How to Use human papillomavirus in a Sentence

human papillomavirus

noun
  • It was caused by a strain of human papillomavirus, according to the Nashville Scene.
    — Stephanie Petit, PEOPLE.com, 13 Sep. 2017
  • Warts are a type of noncancerous skin growth that are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV).
    — Lacey Muinos, Verywell Health, 3 May 2024
  • The jury is still out on whether human papillomavirus (HPV) spreads through deep kissing.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 June 2026
  • There was also a change for the human papillomavirus, or HPV, vaccine.
    — Sara Moniuszko, USA Today, 13 Feb. 2026
  • Warts are caused by an exposure to the human papillomavirus (HPV).
    — Caroline C. Boyle, USA TODAY, 11 Aug. 2024
  • Doctors have since linked the two diagnoses to the same strain of HPV, or human papillomavirus.
    — Colson Thayer, People.com, 3 Oct. 2024
  • This is the vaccine for human papillomavirus, which is more commonly known as HPV.
    — Forbes, 26 May 2021
  • Some viruses may even cause the runaway cellular growth that is the root of cancer, as is thought to be the case with human papillomavirus and cervical cancer.
    — Maya Wei-Haas, National Geographic, 22 Feb. 2019
  • Some of those issues have stemmed from slowing sales in China of its human papillomavirus vaccine, known as Gardasil.
    — Samantha Subin, CNBC, 8 Dec. 2024
  • Vaccines work well to prevent cancers caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV).
    — Annalisa Merelli, STAT, 8 Nov. 2023
  • Gardasil 9 is a vaccine that helps protect against nine types of human papillomavirus (HPV).
    — Peter Weiss, Verywell Health, 12 June 2024
  • Since 2006, the vaccine for human papillomavirus — the leading cause of a number of cancers — has been available.
    — Anna Groves, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 9 July 2018
  • Among the changes, the CDC now recommends a single dose of the human papillomavirus vaccine instead of two.
    — Ahmed Aboulenein, USA Today, 5 Jan. 2026
  • And the vaccine for human papillomavirus, or HPV, requires a second shot within two months and a third shot within six months.
    — BostonGlobe.com, 30 Aug. 2021
  • She was shocked when her gynecologist informed her that the growths were caused by the human papillomavirus, known as HPV.
    — Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN, 25 Aug. 2023
  • The vaccine, which is 100 percent effective against certain strains of the human papillomavirus, is a no-brainer.
    — Leila McNeill, Smithsonian, 17 June 2019
  • The development of cholesterol-lowering statins and the human papillomavirus vaccine were just some of the fruits of the research careers launched through the program.
    — Viviane Callier, Wired, 6 Sep. 2021
  • Researchers have found a steep drop in deaths from cervical cancer, all thanks to the HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccine.
    — Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2024
  • Mendelsohn, now 48, is the classic victim of head and neck cancer caused by HPV, the human papillomavirus.
    — Maggie Fox, NBC News, 17 Oct. 2017
  • Around the world, people die every year from outbreaks that vaccines could have quashed, from polio in Pakistan to human papillomavirus infections in Japan.
    — Adam Taylor, Washington Post, 7 July 2020
  • Among the most widespread ones are human papillomavirus (HPV), chlamydia and syphilis, with gonorrhea also ranking high on the list.
    — Daryl Austin, USA Today, 10 Oct. 2025
  • Warts, which are rough overgrowths of skin, are caused by a virus that’s highly contagious (most commonly the human papillomavirus, or HPV).
    — Washington Post, 17 Dec. 2021
  • Women will then mail the sample to a lab that will screen for HPV (human papillomavirus), the virus that causes nearly all cervical cancers.
    — Jennifer Ludden, NPR, 10 May 2025
  • As part of the program, the clinic focused on getting teens and preteens in for the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine series.
    — Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Feb. 2022
  • One of the first tests that allows patients to self-collect samples to screen for human papillomavirus (HPV) will soon be available in doctors' offices.
    — Sony Salzman, ABC News, 5 Sep. 2024
  • But now with the advent of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine we are poised to be able to do even more to decrease the incidence of cervical cancer.
    — Ian Fields, SELF, 26 Aug. 2019
  • To take one example, a vaccine exists against the human papillomavirus (HPV), which causes cancers of the cervix in women, as well as cancers of the head and neck.
    — The Economist, 16 Sep. 2017
  • At some point during the ages of 30 - 39, a pap smear may only be needed every five years if there are no signs of the human papillomavirus (HPV).
    — Elizabeth Boskey, Verywell Health, 27 June 2023
  • Some researchers speculate that human papillomavirus (HPV), the cause of most anal cancers, may explain some of the rise in colorectal cancers in younger adults.
    — Cassandra Willyard, Scientific American, 12 Nov. 2021
  • Recent clinical trials have suggested that one dose may be as effective as two at preventing human papillomavirus, which causes cervical cancer.
    — Aria Bendix, NBC news, 7 Jan. 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'human papillomavirus.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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