Human papillomavirus

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a DNA virus from the papillomavirus family that is capable of infecting humans. Like all papillomaviruses, HPVs establish productive infections only in keratinocytes of the skin or mucous membranes. Most HPV infections are subclinical and will cause no physical symptoms; however, in some people subclinical infections will become clinical and may cause benign papillomas (such as warts [verrucae] or squamous cell papilloma), premalignant lesions that will drive to cancers of the cervix, vulva, vagina, penis, oropharynx and anus. In particular, HPV16 and HPV18 are known to cause around 70% of cervical cancer cases.

Researchers have identified over 170 types of HPV, more than 40 of which are typically transmitted through sexual contact and infect the anogenital region (anus and genitals). HPV types 6 and 11 are the etiological cause of genital warts. Persistent infection with "high-risk" HPV types—different from the ones that cause skin warts—may progress to precancerous lesions and invasive cancer. High-risk HPV infection is a cause of nearly all cases of cervical cancer. However, most infections do not cause disease. New vaccines have been developed to protect against certain types of HPV infection; however, there are many different strains of HPV and the vaccines only protect against some of them. This makes the case that HPV is preventable, debatable. (see HPV vaccines).

HPV (disambiguation)

HPV may refer to:

HPV-1

HPV-1 may refer to :