HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI). HPV is a different virus than HIV and HSV (herpes). HPV is so common that nearly all sexually active men and women get it at some point in their lives.
There are more than 100 types of HPV, 30 of which are passed through sexual contact. The types of HPV that infect the genital area are called genital HPV. HPV is very common. Most sexually active people will have it at some point in their lives. Anyone who is sexually active can get HPV, even if you have had sex with only one person. You also can develop symptoms years after you have sex with someone who is infected making it hard to know when you first became infected.
Some types of genital HPV are “high risk,” which means they put a woman at greater risk of getting cervical cancer. “High risk” does not have to do with the risk of getting HPV. Low-risk types of HPV do not cause cervical cancer. But low-risk types of HPV may cause genital warts. There is no treatment or cure for HPV. But a new HPV vaccine protects against some HPV types that cause cancer or warts.
How can you get HPV?
Genital: HPV is passed by skin-to-skin and genital contact, mainly during vaginal and anal intercourse. It might also be possible to pass it during oral sex.
HPV usually has no symptoms. Both low-risk and high risk types of HPV can cause growths on the cervix and vagina. These often are invisible. Low-risk types of HPV can cause genital warts. Warts can form weeks, months, or years after sexual contact with a person who has genital HPV. They can grow inside and around the outside of the vagina, on the vulva and cervix, groin, and in or around the anus. Warts can be raised or flat, alone or ingroups, small or large, and sometimes they are shaped like a cauliflower. High-risk types of HPV may cause cervical changes that, if not treated, may progress into cervical cancer.
How to find out if you have HPV
A Pap test can find changes on the cervix that are caused by HPV infection. Women who have had the HPV vaccine still need to have a regular Pap test.
An HPV test, which is aDNA test that detects high-risk types of HPV, may be done for women who are older than 30 or for women who are younger than 30 who haveabnormal Pap test results. An abnormal Pap test result does notmean for sure that a woman has HPV orcervicalcancer.Follow-up tests are needed to confirm any diagnosis. Having genital warts is another way a doctor can tell if a person has an HPV infection.
Who should get vaccinated?
~ All boys and girls ages 11 or 12 years should get vaccinated.
~ Catch-up vaccines are recommended for males through age 21 and for females through age 26, if they did not get vaccinated when they were younger.
~ The vaccine is also recommended for gay and bisexual men (or any man who has sex with a man) through age 26. It is also recommended for men and women with compromised immune systems (including people living with HIV/AIDS) through age 26, if they did not get fully vaccinated when they were younger.
~ All boys and girls ages 11 or 12 years should get vaccinated.
~ Catch-up vaccines are recommended for males through age 21 and for females through age 26, if they did not get vaccinated when they were younger.
~ The vaccine is also recommended for gay and bisexual men (or any man who has sex with a man) through age 26. It is also recommended for men and women with compromised immune systems (including people living with HIV/AIDS) through age 26, if they did not get fully vaccinated when they were younger.
Frequently Asked Questions about the HPV Vaccine
I’ve never heard of the HPV vaccine. What is it?
Many women don’t know about the HPV vaccine and question whether it is something they need. That’s because the HPV vaccine came out in 2006. It is the first vaccine to prevent cervical cancer and other diseases caused by certain types of genital human papillomavirus(HPV). The vaccine protects women against fourHPV types, which together cause 70 percent of cervical cancers and 90 percent of genital warts. It does not treat existing HPV infections. The vaccine is given through a series of three shots over a 6-month period. Getting the vaccine is important, because more than halfof sexually active women and men are infected with HPV at some point in their lives.Who should get this vaccine?
It is recommended for 11- to 12-year-old girls, and it can be given to girls as young as 9—an age when most girls are not yet sexually active. It is also recommended for 13- to 26-year-old females who have not yet received or completed the vaccine series.
How long does vaccine protection last?
So far, we know that protection from HPV lasts at least 5 years in women who have been vaccinated. I’m older than 26.Why isn’t the vaccine recommended for me—or for men?
So far, the vaccine has been widely tested only in 9- to 26-year-old females. Research is just beginning to look at whether the vaccine also is safe and effective in women older than 26. Researchers also are working to findout if the vaccine will prevent HPV in men and boys.I’m pregnant. Should I get the HPV vaccine? Pregnant women should not get theHPV vaccine until after the baby is born. Thereis not enough research to know how the vaccine might affect pregnant women and their unborn babies.
After I get the HPV vaccine, do I still need to be screened for cervical cancer? Yes. Thereare three reasons why. First, thevaccinedoes not protect against all HPV types that cause cancer. Second, women who don’t get all the vaccine doses (or at the right time) might not be fully protected. Third, womenmay not fully benefit from the vaccine if they got it after acquiring one or moreof the four HPV types.
Does HPV cause health problems?
In most cases, HPV goes away on its own and does not cause any health problems. But when HPV does not go away, it can cause health problems like genital warts and cancer.Genital warts usually appear as a small bump or group of bumps in the genital area. They can be small or large, raised or flat, or shaped like a cauliflower. A healthcare provider can usually diagnose warts by looking at the genital area.
Does HPV cause cancer?
HPV can cause cervical and other cancersincluding cancer of the vulva, vagina, penis, or anus. It can also cause cancer in the back of the throat, including the base of the tongue and tonsils (called oropharyngeal cancer ).
Cancer often takes years, even decades, to develop after a person gets HPV. The types of HPV that can cause genital warts are not the same as the types of HPV that can cause cancers.
There is no way to know which people who have HPV will develop cancer or other health problems. People with weak immune systems (including individuals with HIV/AIDS) may be less able to fight off HPV and more likely to develop health problems from it.
How can I avoid HPV and the health problems it can cause?
You can do several things to lower your chances of getting HPV:
Get vaccinated. HPV vaccines are safe and effective. They can protect males and females against diseases (including cancers) caused by HPV when given in the recommended age groups (see “Who should get vaccinated?” below). HPV vaccines are given in three shots over six months; it is important to get all three doses.
Get screened for cervical cancer . Routine screening for women aged 21 to 65 years old can prevent cervical cancer.
If you are sexually active
«⊙» Use latex condoms the right way every time you have sex. This can lower your chances of getting HPV. But HPV can infect areas that are not covered by a condom - so condoms may not give full protection against getting HPV;
«⊙» Be in a mutually monogamous relationship - or have sex only with someone who only has sex with you.
Get vaccinated. HPV vaccines are safe and effective. They can protect males and females against diseases (including cancers) caused by HPV when given in the recommended age groups (see “Who should get vaccinated?” below). HPV vaccines are given in three shots over six months; it is important to get all three doses.
Get screened for cervical cancer . Routine screening for women aged 21 to 65 years old can prevent cervical cancer.
If you are sexually active
«⊙» Use latex condoms the right way every time you have sex. This can lower your chances of getting HPV. But HPV can infect areas that are not covered by a condom - so condoms may not give full protection against getting HPV;
«⊙» Be in a mutually monogamous relationship - or have sex only with someone who only has sex with you.
