The statistics may shock you – and you may be a part of them. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost every person who is sexually active, will acquire the human papillomavirus (HPV) at some point in their lives. It’s the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States, and can lead to cervical cancer and genital warts.

Thursday on DelmarvaLife, Pediatric Hospitalist, Dr. Katherine Layton, with Peninsula Regional Medical Center, told us more about the vaccine that can help prevent HPV from spreading. PRMC says, “The HPV vaccine protects against infection by certain strains of HPV.” Dr. Layton says the recommendation is for young people to begin receiving the HPV vaccine at 12 years of age.