Current HPV Prevalence
An estimated 79 million people in the United States are currently infected with HPV, representing approximately 40% of the population aged 15-59 years. 1
United States Prevalence Data
The most recent and comprehensive data provides the following prevalence estimates:
Overall prevalence of any HPV type: 40.0% among persons aged 15-59 years 2
Disease-associated HPV types (including cancer-causing and wart-causing types):
Age-Specific Patterns
Peak prevalence occurs in young adults, with the highest rates among those aged 20-24 years (44.8%) 1. Almost half of all infections occur in persons aged 15-25 years 1.
Annual Incidence
Approximately 13-14 million new HPV infections occur annually in the United States:
- Recent estimates indicate 13 million new infections with disease-associated HPV types per year 2
- Earlier estimates suggested 6.2 million new infections among persons aged 14-44 years annually 1
- 74% of new infections occur among those aged 15-24 years 1
Global Burden
Worldwide, HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection 1:
- Global prevalence among women without cervical abnormalities: 11-12% 3
- Regional variation is substantial:
Lifetime Risk
At least 50% of all sexually active men and women acquire HPV at some point in their lifetime, with modeling studies suggesting up to 80% of sexually active women will have been infected by age 50 1.
Important Clinical Context
The majority of HPV infections are transient and asymptomatic—70% clear within 1 year and approximately 90% clear within 2 years 1. However, persistent infection with high-risk types remains the most important risk factor for cervical cancer and other HPV-related malignancies 1.