Answer: Dear Louis,

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the name of a group of viruses that infect the skin. There are more than 70 different types of HPV. Some types cause warts on the hands or feet while other types can cause warts on the genitals. Most people that have HPV do not know as warts cannot be seen and sometimes are not even present. About 30 of these types are sexually transmitted and cause genital HPV. Some types of genital HPV may cause genital warts, while other types of genital HPV are linked to abnormal cell changes on the cervix (detected through Paps).