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The Human Papillomavirus and How to Prevent Its Spread

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Human Papillomavirus and How to Prevent Its Spread Public Health Problem Human papillomavirus, commonly abbreviated as HPV, is the most common sexually transmitted virus that can cause a variety of diseases. It is transferred from person to person by either genital contact or from oral contact. Most men and women who are sexually active will be infected with this virus at least once in their life (“HPV”). A reason why HPV has become such a big problem in society is because of the fact that it is a virus, and thus cannot be treated with antibiotics. For other viral infections, it is possible to wait for the body’s immune system to rid the body of the foreign invader, but HPV is a virus that can cause more serious health problems such as genital warts, cancers of the mouth, anus, or vagina, as well as the cervix. Another reason why this problem exists in society may be due to more relaxed standards regarding sexual activity. In today’s society, people are more likely to have more than one sexual partner, making it easier for the virus to spread within the population. People are also becoming sexually active at younger ages before they receive education about safe sex at school or at home, which is also a factor in the spread of HPV in the population. Most people do not exhibit negative symptoms from the virus; indeed, some of them may not even know they have contracted it, for the body can clear out the virus on its own ninety percent of the time (“What is HPV?” 2013). HPV

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