Final answer:
Nearly every sexually active person in the U.S. could contract HPV if they do not receive the vaccination. HPV is incredibly common and various strains can cause serious health issues like cancer, but the Gardasil® vaccination can prevent the most harmful types.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question you're asking is concerning the prevalence of a sexually transmitted infection known as human papillomavirus, or HPV. Nearly every sexually active person in the U.S. will get HPV in their lifetime if they do not receive the vaccination. The HPV infection is so common that it affects a significant proportion of the population with an estimated 79.1 million Americans infected as of 2008. There are multiple strains of HPV, with some causing health problems such as genital warts and others being potentially linked to different types of cancer.
Fortunately, the HPV vaccination, which is known as Gardasil®, can prevent the contraction of the most dangerous types of HPV. This vaccination is recommended for all children between the ages of 11 and 12, but it can also be administered up to age 21 for males and 26 for females if it was not received at the recommended age. The vaccination's primary purpose is to mitigate the risk of HPV-related cancers in the future.