by sharing a fork (hence it gets the 'good' label), whereas HSV-2 happens around our genitals and is spread when those genitals come into contact with somebody else's - hence, the 'bad' label. (3) I'm here to say that's really not true - in general terms, the viruses are essentially the same, save for where they occur.
But there's this perception that HSV-1 is not that big a deal, and HSV-2 is something that carries a stigma. One thing I found while looking around the web is the prevalence of talk regarding 'good herpes' or 'bad herpes' (well, not that any herpes is 'good,' mind you).
