Glossary / Lexicon

Human papillomavirus or HPV refers to a sexually transmitted viral infection that can cause genital warts, cervical cancer, or both; the organism that causes genital warts. HPV infection is the most common sexually transmitted disease in the United States. It is also the leading cause of abnormal PAP smears and pre-cancerous changes of the cervix in women. (See Venereal wart, Genital wart)