Hesperian Health Guides
Human Papilloma Virus (HPV)
There are many kinds of human papilloma virus (HPV). Some types of HPV cause genital warts. A few types of HPV are more dangerous and can cause cancer of the cervix, cancer of the throat. or cancer in the anus. Most people with HPV have no visible signs of the virus.
Simple screening tests, such as a health worker looking at the cervix after applying vinegar, can show if there are abnormal cells on the cervix caused by HPV. But even if tests find HPV, it does not mean there is cancer.
A safe and painless treatment called cryotherapy freezes and kills the abnormal cells on the cervix so they do not develop into cancer. For more information about testing for and treating cancer of the cervix, see the chapter on Cancer.
There are vaccines that protect against the most dangerous types of HPV, including the types that cause most genital warts. The vaccine is given in a series, usually to children and young people between the ages of 9 and 26 years old, to prevent getting or spreading HPV infections that can lead to cancers. See the chapter Vaccines Prevent Illness.