HPV/Genital Warts: Fast Facts

Reviewed By:
Timothy Yarboro, M.D.

• About 20 million people are currently infected with HPV, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). About 6.2 million Americans acquire a new genital HPV infection each year.
  
  
• At least 50 percent of sexually active men and women acquire genital HPV at some point in their lives. It is more common in women than in men, with 80 percent of all women developing genital HPV by the age of 50.
  
  
• There are more than 100 types of HPV, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Of these, 30 are spread through sexual contact and cause genital warts. Experts believe there are more cases of genital HPV than any other sexually transmitted disease (STD).
  
  
• According to estimates from the American Social Health Association (ASHA), nearly three out of four Americans between the ages of 15 and 49 have been infected with genital HPV at some point during their lifetime.
  
  
• Most HPV infections have no symptoms and therefore, most people do not know they are infected. The virus can be transmitted to another person even if there are no symptoms. 
  
  
• There is no cure for HPV and it remains in your system for life. However, most people do not require treatment, because the body's immune system controls the virus. Less than one percent of patients with HPV infection develop problems, according to the National Women's Health Resource Center. 
  
  
• Most cases of HPV are harmless, but some types can lead to cervical cancer. The American Cancer Society (ACS) estimates that more than 11,000 cases of cervical cancer are diagnosed in the United States every year. A Pap smear is the best way to be screened for cervical cancer. 
  
  
• Genital HPV cannot be entirely prevented by condom use. However, condoms do reduce risk. Spermicidal creams and jellies are not effective in preventing the spreading of genital HPV. 
  
  
• In 2006, the Food and Drug Administration approved the first vaccine to prevent HPV. The vaccine prevents four strains of HPV -- two that cause most cases of genital warts and two that cause the majority of cervical cancer. The vaccine is approved for girls and women ages 9 to 26.
  
  
• Not everyone exposed to HPV will develop genital warts. If warts do appear, they can begin anytime from several weeks to months after the unprotected sexual relations that transmitted the virus. 
  
  
• Estimates indicate that two-thirds of those who have sexual contact with an infected person will develop HPV. 
  
  
• Tobacco use increases your risk of developing symptoms if you have been exposed to HPV. It also increases your risk of developing precancerous and cancerous conditions.