Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), Cancer, and HPV Vaccines : Frequently Asked Questions
TOPICS
- Human Papilloma Virus (HPV)
- What is HPV?
- How do you get genital HPV?
- How common is HPV? Who gets it?
- What are the symptoms of HPV?
- Can HPV be treated?
- Can HPV be prevented?
- What are the risk factors for genital HPV?
- HPV and cancer
- What about other HPV-related diseases?
- Testing for HPV
- If you test positive for HPV, what does it mean?
- Will HPV affect my pregnancy or my baby?
- Why should women over age 30 with normal test results change to co-testing every 5 years and start doing HPV testing? Is that safe?
- HPV vaccines
- Who should be vaccinated and when?
- What are the benefits of the vaccines?
- How much do the HPV vaccines cost? Are they covered by health insurance plans?
- Do you need to be tested for HPV before getting the vaccine?
- Do women and girls who have been vaccinated still need Pap tests?
- Can cervical cancer be prevented without a vaccine?
- Is the American Cancer Society in favor of vaccinating against HPV?
- Do you want more information?
- References
What about other HPV-related diseases?
About 360,000 people in the United States get genital warts each year. Most of these cases are caused by HPV-6 or HPV-11.
Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) causes warts to grow in the breathing tubes (trachea and bronchi) and lungs. It’s very rare, but can happen when a pregnant woman with genital HPV passes HPV to her baby during delivery. RRP occurs in less than 820 infants and children in the US every year. It may lead to breathing problems, a hoarse voice (caused by laryngeal papillomatosis – when the warts grow in the larynx or voice box), or may rarely progress to cancer of the larynx. It is most often linked with HPV types 6 and 11.
Last Medical Review: 05/02/2013
Last Revised: 05/02/2013