Which virus is the most common viral STD in the United States?

• A. HPV
• B. HSV
• C. HIV
• D. CMV

Answer: (A)

HPV is the most common viral STD in the United States because infections often occur with little to no symptoms, so many people are unaware they are infected and continue to transmit the virus. It encompasses numerous genotypes, and transmission happens through intimate skin-to-skin contact during any sexual activity. This high level of asymptomatic carriage creates a large reservoir of infection in the sexually active population, making HPV far more prevalent than other sexually transmitted viruses. There are vaccines that protect against the most problematic types (those that cause cancer and those that cause warts), which helps reduce future infections, but because many infections are transient and go unnoticed, HPV remains the leading viral STD. HSV and HIV are also common, but their overall prevalence in the population is not as high as HPV, and CMV is typically not transmitted primarily as an STD.