What should I know about human papilloma viruses (HPV)?
Human papilloma viruses are a group of more than 100 different viruses. • About 40 types of HPV are spread during sex. • Some types of HPVs can cause cervical cancer when not treated. • HPV infection is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases. • About 75 percent of sexually active people will get HPV sometime in their life. • Most women with untreated HPV do NOT get cervical cancer. • Some HPVs cause genital warts but these HPVs do not cause cervical cancer. • Since HPV rarely causes symptoms, most people don’t know they have the infection.
