A 25-year-old single woman comes to the gynecologist's office for a follow-up visit related to her abnormal Papanicolaou (Pap) smear. The test revealed that the patient has human papillomavirus (HPV). The patient asks, "What is that? Can you get rid of it?" Your best response is:

Choice A reason: Gonorrhea is incorrect because it is not the infection described in the question. It is a bacterial infection that spreads through any form of unprotected sex, but it does not have stages of symptoms or affect the heart, eyes, and brain. It can cause pain, discharge, and inflammation in the genitals, anus, or throat. It can be treated with antibiotics.

Choice B reason: Syphilis is correct because it is the infection described in the question. It is a bacterial infection that spreads through any form of unprotected sex and by skin contact. It has stages of symptoms, such as sores, rashes, fever, and fatigue. If untreated, it can affect the heart, eyes, and brain, causing serious complications. It can be treated with antibiotics.

Choice C reason: Chlamydia is incorrect because it is not the infection described in the question. It is a bacterial infection that spreads through any form of unprotected sex, but it does not have stages of symptoms or affect the heart, eyes, and brain. It often causes no symptoms, but it can cause pain, discharge, and bleeding in the genitals or rectum. It can be treated with antibiotics.

Choice D reason: Trichomoniasis is incorrect because it is not the infection described in the question. It is a parasitic infection that spreads through any form of unprotected sex, but it does not have stages of symptoms or affect the heart, eyes, and brain. It can cause itching, burning, and odor in the genitals. It can be treated with antiparasitic drugs.

Choice A reason: Herpes simplex virus is incorrect because it is not the infection described in the question. It is transmitted through direct contact with the skin or mucous membranes of someone who is infected, usually through oral or genital sex. Symptoms include painful blisters and sores in the mouth or genitals. It does not cause life-threatening infections, but it can increase the risk of other sexually transmitted infections.

Choice B reason: Human papillomavirus is incorrect because it is not the infection described in the question. It is transmitted through direct contact with the skin or mucous membranes of someone who is infected, usually through genital sex. Symptoms include genital warts and cervical cancer. It does not cause life-threatening infections, but it can increase the risk of other cancers.

Choice C reason: Human immunodeficiency virus is correct because it is the infection described in the question. It is transmitted through direct contact with the blood or body fluid of someone who is infected, usually through unprotected sex, sharing needles, or passed from a mother to a baby at birth. Symptoms may take 10 years or more to show. Once they appear, the person is susceptible to life-threatening infections, such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, or cancer. This condition is also known as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).

Choice D reason: Cytomegalovirus is incorrect because it is not the infection described in the question. It is transmitted through direct contact with the saliva, urine, or breast milk of someone who is infected, usually through kissing, sexual contact, or breastfeeding. Symptoms are usually mild or absent in healthy people, but they can be serious in people with weakened immune systems or unborn babies. It does not cause life-threatening infections, but it can cause birth defects, hearing loss, or vision problems.