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In Reply: Although our study did not address transmission of HPV infection specifically, we did note that there was a weighted HPV prevalence of 5.2% among women without a history of sexual intercourse. Three of these women had other sexually transmitted infections, such as chlamydia or herpes simplex infection, and they likely did not report their sexual activity accurately. It is possible more women did not report their sexual history accurately; inaccurate reporting of sexual activity has been described in other studies and may account for many of the infections detected among women without a history of sexual intercourse.¹

As Dr Cymet notes, mother to child transmission of genital HPV can occur but is rare.^2-3 Such transmission may account for HPV infections detected in newborns; however, it is not likely to lead to HPV DNA detected later in life.⁴ Most genital HPV infections are transmitted by sexual contact, and some . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Eileen Dunne, MD, MPH
dde9@cdc.gov

Lauri Markowitz, MD
Division of STD Prevention
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Atlanta, Georgia

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Prevalence of HPV Infection Among Females in the United States
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