Did You Know?

Every two minutes, a woman dies of cervical cancer somewhere in the world. A sexually-transmitted virus, Human Papillomavirus (HPV), is the cause of virtually all cervical cancers. It is the second most common cancer in women.

According to the American Social Health Association, approximately 20 million Americans are infected with HPV. It is expected that 5.5 million will contract it through sexual contact each year. That makes HPV the most common STD in the world.

Genital warts. About 1% of sexually active adults in the U.S. have genital warts at any one time. Cervical cancer. Each year, about 12,000 women get cervical cancer in the U.S. Other cancers that can be caused by HPV are less common than cervical cancer. Each year in the U.S., there are about:

• 3,700 women who get vulvar cancer
• 1,000 women who get vaginal cancer
• 1,000 men who get penile cancer
• 2,700 women and 1,700 men who get anal cancer
• 2,300 women and 9,000 men who get head and neck cancers. [Note: although HPV is associated with some of head and neck cancers, most of these cancers are related to smoking and heavy drinking.]

Certain populations are at higher risk for some HPV-related health problems. This includes gay and bisexual men, and people with weak immune systems (including those who have HIV/AIDS).

Our technology can detect HPV infection anytime after incubation. The incubation period for cancer is approximately 10 years, which is why it is important to perform regular screenings. Most people (80%) fight this infection, but never develop HPV related disease. With Aequorea’s breakthrough technology, we can detect infection early, monitor and treat infection, if necessary, to prevent the development of cervical cancer.