Which form of herpes is typically sexually transmitted and causes infection from the waist down?

Herpes type 2 (HSV-2) is primarily associated with sexually transmitted infections and is most commonly linked to genital herpes. This virus typically causes sores and lesions in the genital and anal areas, which is why it is often referred to as the strain responsible for infections from the waist down. HSV-2 is transmitted through sexual contact, and it's important to recognize that while HSV-1 can also cause genital infections, HSV-2 remains the primary type associated with these symptoms.

In contrast, herpes type 1 (HSV-1) is most commonly linked with oral herpes, although it can be transmitted to the genital area through oral-genital contact. Shingles and chickenpox are caused by the varicella-zoster virus, which is a different virus altogether. Chickenpox primarily affects individuals during childhood, leading to an initial infection characterized by a widespread rash, while shingles occurs as a reactivation of the varicella virus in adults, resulting in a painful rash usually localized to one side of the body. These conditions are not primarily transmitted sexually and do not typically present with symptoms in the genital region.