Proof of Protection: Condoms limit infection by cervical cancer virus

Using a condom during sexual intercourse significantly reduces a woman’s risk of being infected with the human papillomavirus (HPV) and lessens her chance of developing precancerous growths on the cervix, a new study finds.

While condoms have been shown to limit the spread of AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases, their effectiveness has been less clear against HPV, a common, sexually transmitted pathogen that infects roughly three-fourths of U.S.