Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a frequently occurring viral sexually transmitted infection (STI). HPV infections often present with mild signs and symptoms or are asymptomatic, and do not always progress to a disease state.
HPV infections are especially frequent in adolescents and young adults, between the ages of 15-24 years. About 20 million Americans are currently infected with HPV and there are several million new infections each year in the U.S. Since HPV infections are so common, the CDC believes that most sexually active adults are infected at some point during their lifetime.
Though the majority of HPV infections are transient and do not result in serious disease, clinicians are concerned about the HPV infections that cause cervical and other anogenital carcinomas. Diagnosis and management of HPV has changed dramatically with the introduction of DNA methods for diagnosis of HPV infections and vaccines for the prevention of HPV infections. Understanding HPV characteristics and diagnostic testing is important for clinical laboratory scientists.
