Facts to Know

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1. You are not alone. It is estimated that as many as 75 percent of the reproductive-age population has been infected with one or more types of sexually transmitted human papillomavirus (HPV), and up to 5.5 million new infections occur each year.

2. Most HPV infections have no symptoms and are hard to identify. Warts can be flesh-colored and hidden inside the cervix, vagina or anus. They can be small or large, alone or in clusters, flat or round. They can spread along the groin or thigh or be found in the mouth.

3. HPV infection is a direct cause of cervical cancer. Cervical cancer was once one of the most common causes of cancer death for American women, but is now one of the most preventable, with fatality rates dropping because of early detection and treatment.

4. In the vast majority of cases, the body's immune system clears the infection within two years. Because the virus travels to lower-level tissue where it can remain indefinitely, researchers don't know if the virus is completely eliminated or just suppressed to such a low level that it's hard to detect.

5. Women who are 30 and older who have persistent HPV infection are more likely to have the cancer-causing, or high-risk, types of HPV.

6. HPV experts have established new guidelines for health care professionals regarding the treatment of genital warts. It is important that you work with your health care professional to determine which treatment is most appropriate for you.

7. Seek out the information and support you need. A survey of more than 500 women who subscribe to an HPV newsletter found they rated the overall quality of health care professional counseling on their condition as "poor to fair." The majority reported they had received little information on how to respond to their partners and insufficient emotional support.

8. Experts don't know if women should be counseled to disclose their HPV status to their partners, because HPV is so common and it is impossible to determine when someone was infected.

9. Genital warts are uncommon in children. When they occur, they are most often the result of sexual abuse.