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Ways to Contract HPV

HPV is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections. According to the CDC there are 6.2 million new cases of HPV infection in the U.S. each year.

  1. Definition

    • HPV stand for human papilloma virus. There are roughly 100 strains of HPV, all of which share similar characteristics and present the same symptoms. HPV typically lives in the skin of the genital areas, but it can also be found elsewhere on the body, such as the mouth.

    Prevalence

    • According to the Centers for Disease Control it is estimated that half of all sexually active adults will contract HPV during their lifetime. Additionally, there are approximately 20 million Americans with active infection at any given time. Most of these people will have no physical symptoms.

    Spreading HPV

    • HPV typically lives in the skin of infected persons and is spread by direct skin to skin contact with infected areas. This typically occurs during sexual contact.

    Non-sex Infections

    • According to the American Cancer Society HPV has been reported in rare cases in people who have not had sexual intercourse. At the present, medical researchers are uncertain as to how these infections happen.

    Blood and Bodily Fluids

    • Interestingly, HPV is not spread through contact with the blood or bodily fluids of infected individuals. This is because HPV lives in the skin of infected persons.

    Respiratory Papillomatosis

    • Respiratory papillomatosis occurs when, in extremely rare cases, HPV is transmitted from mother to child during birth. This typically happens when the newborn comes into contact with the vagina of the infected mother. Respiratory papillomatosis is named such because of the warts that occur in the throat of an infected infant.

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