The News
CDC: 1 in 4 women have cancer-causing virus
By Lindsey Tanner The Associated Press
Article Last Updated: 02/27/2007 01:47:39 PM MST
Chicago - One in four U.S. women ages 14 to 59 is infected with the sexually transmitted virus that in some forms can cause cervical cancer, according to the first broad national estimate.
The figure is mostly in line with previous assessments. The highest prevalence - nearly 45 percent - was found in young women within the age range recommended for a new virus-fighting vaccine, according to a report from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Researchers have estimated that 20 million Americans have some form of HPV. The study concluded that 26.8 percent of U.S. women are infected, a figure that is comparable to earlier estimates using smaller groups.
"We expected the prevalence of any HPV infection would be high and that's what we found," said CDC researcher Dr. Eileen Dunne, the study's lead author.

The Research
Read the research behind this story in the Journal of the American Medical Association.