WHO is AFFECTED?

QuickStats: Prevalence of HPV* Infection† Among Sexually Active Females Aged 14--59 Years, by Age Group --- National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, United States, 2003--2004

* Human papillomavirus.
† Determined by DNA extraction from self-collected cervicovaginal swabs.
§ 95% confidence interval.
Among sexually active females (i.e., 57% of females aged 14--19 years and 97% of those aged 20--59 years), the prevalence of HPV infection was highest for those in the youngest age groups (i.e., approximately 40% in those aged 14--19 years and 50% in those aged 20--24 years). Prevalence declined substantially after age 24 years.
SOURCES: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2003--2004. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/about/major/nhanes/nhanes2003-2004/nhanes03_04.htm.
Dunne EF, Unger ER, Sternberg M, et al. Prevalence of HPV infection among females in the United States. JAMA 2007;297:813--9.

How do I talk to my partner about HPV?

You and your partner may benefit from talking openly about HPV. You can tell your partner that:

• HPV is very common. It can infect the genital areas of both men and women. It usually has no signs or symptoms.


• Most sexually active people get HPV at some time in their lives, though most will never know it. People with only one lifetime sex partner can get HPV, if their partner was infected with HPV. Most of the time, the body fights off HPV naturally. But in some people, HPV does not go away.


• There is no test yet for men to find out if they have HPV. But the most common health problem caused by HPV in men is genital warts. And the type of HPV found on your HPV test does not cause genital warts.


• Partners who have been together for a while tend to share HPV. This means that your partner likely has HPV also, even though your partner may have no signs or symptoms.


• Having HPV does not mean that you or your partner is having sex outside of your relationship. There is no sure way to know when you got HPV. A person can have HPV for many years before it is found.

Preventing HPV

Abstaining from any type of sexual relations is ideal in preventing HPV, but not very realisitc these days for adults. Wearing a condom provides limited protection. The male condom provides limited protection. Keep in mind that since HPV may not show any visible symptoms, your partner may still be infected. A vaccine can now protect females from the four types of HPV that cause most cervical cancers and genital warts. The vaccine is recommended for 11 and 12 year-old girls. It is also recommended for girls and women age 13 through 26 who have not yet been vaccinated or completed the vaccine series. But again for those who choose to be sexually active, condoms may lower the risk of HPV, if used all the time and the right way. Condoms may also lower the risk of developing HPV-related diseases, such as genital warts and cervical cancer. But HPV can infect areas that are not covered by a condom—so condoms may not fully protect against HPV. So the only sure way to prevent HPV is to avoid all sexual activity.

How to ask for HELP?

An HPV test can be done to determine if a person has HPV. Testing samples of cervical cells is an effective way to identify high-risk types of HPVs that may be present. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved an HPV test that can identify 13 of the high-risk types of HPVs associated with the development of cervical cancer. There is currently no test to determine if a man has HPV.

Symptoms of HPV

Symptoms of HPV normally appear in the form a cauliflower like growths called genital warts. These warts may also be flat. They can be found on the inside and the outside of the vagina. These growths may take weeks or even years to show after having sex with an infected partner. Again, they may appear show at all. Most people with HPV do not develop symptoms or health problems. But sometimes, certain types of HPV can cause genital warts in men and women. Other HPV types can cause cervical cancer and other less common cancers, such as cancers of the vulva, vagina, anus, and penis. The types of HPV that can cause genital warts are not the same as the types that can cause cancer.
HPV types are often referred to as “low-risk” (wart-causing) or “high-risk” (cancer-causing), based on whether they put a person at risk for cancer. In 90% of cases, the body’s immune system clears the HPV infection naturally within two years. This is true of both high-risk and low-risk types.

How Can You Get HPV

HPV is transmitted by skin to skin contact through vaginal, anal and oral sex with a partner who already has HPV. If infected, signs and symptoms may take weeks, months and even years to appear. Symptoms may never appear.