The Center of Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that about 90% of sexually active people have been exposed to STDs. The CDC say that HPV has a tendency of showing mild, if any, symptoms.

HPV is an extremely common STD with over 100 strains. It is estimated that somewhere around 79 million Americans are currently carrying HPV and 14 million become infected every year.

Signs of HPV Infection in Women

In most cases, HPV does not exhibit any noticeable symptoms for those that are carrying it. However, there are rare cases where some physical symptoms may be exhibited. In those cases, the following signs were noted:

  • Genital Warts
  • Itching

Some strains of HPV have been linked to cancer. Unfortunately, those strains are “silent” and do not show any symptoms. The best protection for these strains of HPV is having the vaccination.

Treatment for HPV

Research shows that nearly every sexually active individual contracts HPV at some point in their life. In most of those cases, the carrier is not even aware of the infection and the body fights it off on its own over time.

40 of the over 100 strains of HPV are capable of producing genital warts. One of the signs of an HPV infection, genital warts can be treated with creams to minimize their appearance on the skin. However, there is no treatment for the HPV infection itself.

Protecting Yourself

Even though most cases of HPV will resolve themselves without the person ever knowing they existed, genital warts and even cancer are still a risk that comes with catching this sexually transmitted infection. Because of this, STDLabs recommends that every sexually active individual practice protected sex and get STD test yearly for all STDs. Being proactive is the best way to prevent more long term health problems in the future.

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