|  | Conditions Treatments | HPV

How Many Types of HPV Exist?

According to the Centers for Disease Control, human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most common types of sexually transmitted diseases. The American Cancer Society states that HPV enters the body through the openings in the skin and mucous membranes.

  1. Types

    • There are 100 strands of HPV; 60 of these cause warts on our hands and feet and 40 transmit through sexual activity.

    Low-Risk HPV

    • There are 12 types of low-risk HPV: 6, 11, 10, 42, 43, 44, 53, 54, 61, 72, 73 and 81. Of these, 6 and 11 are the most common, causing genital warts.

    High-Risk HPV

    • There are 13 types of high-risk HPV: 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59 and 68. Among the 13 types, 16 and 18 account for 70 percent of cervical cancer causes.

    Significance

    • HPV has infected 20 million Americans and the Centers for Disease Control estimates that number will grow by 6.2 million each year.

    Considerations

    • A vaccine called Gardasil is now available for most women between the ages of 11 and 26 to protect against two major types of cervical cancer causing HPV as well as two that cause genital warts. The Gardasil vaccine must be administered in three separate injections.

HPV - Related Articles