Approximately 79 million Americans are currently infected with HPV, with roughly 14 million people becoming newly infected each year. Most men and women — about 80 percent of sexually active people — are infected with HPV at some point in their lives, but most people never know they have the virus.

What percentage of the population has HPV?

A: In the United States, about 42% of adults ages 18-59 years have genital human papillomavirus (HPV) infections and about 7% have oral HPV. Experts estimate 80% of sexually active people are infected. There are 14 million new HPV infections a year.

Is HPV a big deal?

HPV is the most common STD, but most of the time it isn't a big deal. It usually goes away on its own, and most people don't even know that they ever had HPV. Remember that most people who have sex get HPV at some point in their lives.