HPV is a mystery, not just to you and me but even to doctors. You may not know, but it is now the most common STD. Researchers believe that as many as three out of four sexually active people will get at least one of the 30 sexually transmitted strains at some point in their lives. It's transmitted by direct skin-to-skin contact with an infected area during sexual activity -- including genital rubbing and oral, vaginal or anal sex -- whether or not symptoms are present. Therefore, putting on a condom before any contact takes place can help reduce the chance of infection. Once transmitted, the virus can take weeks, months or years to manifest. But HPV is often more of a nuisance than a danger. Some types cause genital warts; others cause cell changes on a woman's cervix. But it's also possible to have the virus and be symptom-free.

HPV is usually diagnosed when a genital wart appears or if a woman tests positive for it through a cervical screening. (You can be tested specifically for the types of HPV commonly associated with cervical cancer, which if caught early, treated as necessary and monitored as recommended, need not lead to cancer.) The good news is that the majority of infections eventually go away on their own. Most men who are infected by the types of strains are usually symptom-free, but it's possible that he can pass the virus on to other women.

If either of you wants more information about HPV, call the National STD Hotline at (800) 342-2437 (open 24 hours, seven days a week) or the national HPV hotline at (877) HPV-5868 (open 2pm to 7pm EST, Monday-Friday).