HPV Information at a Glance

The human papillomavirus is also known as HPV. There are over 100 types of HPV, some of which cause warts on the hands or feet. Others cause no signs or symptoms at all. More than 30 types of HPV are transmitted sexually and can lead to genital warts and an increased risk of cancers in some people. Other infected people will experience no symptoms whatsoever. Health experts estimate that there are more cases of genital HPV infection than any other sexually transmitted disease in the United States. According to the American Social Health Association, approximately 5.5 million new cases of sexually transmitted HPV infections are reported every year. At least 20 million people in this country are already infected.