Though most people have heard of the human papillomavirus (HPV), not many know exactly what it is and how it may affect a woman's fertility or pregnancy. HPV comes from sexual contact with an infected partner. It is the virus causing venereal warts (condyloma), as well as pre-cancers (dysplasia) of the cervix and genital skin, and cervical/genital cancer.

According to Dr. Tom Herzog, director of the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at Columbia University, HPV is the most common sexually transmitted virus. "According to the American Social Health Association, it is estimated that approximately 80 percent of sexually active people will be infected with HPV at some point in their life if the most sensitive means for detection are utilized," he says. "More than 98 percent of the women diagnosed with cervical cancer also have HPV and it is thought to be the causative agent."

Dr. Randy Fink, an OB/GYN in private practice in Miami, Fla., says HPV is why it is recommended that women have yearly pap smears, which detect pre-cancerous changes in the cervix. "If a woman has an abnormal pap smear, we bring her back for a diagnostic test called colposcopy," he says. "Colposcopy involves placing acetic acid (vinegar) on the cervix and viewing the skin of the cervix with magnifying binoculars to visually identify potentially abnormal areas. Abnormal appearing areas can then be biopsied for diagnosis."

"HPV has no direct link to fertility," Dr. Fink says. "It is extremely common among reproductive-aged women, and fortunately we have not found an effect on the ability of a woman to conceive related to having HPV or pre-cancers. It is a very common question, however. In fact, 'Will this affect [my] having babies?' is often the first question I am asked when performing a colposcopy. And the answer is, generally, no."

That being said, gynecologists are always cautious with a woman's cervix. The cervix is the opening to the uterus and is integral to pregnancy. Treatments of the cervix must necessarily take this into consideration.

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