HPV (Human
Papillomavirus)
Vaccine
HPV Vaccine
Fact Sheet (PDF 47 KB) Español
(PDF 175 KB)
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the name of a group of viruses that includes
more than 100 different types. More than 30 of these viruses are sexually
transmitted, and they can infect the genital area of men and women including
the skin of the penis, vulva, or anus, and the lining of the vagina, cervix,
or rectum. Some of these viruses are called high-risk types; they may cause
abnormal Pap tests and can also lead to cancer of the cervix, vulva, vagina,
anus, or penis.
Others are called low-risk types; they may cause mild Pap test abnormalities
or genital warts.
HPV is the most common sexually-transmitted infection in the United States.
Approximately 20 million people are currently infected with HPV. At least
50% of sexually active men and women acquire genital HPV infection at some
point in their lives. By age 50,at least 80% of women will have acquired
genital HPV infection. About 6.2 million Americans get a new genital HPV
infection each year.
HPV is spread through sexual contact. Most infected persons have no symptoms
and are unaware they are infected and can unintentionally transmit the virus
to a sex partner. Rarely, a pregnant woman passes HPV to her baby during
vaginal delivery.
Most people who become infected with HPV have no symptoms. Some people get
visible genital warts, or have pre-cancerous changes in the cervix, vulva,
anus, or penis. Genital warts usually appear as soft, moist, pink, or
flesh-colored swellings, usually in the genital area. They can be raised or
flat, single or multiple, small or large, and sometimes cauliflower shaped.
They can appear on the vulva, in or around the vagina or anus, on the
cervix, and on the penis, scrotum, groin, or thigh. After sexual contact
with an infected person, warts may appear within weeks or months or not at
all.
Most HPV infections don’t cause any symptoms and eventually go away, as the
body’s own defense system clears the virus. Women with temporary HPV
infections may develop mild Pap test abnormalities that go away with time.
About 10% of women infected with HPV develop persistent HPV infection. Women
with persistent high-risk HPV infections are at greatest risk for developing
cervical cancer precursor lesions (abnormal cells on the lining of the
cervix) and cervical cancer.
Cervical cancer in women is the most serious possible complication from HPV
infection. Persistent infection with high-risk types of HPV is associated
with almost all cervical cancers. Every year in the United States, about
10,000 women get cervical cancer and 3,700 die from it. Worldwide, cervical
cancer is the second most common cancer in women; it is estimated to cause
over 470,000 new cases and 233,000 deaths each year.
Persistent infection with high-risk types of HPV is also associated with
cancers of the vulva, vagina, penis, and anus. However, these cancers are
much less common than cervical cancer. The American Cancer Society estimates
that about 1,530 men were diagnosed with penile cancer and 1,910 men were
diagnosed with anal cancer in the U.S. in 2006. The risk for anal cancer is
17 times higher among gay and bisexual men than among heterosexual men. The
risk is also higher among men with compromised immune systems, including
those with HIV. Genital HPV infection with low-risk types of HPV is
associated with genital warts in men and women. About 1% of sexually active
adults in the U.S. have visible genital warts at any point in time.
Occasionally, low-risk HPV infections can be transmitted during birth,
resulting in respiratory tract warts in infants and children.
Genital warts in men and women are diagnosed by visual inspection. Most
women are diagnosed with HPV infection on the basis of abnormal Pap tests.
Also, a specific test is available to detect HPV DNA in women. The test may
be used in women with mild Pap test abnormalities or in women more than 30
years of age at the time of Pap testing. The results of HPV DNA testing can
help healthcare providers decide if further tests or treatment are
necessary. No HPV tests are available for men.
There is no cure for HPV infection, although the infection usually goes away
on its own. Approximately 90% of women with HPV infection become
HPV-negative within two years after becoming infected. However, it is
possible that the virus remains in a sleeping state and could be reactivated
years later. There are treatments for the health problems that HPV can
cause, such as genital warts, cervical cell changes, and cancers of the
cervix, vulva, vagina, and anus.
Visible genital warts can be removed by medications the patient applies, or
by treatments performed by a healthcare provider. No one treatment is best.
Warts might return, especially in the first 3 months after treatment. It is
not known whether treatment of genital warts will reduce the chance of
passing the virus on to a sex partner. If left untreated, genital warts may
go away, remain unchanged, or increase in size or number.
The surest way to eliminate risk for genital HPV infection is to refrain
from any genital contact with another individual. For people who are
sexually active, a long-term, mutually monogamous relationship with an
uninfected partner is the strategy most likely to prevent future genital HPV
infections. However, it is difficult to determine whether a partner who has
been sexually active in the past is currently infected. For those who are
sexually active and who are not in long-term mutually monogamous
relationships, reducing the number of sexual partners and choosing a partner
less likely to be infected may reduce the risk of genital HPV infection.
Partners less likely to be infected include those who have had no or few
prior sex partners. It is not known how much protection condoms provide
against HPV, since areas that are not covered by a condom can be exposed to
the virus. However, condoms may reduce the risk of genital warts and
cervical cancer. In 2006, a vaccine became available to protect females from
four HPV types.
HPV: Vaccine |
Disease | Safety |
Questions & Answers
Please Note: All information is general
in nature and should
not substitute seeking proper medical
attention.
Citation: This information has been
compiled from resources provided by the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC). For more information on the CDC, visit their
website at:
www.cdc.gov/.
Immunization Program
Boulder County Public Health
3450 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80304, (303) 413-7500
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