- According to Rutgers Health Services, 20 to 40 million Americans have an HPV infection at any given time. Also, up to 60 percent of all sexually active female college students contract HPV. The incidence of HPV in males is unknown, since HPV testing is more difficult to perform, and since it rarely has any effect on males they don't seek testing for the disease.
- There are around 30 strains of HPV, and only 13 are high risk. Two of the strains cause around 70 percent of all cases of HPV, according to Rutgers Health Services.
- High-risk HPV can cause genital warts known as condyloma acuminata. The high-risk strain also carries a small chance of developing into cervical cancer. If you get infected, it is also possible to spread the HPV to your sexual partners.
- Abstinence is the only sure protection against either strain of HPV. Condoms provide some protection, but close genital contact is the method of transmission, meaning that it is possible for you to contract it when using a condom or have close genital contact. The method for detecting high-risk HPV is frequent pap smears to recheck the cells. These screenings usually occur every three to six months rather than every year, which is the standard for women whose pap smears yield normal results. Gynecologists take biopsies of the cells if the test is abnormal, which involves cutting or clipping a piece of cervical tissue for examination. To treat progressive precancerous cells, the areas can be cut out or frozen to kill the HPV. If the HPV becomes cancerous, it may be necessary to surgically remove the cervix.
- While high-risk HPV does carry a risk for cervical cancer, it is small. With proper medical treatment and regular screenings, any progression of the HPV into pre-cancerous or cancerous cells is detected early, leading to a positive prognosis if it is a problem.
