{"id":62402,"date":"2024-01-11T14:00:34","date_gmt":"2024-01-11T19:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=62402"},"modified":"2026-03-27T13:28:45","modified_gmt":"2026-03-27T17:28:45","slug":"hpv-statistics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/news\/hpv-statistics\/","title":{"rendered":"HPV statistics"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s been a punchline on standup specials. A subject on episodes of <\/span>Girls <\/span><\/i>and <\/span>Broad City.<\/span><\/i> Part of an <\/span>SNL <\/span><\/i>sketch. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is no longer relegated to sex ed class\u2014it\u2019s a part of our public discourse. And while comedian Ali Wong might\u2019ve exaggerated when she joked, \u201cEverybody has HPV,\u201d she wasn\u2019t far off. HPV is incredibly common, infecting an estimated 90% of sexually active men and 80% of sexually active women sometime in their lives.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Most often, HPV clears up completely on its own. However, specific strains may cause genital warts and certain types of cancer, so awareness is key. Here, you\u2019ll find all the facts, figures, and information you need in order to form a thorough understanding of HPV prevalence, costs, complications, and treatment.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What is HPV?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) that spreads via genital and oral skin-to-skin contact. It\u2019s not just one virus. There are over 200 different types of HPV, and they manifest in different ways. Some types are asymptomatic, while others can cause genital warts or common warts on other parts of the body. These are often called low-risk HPV. By comparison, the types of HPV that might cause cancer, particularly HPV 16 and HPV 18, are considered to be high-risk HPV.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe disease disproportionately affects those who were assigned female at birth, specifically of the uterine cervix,\u201d <\/span>says <\/span>Dr. Alexander Juusela, MD, MPH, FACOG<\/span><\/a>, a maternal-fetal medicine fellow at <\/span>Wayne State University<\/span><\/a>. In these cases, \u201cHPV can lead to genital warts, vaginal cancer, vulvar cancer, anorectal cancer, and even oropharyngeal cancer. […] In those who were assigned male sex at birth, HPV infection can lead to genital warts, penile cancer, anorectal cancer, and oropharyngeal cancer.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That might have you squirming, but very few cases of HPV reach that point. <\/span>A study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC<\/span><\/a>) showed that 9 out of 10 HPV infections resolve on their own within two years without causing serious health issues. More persistent cases, however, may require medical care. Doctors can typically diagnose cases that cause warts with a simple visual examination. In women, they may also use a pap test (also known as a pap smear) to test cervical cells for the disease.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How common is HPV?<\/span><\/h2>\n