What is HPV?
HPV is an infection that is the main cause of genital warts and cervical cancer. HPV infections can also cause cancers of the anus, rectum, penis, oral cavity, vulva and vagina. HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States.

What does HPV stand for?
HPV is an abbreviation for an infection called human papilloma virus.

HPV (human papilloma virus) is the most common sexually transmitted disease in the United States. According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control), there are more than 6 million new cases of HPV diagnosed every year, and over 20 million people in the U.S. have an active infection at any point in time. Many people have latent subclinical infections and are also contagious. There is over a 50% chance that a sexually active adult will have an HPV infection by the time they are 50 years old. HPV causes genital warts as well as cancers of the cervix, anus, oropharyngeal area and other sites.