Monday, March 27, 2017

Less HPV Infections Mean Healthier Communities of Color

"Human papillomavirus (or HPV) causes several types of cancers, and some communities of color have higher rates of these cancers. HPV vaccine can protect against cancers caused by HPV infection, protecting communities of color from these often devastating cancers.

About HPV

HPV is a very common and widespread virus. Nearly everyone will be infected in their lifetime. In most cases, HPV infections go away on their own and do not cause any health problems. But when HPV infections do not go away, they can cause cancer.
Cancers caused by HPV infection include cervical cancer, as well as some cancers of the vulva, vagina, penis, and anus. HPV can also cause cancer in the back of the throat, including the base of the tongue and tonsils (oropharynx). Cancer can take years, even decades, to develop after a person gets an HPV infection. While cervical cancer can be detected through screening, there is no routine screening for other cancers caused by HPV infection. To learn more about HPV and the types of cancers it causes, visit the Link Between HPV and Cancer.

How Cancers Caused by HPV Affect Communities of Color

Every year in the United States, an estimated 17,600 women and 9,300 men are diagnosed with a cancer caused by HPV.
  • Black men have higher rates of anal cancer than white men.
  • Hispanic men have higher rates of penile cancer than non-Hispanic men.
  • Although Hispanic women have the highest rates of getting cervical cancer, Black women have the highest rates of dying of cervical cancer.3
  • Black women also have higher rates of vaginal cancer than women of other races...."

HPV infections

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