Epidemiology of Mucosal Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Infections Among Adult and Children

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is recognized today as the main causal factor for ~100% of cervical cancer cases in the world and of a substantial proportion of many other anogenital neoplasms (anal, vaginal, vulvar, and penile cancer). HPV is also implicated in the genesis of several other cancers, such as head and neck (oral cavity, pharynx, and larynx) cancer and non-melanoma skin cancer and is suspected also to play a causal role in the genesis of a few other neoplasms (Trottier et al, 2009). The epidemiology of mucosal human papillomavirus (HPV) as been well studied today, especially cervicovaginal HPV infection among young women and there are also more available epidemiologic data for older women, men and as well as for children. HPV infection is the most common sexually transmitted infections in the world. The predominant route of transmission is via sexual contact, although vertical and horizontal transmissions also occur. This chapter will review the epidemiology of mucosal HPV infections affecting genital, oral and conjunctival mucosa in adults and children. This chapter will detail the epidemiology of HPV in adult considering young versus older population rather than focussing on adolescent and adult populations separately because there is no universal cut-off age group to define high risk population as HPV is highly dependant on the onset of sexual activity.