HPV  is considered to be the most common sexually-transmitted disease  (STD). Papillomaviruses are a diverse group of DNA-based viruses that infect the skin and mucous membranes of humans and a variety of animals. At least 50 percent of sexuallyactive men and women acquire genital HPV infection at some point in their lives.  Most people who have a genital HPV infection do not know they are infected.

There are over 100 HPV types, though not all of them cause health problems. About 30 of these types are sexually transmitted, infect genital tract and anus of men and women and cause genital warts. Some subtypes (16 and 18, 31 and 33) can lead to precancerous changes in the uterine cervix and cause uterine, cervical cancer. Other, different HPV types infect the skin and cause common warts elsewhere on the body.

For women who have genital warts during pregnancy, the warts may grow, or may become larger and bleed. In rare cases, a pregnant woman can pass HPV to her baby during vaginal delivery.There is no treatment or cure for HPV. However, there is treatment for the changes the HPV can cause on the cervix, as well as treatment for genital warts. An HPV test can be done to determine if a person has HPV. Testing samples of cervical cells is an effective way to identify high-risk types of HPVs that may be present.