Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a virus that can be passed from one person to another through intimate skin-to-skin or sexual contact. There are many different strains of the virus. Some are more dangerous than others.
The most common symptom of HPV is warts on the genitals, mouth, or throat.
Some strains of HPV infection can lead to cancer, including:
- oral cancer
- cervical cancer
- vulvar cancer
- penile cancer
- rectal cancer
While most cases of HPV don’t become cancerous, some strains of the virus are more likely to cause cancer than others. According to the National Cancer Institute Trusted Source, most cases of HPV-related cancer in the United States are caused by HPV 16 and HPV 18. These two strains of HPV account for 70 percent of all cervical cancer cases.