Office on Women's Health | womenshealth.gov

Office on Women's Health | womenshealth.gov

Human papillomavirus | womenshealth.gov

Human papillomavirus

Human papillomavirus, or HPV, is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the United States.About 80% of women will get at least one type of HPV at some point in their lifetime.1 It is usually spread through vaginal, oral, or anal sex. Many women do not know they have HPV, because it usually has no symptoms and usually goes away on its own. Some types of HPV can cause illnesses such as genital warts or cervical cancer. There is a vaccine to help you prevent HPV.

Human papillomavirus fact sheet(PDF, 122 KB)