Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Overview

HPVs are a diverse group of viruses that spread through intimate skin-to-skin contact. Some types of HPV can cause warts on the hands or the soles of the feet.¹ Around 40 types of HPV are transmitted through sexual contact,² and HPV infection is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections in the United States.³ Most of these cases are asymptomatic and will resolve without treatment.⁴ However, infection with one of a small number of high-risk types of HPV can trigger changes in cells that lead to cancer, including cervical, vaginal, vulvar, oropharyngeal, penile, and anal cancer.⁵

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), HPV infections are responsible for more than 90% of cases of cervical and anal cancer among women in the United States. HPV is also associated with 75% of vaginal cancer cases and 63% of oropharyngeal cancer cases among women.⁶ Because infections with high-risk types of HPV are asymptomatic and the cancers they cause are slow to develop, these cases can be difficult to diagnose. HPV tests can be used to screen for certain types of HPV, and Pap tests can be used to screen for abnormal cervical cells,⁷ but more early detection methods are needed.

HPV vaccines are a safe and effective method of preventing infection with the types of HPV that cause genital warts and cancer. The CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends HPV vaccination for girls and boys aged 11 to 12 years, though in some cases these vaccines can be given to older people who were not adequately vaccinated earlier.² Currently, there are no treatments for the HPV infection itself, although the cancers caused by HPV can be treated similarly to other types of cancer.⁸

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) supports researchers who are examining current HPV prevention strategies, developing new methods for detecting HPV infection quickly and accurately, and finding novel treatments for HPV-related diseases. For example, NIAID’s Natural History, Epidemiology and Pathogenesis of Severe HPV-Related Diseases (NEPTUNE) study is enrolling participants with severe, disseminated, and recurrent HPV to better understand the causes behind treatment-resistant HPV-related warts and lesions.