More than 42 million Americans are currently infected with disease-causing types of HPV, and about 13 million new infections occur every year. HPV (human papillomavirus) is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the country, so widespread that nearly everyone who isn’t vaccinated will get it at some point.
Overall Prevalence in Adults
National survey data from the CDC puts genital HPV prevalence at 42.5% among adults aged 18 to 59. That means roughly four in ten American adults are carrying some form of genital HPV at any given time. Oral HPV is less common but still significant, affecting about 7.3% of adults aged 18 to 69.
Not all of these infections are dangerous. HPV includes over 200 related viruses, and many cause no symptoms at all. But a substantial portion of infections involve high-risk strains, the types that can eventually lead to cancer. Among men aged 18 to 59, 25.1% carry high-risk genital HPV types. Among women in the same age range, that figure is 20.4%.
How Men and Women Compare
Men carry HPV at slightly higher rates than women. Genital HPV prevalence is about 45.2% in men versus 39.9% in women. Men are also more likely to have oral HPV infections. One reason for the gap: there’s no approved HPV screening test for men, so infections tend to go undetected and persist without monitoring. Women, by contrast, benefit from routine cervical screening that can catch HPV-related changes early.
Most Infections Clear on Their Own
The body’s immune system eliminates most HPV infections without treatment. Research tracking a cohort of men found that the median time to clear an HPV infection was about six months, and roughly 75% of infections were gone within 12 months of first detection. Women clear the virus at similar rates. This is why most people who test positive for HPV never develop any health problems from it.
The concern is with infections that don’t clear. When high-risk HPV lingers for years, it can cause cells to change in ways that eventually become cancerous. This process is slow, often taking a decade or more, which is why screening programs focus on catching those persistent infections before they progress.
Cancers Linked to HPV
HPV causes an estimated 39,300 cancers in the United States each year. That number comes from about 49,900 annual cancers found in parts of the body where HPV is commonly present, with roughly 79% of those cases directly attributable to the virus.
The breakdown by cancer type:
- Oropharyngeal (throat) cancer: 16,000 cases per year, making it the largest category. Men account for about 13,600 of these, women about 2,400.
- Cervical cancer: 11,100 cases per year. HPV is responsible for 91% of all cervical cancers.
- Anal cancer: 7,600 cases per year, split between 5,300 in women and 2,300 in men.
- Vulvar cancer: 3,000 cases per year.
- Penile cancer: 900 cases per year.
- Vaginal cancer: 700 cases per year.
Overall, women bear a slightly larger share of HPV-caused cancers (about 22,500 annually) compared to men (about 16,800). But throat cancer from HPV has been rising sharply in men, and it now surpasses cervical cancer as the most common HPV-related cancer in the U.S.
How Vaccination Is Changing the Numbers
Since the HPV vaccine was introduced in 2006, infections with vaccine-targeted strains have dropped dramatically. Among females aged 14 to 19, prevalence of vaccine-type HPV fell by 88% through 2018 compared to pre-vaccine levels. Among women aged 20 to 24, the decline was 81%. These are striking reductions that are expected to translate into fewer cancers as vaccinated generations age.
The vaccine is recommended for everyone through age 26 and is most effective when given before any exposure to the virus, ideally at ages 11 or 12. Adults aged 27 to 45 can also get vaccinated after discussing potential benefits with a healthcare provider, though the population-level impact is smaller since most people in that range have already been exposed.
Screening Recommendations for Cervical Cancer
There is currently no approved HPV screening test for men, for anal HPV, or for oral HPV in either sex. Screening exists only for cervical HPV and the cell changes it can cause. The guidelines break down by age:
From ages 21 to 29, Pap tests every three years are the standard approach. Starting at 30, you have options: an HPV test alone every five years, an HPV test combined with a Pap test every five years, or a Pap test alone every three years. After 65, screening can stop entirely if your last several test results have been normal and you have no history of precancerous cervical changes.
If you’ve had a hysterectomy that included removal of the cervix for non-cancerous reasons like fibroids, cervical screening is no longer needed regardless of age.