Papilomavirus

                                                           Papilomavirus   

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a viral infection that’s passed between people through skin-to-skin contact. There are over 100 varieties of HPV, more than 40Trusted source of which are passed through sexual contact and can affect your genitals, mouth, or throat.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)Trusted Source, HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI).

It’s so common that most sexually active people will get some variety of it at some point, even if they have few sexual partners.

Some cases of genital HPV infection may not cause any health problems. However, some types of HPV can lead to the development of genital warts and even cancers of the cervix, anus, and throat.

Some HPV infections can lead to cancer

Most HPV infections (9 out of 10) go away by themselves within two years. But, sometimes HPV infections will last longer, and can cause certain types of cancers. HPV infections can cause cancers of the:

• cervix, vagina, and vulva in women;
• penis in men; and
• anus and back of the throat, including the base of the tongue and tonsils (oropharynx), in both women and men.

Every year in the United States, HPV is estimated to cause nearly 35,000 cases of cancer in men and women.

Prevent cancer with the HPV vaccine

CDC recommends all boys and girls get two doses of the HPV vaccine at ages 11–12. HPV vaccination can be started at age 9. For the HPV vaccine to be most effective, the series should be given prior to exposure to HPV. HPV vaccine is recommended at ages 11–12 to ensure children are protected long before they are ever exposed to the virus.