4 HPV Facts College Students Should Know

4 HPV Facts College Students Should Know Photo Credit: Pixabay.com According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 79 million Americans are currently infected with HPV, and there are about 14 million new HPV infections in the United States each year which means HPV is way more common than you’d think. Further, almost half of those who are infected are people ages 15-24, meaning college students are a prime demographic. For most of those infected, HPV will go away on its own. But for the others who don’t clear the virus, it may be the cause of various pre-cancers, cancers, and other diseases in both men and women, and there’s no way to know who will or won’t beat the virus. More specifically, certain strains of HPV can cause cervical, vaginal, and vulvar precancers and cancers in females and other HPV types may cause genital warts and anal cancer in both males and females. You may not know that you have been exposed to HPV or think you have contracted it,  as exposure to HPV can occur with any kind of sexual activity that involves genital contact with someone who has HPV. While intercourse is not necessary to get HPV, it is the most common way to be infected by the virus. And since HPV frequently has no visible signs or symptoms, anyone can get the virus or pass the virus on without even knowing it. For some, it may take only one sexual encounter to be infected with HPV and there is currently no treatment for HPV infection. Even though HPV-related cancers can progress very slowly and may not appear until later in life, many people who do develop these cancers may have been exposed to cancer-causing HPV types in their teens and 20s. To learn more about HPV, speak with your health care provider or visit your campus health center to educate yourself about ways you can help prevent various HPV-related cancers and diseases, including vaccination.