What should I know about human papillomaviruses (HPV)?
Human papillomaviruses (HPV) 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 infections (STI). • 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.
