If we talk in terms of numbers, according to current epidemiological data from the United States, a sexually active girl has a greater than 80% chance of becoming infected by one or more types of genital HPVs during her lifetime. In most cases not visible inflammatory lesions appear in the lower genital tract, that automatically clear up without any consequences.

Let’s look at the chances of a girl getting HPV-related diseases, compared to the chance of infection. The comparison is with premalignant lesions and cervical cancer (which is the most common HPV-induced malignancy in women):

The chance is: >80% becoming infected by one or more types of HPV

1-3% presenting genital warts

0,5-1% presenting premalignant lesions (HSIL)

0,25% developing cervical cancer

It is worth noting that the appearance of cancer is a relatively rare possibility, compared to the frequency of infection.