Researchers at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention are reporting that the human papillomavirus (HPV) is more prevalent than ever.
According to Reuters, health officials found that the sexually-transmitted virus infects 26.8 percent of American women between the ages of 14 and 59. The rate of infection translates to a total of 24.9 million girls and women.
The study showed that incidence of HPV was highest in the 20 to 24-year-old age group, with 44.8 percent infected. Nearly a quarter of teenagers aged 14 to 19 tested positive for HPV, with the rate measuring 1 in 5 for older age groups.
"It's a highly prevalent infection," the CDC�fs Dr. Eileen Dunne told Reuters. "Many women are at risk for this infection." Dunne led a group of researchers as they collected data from a nationally representative group of 1,921 girls and women ages 14 to 49 who provided vaginal swabs in 2003 and 2004.
For the entire Reuters story, click here.