HPV: A Common Viral Infection and Its Health Implications Introduction: The Pervasive Global Health Challenge The Human Papillomavirus, or HPV, is an infection so common that it is considered a near certainty for anyone who is sexually active. According to health organizations worldwide, almost all sexually active men and women will acquire an HPV infection at some point in their lives. While this statistic can be alarming, the vast majority of these infections are transient, clearing spontaneously without any lasting health consequences. However, for the fraction of individuals whose immune systems fail to clear the virus, HPV represents a major public health concern. Persistent infection with certain high-risk strains of HPV is the nearly universal cause of cervical cancer and is responsible for a significant and growing number of other deadly cancers in both men and women. The story of HPV is thus a profound lesson in public health—a common, often asymptomatic infection with the po...
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