What is human papillomavirus infection?
There are an estimated 5.5 million new cases of HPV infection annually in the United States, with a cumulative 40 million people exposed. It has been estimated that 75% of sexually active men and women will contract HPV sometime during their lifetime. There are over 30 known subtypes of HPV; some are strongly associated with cervical cancer. Several subtypes are known to undergo malignant transformation, and infection with HPV is now known to be the major causative factor in cervical cancer, which is now considered to be primarily a sexually transmitted disease. Women presenting with HPV need to have a PAP smear and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) hybridization testing to screen for their dysplasia and risk of carcinogenesis. What do genital warts look like? Genital warts, the most common STI, are caused by HPV. Diagnosis is usually made on visual examination; however, if there were any doubt, a biopsy would be conclusive. Although men are less likely to have signs or visible symptoms of H
