For people under the age of 25, there is a vaccine that protects against HPV – the human papilloma virus. However, HPV infection is the most common sexually transmitted disease in the United States. The following data is aimed primarily at sexually active people considering traveling or staying in the States. 25% of men and 20% of women in America are carriers of the HPV virus, according to the CDC – Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Some strains of the papilloma virus lead to the development of genital warts and have a low risk of cancer. Other strains of the virus are high-risk and cause cancer of the cervix and vagina in women, of the penis in men, and of the anus and throat in both sexes at high rates. For the period 2013-2014, it was found that 45% of all men aged 15 to 60 carried one of the strains of HPV and 25% had at least one of the high-risk strains leading to the development of cancer after infecting. For women in the same age range, the data indicated that 40% of them were infected with common strains and 20% with cancer-causing strains. NEWS_MORE_BOX There are 109 different types of human papillomaviruses known. Some experts believe that about 70% of head, throat and neck cancers are due to an initial infection with oncogenic human papillomavirus. The World Health Organization has issued an official recommendation for the use of HPV vaccines. They are most effective when administered at 11-12 or 12-13 years. It is necessary to vaccinate both girls and boys, because they are the main vector for the sexual spread of the infectious disease. The United States is one of the few countries in the world that conducts such statistical observations and makes them public. It is entirely possible that in other countries the percentage of infected carriers of the virus is much higher.