What Is HPV
- HPV stands for Human Papilloma Virus. There are more than 100 types of HPV. Some types produce warts on feet and hands. Some affect the genital sex organs.
- HPV is a common virus. There are 40 types of it that are sexually transmitted.
- A few types of HPV can persist and cause cervical cancer.
- There is a vaccine to prevent two of the types that cause 70 percent of the cases of cervical cancer.
- Regular Pap tests are important — even for women who have been vaccinated. They detect dangerous cell changes before cancer develops.
- Some types may cause genital warts. These are called low-risk types.
- Some types may cause cell changes that sometimes lead to cervical and certain other genital and throat cancers. These are called high-risk types. They do not usually have visible symptoms.
- Most types seem to have no harmful effect at all.
