HPV Statistics

(Left) Normal Cells (Right) HPV Infected Cellls

HPV infection is a very common occurrence among humans. There is more than a hundred types of HPV and close to 30 types pose a risk for cancer. Symptoms of HPV can appear as warts and abnormal bleeding in the genitals. However, symptoms of HPV do not always show, and sometimes they may show years later. Many people who may be infected with the virus are unaware of the infection and don’t know about the sexually transmitted disease. Let’s discuss the HPV statistics in women, children, and men.

HPV Statistics In Women

More recent studies have shown that HPV affects more than a third of the women in the United States by the time they are 24 years old. It is estimated that 7.5 million girls and women 14 to 24 years of age are affected. In the recent years, more than 9,000 new cases of HPV-related cancers and over 3,000 deaths were reported. It has been found that more than half of the women who died of cervical cancer had never gotten a Pap smear.

HPV Statistics In Children

Studies have shown that more and more children each year have anogenital warts. This is mainly because of the increased prevalence of HPV in general. Girls with anogenital warts can develop more serious conditions such as malignant cancers that follow infection.

Researchers are also now trying to find out how to identify which of the infected children have been sexually abused and which have developed the HPV infection through mother-to-child transmission. Studies have shown that infants under the age of 1 year develop HPV due to the transmission of the disease that occurred during their mother’s pregnancy. On the other hand, studies have shown that children older than 6 (mostly girls) had a high rate of alleged or confirmed sexual abuse. Cautious assessments and interview are often recommended for these studies.

HPV Statistics In Men

Over 50 percent of sexually active men in the United States will be affected by HPV at least once in their lifetime. Around 1 percent of them have genital warts. It is estimated that more than a thousand men will develop penile cancer caused by HPV. This type of cancer is rare among circumcised men. Furthermore, close to 2,000 men will develop anal cancer caused by HPV, and the risk for this type of cancer is close to 20 times higher among gay and bisexual men compared to heterosexual men, and considerably higher among those with weakened immune systems or HIV. Both cancers of the anus and penis in men are considered rare. However, there is not yet an approved HPV test for men.

Around 20 million Americans are infected with HPV and studies show that 5.5 million will become infected through sexual intercourse every year. 6.2 million new cases of HPV infection are identified each year. Around half of all sexually active men and women are infected with genital HPV at least once in their lives and more than half of women aged 50 and above will have been infected by HPV. As a result, HPV has become the most widespread sexually transmitted disease in the world.