HPV refers to a group of more than 200 viruses most often spread through sexual activity or other close contact with the genitals. Nearly all sexually active humans have had an HPV infection at some point; it’s the most common sexually transmitted infection. HPV is considered a type of oncovirus because infection with some types of HPV can cause cancer: nearly all cervical cancer, 90% of anal cancer, 70% of oropharyngeal (throat) cancer, 75% of vaginal cancer, 69% of vulvar cancer, and 63% of penile cancer.
Deeper Dive
Most HPV infections do not require treatment (most people don’t know when they have them) and resolve on their own. HPV is divided into high risk and low risk types. High-risk types are those which can cause cancer, but they do not show any symptoms during the infection. The 12 high-risk HPV types are HPV 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, and 59, with HPV 16 and 18 causing the vast majority of HPV-associated cancer. It takes 10-20 years for the infection to develop into cancer. Low-risk HPV rarely causes cancer but can cause genital, mouth or throat warts. Two common low-risk HPV types that cause genital warts are 6 and 11.
The HPV vaccine prevents infection with 9 HPV types, including HPV 6, 11, 16 and 18. It prevents 90% of cancers caused by HPV. The vaccine is recommended in the U.S. to all youth starting at age 9 and going up to age 26. Individuals up to age 45 can choose to get the HPV vaccine.