What is HPV?

*Human Papillomavirus, more commonly known as HPV


*HPV is the MOST COMMON sexually transmitted infections


*It is a viral infection spread through skin to skin sexual contact.


*HPV is a group of OVER 100-150 different viruses. Each of these types of viruses are different in severity, causes, contraction, and symptoms.


*At least 30 strains known to cause different types of cancer (considered "high risk" types) and are also transmitted through skin to skin contact (generally sexual activities) 


*Other types of HPV (considered "low risk" types) cause genital warts and are also transmitted through skin contact.

*HPV can cause normal cells on infected skin to turn abnormal. Most of the time, you cannot see or feel these cell changes. In most cases, the body fights off HPV naturally and the infected cells then go back to normal. But in cases when the body does not fight off HPV, HPV can cause visible changes in the form of genital warts OR cancer. 


*Warts can appear within weeks or months after getting HPV. Cancer often takes years to develop after getting HPV.

*Low Risk types of HPV are considered to be genital warts and have NO relation to causing cervical cancer.


*These low-risk types of HPV are known by the numbers 6, 11, 40, 42, 43, 44, 53, 54, 61, 72, 73 and 81. Types 6 and 11 – which are linked to about 90 percent of genital warts– are the most common.

*High Risk types of HPV are the types that can cause cervical cancer. 


*They are also high risk because in order for the disease to stop progressing, the cells must be REMOVED.


*The 13 types of high-risk HPV that are of most concern are known by the numbers 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59 and 68. Types 16 and 18 are the most dangerous, since they cause about 70 percent of cervical cancer
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