NCHS Data Briefs Update: Prevalence of HPV in Adults Aged 18–69: United States, 2011–2014

NCHS Data Briefs Update

Prevalence of HPV in Adults Aged 18–69: United States, 2011–2014

NCHS Data Brief No. 280, April 2017

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States (1). Some HPV types can cause genital warts and are considered low risk, with a small chance for causing cancer. Other types are considered high risk, causing cancer in different areas of the body including the cervix and vagina in women, penis in men, and anus and oropharynx in both men and women (2). This report provides the most recent national estimates of oral HPV prevalence among adults aged 18–69 from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011–2014, as well as prevalence of genital HPV among adults aged 18–59 from NHANES 2013–2014. Estimates of any HPV (37 types tested) as well as high-risk HPV (14 of the 37 types) are provided.

Key findings

During 2011–2014, prevalence of any oral human papillomavirus (HPV) for adults aged 18–69 was 7.3%; high-risk HPV was 4.0%.

Overall, prevalence of any and high-risk oral HPV was lowest among non-Hispanic Asian adults; any oral HPV was highest among non-Hispanic black adults.

Prevalence of any and high-risk oral HPV was higher in men than women except for high-risk HPV among Asian adults.

During 2013–2014, prevalence of any and high-risk genital HPV for adults aged 18–59 was 45.2% and 25.1% in men and 39.9% and 20.4% in women, respectively.

Prevalence of any and high-risk genital HPV was lower among non-Hispanic Asian and higher among non-Hispanic black than both non-Hispanic white and Hispanic men and women.

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