Hpv virus cancers

HPV is short for human papilloma virus. HPVs are a large group of related viruses. Each virus in the group is given a number, which is called an HPV type. Most HPV types cause warts on the skin, such as on the arms, chest, hands, or feet. Mucous membranes are the moist surface layers that line organs and parts of the body that open to the outside, such as the vagina, anus, mouth, and throat. They generally do not live on the skin. HPV is divided into 2 main groups:.

Some types of HPV can cause warts papillomas on or around the genitals and anus of both men and women. Women may also have warts on the cervix and in the vagina. Infection with HPV is very common. In most people, the body is able to clear the infection on its own.

HPV can be passed from one person to another by skin-to-skin contact, such as occurs with sexual activity. The main way HPV is spread is through sexual activity, including vaginal, anal, and oral sex. Genital human papillomavirus HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States.

More than 40 HPV types can infect the genital areas of men and women, including the skin of the penis, vulva area outside the vagina , and anus, and the linings of the vagina, cervix, and rectum.

These types can also infect the lining of the mouth and throat. The International Agency for Research on Cancer external icon found that 13 HPV types can cause cervical cancer, and at least one of these types can cause cancers of the vulva, vagina, penis, anus, and certain head and neck cancers specifically, the oropharynx, which includes the back of the throat, base of the tongue and tonsils.

The types of HPV that can cause genital warts are not the same as the types that can cause cancer. Most people who become infected with HPV do not know they have it. This is true of both oncogenic and non-oncogenic HPV types. By age 50, at least 4 out of every 5 women will have been infected with HPV at one point in their lives. Day-to-Day Life. Support for Caregivers. Questions to Ask About Cancer.

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