Introduction: A health professional should be interested in identifying communities’ knowledge about the health-disease process to promote health and prevent the development of diseases.   Aim: To describe the knowledge and treatments of herpes labialis by adolescent students from a public educational institution in Medellín in 2012.   Materials and methods: Observational, descriptive study. A total of 133 students from a public educational institution in Medellín participated through probabilistic sampling and random selection, and a test of knowledge and treatments of herpes labialis was administered. A univariate descriptive statistical analysis was made. Minimum risk study according to Resolution 8430 of 1993 of the Republic of Colombia.   Results: Ages ranged from 14 to 23 years old with an average age of 16 and a standard deviation of 1.14. 50.4% were women, only 6 % know about herpes labialis from medical sources, 38.3 % do not know the causative agent, 65.4 % know the means of transmission, and 76.7 % recognize them visually. 45.9% had doubts about the signs and symptoms, 60.2 % did not know any pharmacological treatment but reported knowing the use of non-pharmacological treatments such as Vaseline, cocoa butter, chemicals, cigarette, lemon, tomato and salt.   Conclusions: Deficiencies were detected in the knowledge of herpes labialis, its etiology and treatment. The main source of knowledge was the family