HPV and HIV disease

October 2008     View PDF     En español

The human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the US. About 20 million people are infected at any one time. Nearly half of all sexually active people have had HPV at some point in their lives. Since it often doesn’t cause symptoms, many never know they’ve had it.

Though most types of HPV do not cause serious disease, some can lead to cancerous conditions. Left untreated, these high-risk types can cause cervical and anal cancers and other cancers much less often in the vulva, penis and scrotum. HPV has become a growing concern for people living with HIV since they’re at higher risk for both HPV infection and disease.