More than half of young, sexually active adults have human papillomavirus (HPV) at some point in their lives. That’s because there are more than 70 strains of this virus, many of which can be spread through skin-to-skin contact. In the overwhelming majority of cases, the virus will vacate the body in 3 to 5 years without leaving a trace. But there are also a handful of types, usually spread through sexual contact, that can lead to more serious problems.

The first group of strains are considered low risk, because while they lead to unsightly genital and venereal warts, they’re harmless. To remove the warts, doctors can cut, freeze, or laser them off. The more threatening version of HPV is a handful of high-risk types that trigger cellular changes in the cervix. This may lead to cervical cancer if left untreated. If caught early enough, though, the infections are usually cured. Even when they progress to cervical cancer, they’re rarely fatal, since surgery has a high rate of success, except in the most advanced cases.

One major development in the fight against high-risk HPV and cervical cancer is a vaccine called Gardasil, which is administered as a course of three injections. Approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 1996 for women ages 9 to 26, this vaccine protects against two types of HPV that cause 70 percent of cervical cancer cases and two more that result in about another 20 percent, potentially preventing 90 percent of genital wart cases that might lead to cancer. Scientists arbitrarily set 26 as the cutoff age, because women older than 26 have generally already been exposed to those HPV strains.

ADDITIONAL FACTS

  1. High-and low-risk strains of HPV can be spread through vaginal, oral, or anal sex.
  2. Using a condom can reduce the risk of contracting HPV.
  3. HPV is a virus that can lead to cancer in the vagina, external genitalia, or penis, as well as the usual site, the cervix.