Questions and answers about human papillomavirus (HPV)

Abstract

Human papillomavirus (‎HPV)‎ is a virus that infects the skin or various mucous membranes. There are over 200 types of HPV. Some HPV types, known as high-risk types, are sexually transmitted and can cause cervical and other cancers. Low-risk HPV types can cause common warts, verrucae, warts in the genital region, or in rare cases wart-like growths in the airway passages, causing recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (‎RRP)‎. This publication provides answers to commonly asked questions about HPV for parents, health professionals, adolescents and young adults.