Resources dedicated to the elimination
of HPV and Cervical Cancer worldwide

Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) are a group of more than 100 viruses and over 30 types can be passed from one person to another through sexual contact or sexual intercourse They are called papillomaviruses because certain types may cause warts, or papillomas, which are benign) noncancerous) tumors. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the cause of Cervical cancer. HPV is passed from one person to another during skin-to-skin contact. HPV can be spread during sex - including vaginal intercourse, anal intercourse, and even during oral sex. There are low risk and high-risk types of HPV. Although  low risk types are less of a concern, one must keep in mind that low-risk types of HPV cause genital warts and can lead to abnormal Pap results. he high-risk types are the ones that we have to be very concerned about. The “high risk” types are associated with different types of cancers. Cervical cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in women worldwide, resulting in nearly a half-million diagnoses and 240,000 deaths each year.

The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2008, about 11,070 cases of invasive cervical cancer will be diagnosed in the United States. Some researchers estimate that non-invasive cervical cancer (carcinoma in situ) is about 4 times more common than invasive cervical cancer. About 3,870 women will die from cervical cancer in the United States during 2008. One million cases of genital warts occur each year in the United States and an estimated 32 million cases occur worldwide. Additionally, there are an estimated 4.7 million abnormal Pap results that require follow-up each year in the United States. At least 3 million of the results are caused by some type of HPV.

 Most HPV infections occur without any symptoms and go away without any treatment over a course of a few years. However if a woman doesn’t choose to have an annual pap every year accompanied by a HPV test, or if a woman is without  insurance therefore preventing her from receiving annual Paps, the virus can potentially grow into cervical cancer and result in many surgeries, no children and in some cases DEATH.