I've seen claims on this thread alone ranging from 30-80% exposure. What I haven't seen is hard scientific evidence of those claims in the form of a representative statistical sample out of the population.
and since it is generally asymptomatic
Genital warts - one of the most common types of HPV - is anything but asymptomatic.
What does "basic morality" mean with a virus this widespread?
I'm still waiting for the proof that it's as widespread as many people are claiming. Given how rare cervical cancer is (less than 10,000 cases in the entire U.S. last year), either HPV's incidence or its tendency to induce cervical cancer is being SEVERELY overstated.
I agree. The numbers (and facts) don't add up. IMHO, it's not so much about health, although I do believe a lot of good people may think so.
As I stated in an earlier post, the incidence of cervical cancer is the highest in third world countries, basically because women in third world countries do not receive regular pap smears and HPV testing. So, why not market and make vaccinations mandatory for this wonder vaccine in third world countries where the incidence of cervical cancer is so much higher than the US?
$$$$$
Perhaps Merck is scrambling in anticipation of those hefty Vioxx verdicts.
Geesh, how would a girl that is a virgin and chooses to remain one until marriage inspect her finance for genital warts?
In any event, genital warts can be treated and they go away. The virus doesn't but the warts do.
From HPV Vaccine: A Cornerstone of Female Health. Jonathan L Temte. American Family Physician. Kansas City: Jan 1, 2007.Vol.75, Iss. 1; pg. 28:
HPV is ubiquitous in human populations. Of the more than 40 serotypes of HPV known to cause genital infections, four (types 6, 11, 16, and 18) are responsible for approximately 70 percent of cervical cancer cases and 90 percent of genital wart cases in the United States.2 HPV acquisition occurs rapidly after the initiation of sexual activity. Fifty-four percent of females have been shown to have HPV infection within four years of first sexual intercourse.3 Moreover, sexual activity commences early in the United States: 29.3 percent of ninth-grade girls report prior sexual activity, a number that increases to 62.4 percent by 12th grade.4 Consequently, HPV infection is the most common sexually transmitted disease (STD) in American youth.5
HPV infection has significant consequences. In 2002, there were approximately 14,000 new cases of cervical cancer and 4,000 deaths from the disease, making it the 11th most common cancer in U.S. women.6 In addition, an estimated 300,000 high-grade and 1 million low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions are detected each year, leading to multiple follow-up visits and invasive procedures (e.g., colposcopies, cervical biopsies). HPV infection accounts for expenditures of more than $2 billion per year and significantly affects patient privacy and comfort.6
The HPV vaccine is extremely effective, especially when it is provided before acquisition of the targeted serotypes. The vaccine prevents over 95 percent of HPV infections caused by serotypes 6, 11, 16, and 18, thus blocking the initial pathogenic step that leads to 70 percent of cervical cancers.2
The "eighty percent by age fifty" figure comes from the CDC, here. I don't know where they got it from, but they provide sources if anyone cares to look.