Almost all acquire a genital HPV infection at some point in their life. Oral infections are also common. The majority of the infections are asymptomatic and get cleared, spontaneously. There are 180 HPV genotypes, of which HPV16 is the main cause of cervical cancer in addition to other carcinomas. HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer incidence has almost tripled in the last 30 years in Finland. Of the eight genes of HPV, E6 and E7 are the most important oncogenes. HPV vaccinations have been effective in reducing female genital and anal dysplastic lesions, but their effectiveness on head and neck infections requires further research.