HPV FAQs
What does HPV stand for?
Is HPV a sexually transmitted disease?
How common is HPV?
How can you prevent HPV?
How do you know if you have HPV?
Is there a cure for HPV?
Will giving the HPV vaccine to my daughter encourage her to have sex?
HPV stands for human papillomavirus.
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Is HPV a sexually transmitted disease?
HPV is a common virus that is passed on through skin-to-skin contact in the genital area. There are about 40 types of HPV that can infect the genital areas of men and women, most often during sex. Most sexually active people will get HPV at some time in their lives, though most will never even know it and can pass it on to their sex partners without realizing it. It is most common in people in their late teens and early 20s. Most HPV types cause no symptoms and go away on their own. But some types can cause cervical cancer in women and other less common genital cancers— like cancers of the anus, vagina, and vulva (area around the opening of the vagina). Other types of HPV can cause warts in the genital areas of men and women. These are called genital warts and are not a life-threatening disease. But they can cause emotional stress and their treatment can be very uncomfortable.
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HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States. At least 50 percent of sexually active people will get HPV at some time in their lives. Every year in the U.S., about 6.2 million people get HPV. HPV is most common in young women and men who are in their late teens and early 20s. For more information see the CDC’s web page of question and answers about the HPV vaccine.
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Get the HPV vaccine. The new HPV vaccine can protect against some of the most serious types of HPV. Condoms may also lower the risk of getting HPV. The only sure protection from HPV is to have sex only with an uninfected partner or to avoid all sexual activity.
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How do you know if you have HPV?
Most men and women who have HPV do not know that they are infected because the virus usually has no symptoms and goes away on its own. You will not routinely be tested for HPV, just the signs of whether you have it or not. Cervical cell changes (early signs of cervical cancer)can be identified by routine Pap tests. An HPV test can identify high-risk HPV types on a woman’s cervix, which can cause cervical cell changes and cancer. Genital warts are diagnosed by visual inspection. For more information see CDC’s factsheet on genital HPV infections.
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There is no cure for HPV. But, there are treatments for the health problems that HPV can cause, such as genital warts, cervical cell changes, and cancers caused by HPV.
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Will giving the HPV vaccine to my daughter encourage her to have sex?
The decision to have sex by adolescents is based on multiple influences by family, peers and even school and community factors. It is rarely related to a single factor, such as risk of HPV infection. Various studies suggest that increased unsafe behaviors as a result of the HPV vaccine are unlikely. This information is from Dr. Nicole Liddon, Division of STD Prevention, CDC, ACIP meeting, February 21-22, 2006.[6]
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Information for FAQ answers was gathered from the following sources: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Cancer Society, and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.
References
1. CDC (2008). Genital HPV infection—fact sheet, http://www.cdc.gov/std/HPV/STDFact-HPV.htm.
2. CDC (2008). Vaccines and Preventable Diseases: HPV vaccine—Questions & Answers, http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/hpv/vac-faqs.htm.
3. CDC (2008). Genital HPV infection—fact sheet, http://www.cdc.gov/std/HPV/STDFact-HPV.htm.
4. CDC (2008). Genital HPV infection—fact sheet, http://www.cdc.gov/std/HPV/STDFact-HPV.htm.
5. ACS (2009). Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), Cancer, and HPV Vaccines – Frequently Asked Questions, http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_6x_FAQ_HPV_Vaccines.asp?sitearea=&level=.
6. CDC (2006). Record of the Meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) on February 21-22, 2006, http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/recs/acip/downloads/min-feb06.rtf.
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