Human papillomavirus infection in adolescent and young women.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is extremely common, especially among adolescent girls and young women. Although the majority of infections are transient and asymptomatic, HPV has the potential to cause significant morbidity and mortality. Manifestations can include genital warts, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), and cervical cancer. The profound increase in knowledge about HPV over the past decade has led to improvements in screening efforts, management of cervical dysplasia, and the development of prophylactic vaccines.