Skip to main content
Cloudy icon
46º

HPV can cause numerous kinds of cancer, yet many people don’t realize it

Human papillomavirus is linked to cervical, throat and anal cancers.

This December 1993 microscope photo provided by the National Cancer Institute shows a typical neuroblastoma with rosette formation. In a study published Wednesday, April 5, 2023, in the New England Journal of Medicine, a novel treatment, CAR-T cell therapy, using supercharged immune cells, appears to work against tumors in children with the rare kind of cancer. (Dr. Maria Tsokos/National Cancer Institute via AP) (Maria Tsokos)

A majority of Americans are unaware that HPV, the most common sexually transmitted infection in the U.S., can cause a number of major cancers, a new study found. Researchers were surprised over one finding in particular: a decline in awareness that HPV, human papillomavirus, is linked to cervical cancer.

Nearly all sexually active women and men become infected with HPV at some point, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. According to CDC estimates, currently more than 42 million Americans carry at least one strain of HPV. About 13 million people are infected each year.

Recommended Videos



In the new study, which will be presented Tuesday at the American Association for Cancer Research’s annual meeting, researchers analyzed nationally representative survey data collected by the Health Information National Trends Survey that monitored U.S. adults’ knowledge about the virus’s connection to cancer. There were about 2,000 to 2,300 annual respondents to the survey, including for 2014 and yearly between 2017 and 2020.

To continue reading, visit NBCNEWS.com.


Loading...