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What Is HPV?

HPV is a sexually transmitted infection. HPV stands for human papillomavirus. It's very common. Many people don't have any symptoms, and the infection might go away on its own. But some types of HPV can lead to cervical cancer, head and neck cancer, or cancer of the anus or penis.

HPV isn't just one virus. There are more than 100 kinds, and some are riskier than others.

Types of HPV

Each human papillomavirus has its own number or type. The term "papilloma" refers to a kind of wart that results from some HPV types.

HPV lives in thin, flat cells called epithelial cells. These are found on the skin's surface. They're also found on the surface of the vagina, anus, vulva, cervix and head of the penis. They're also found inside the mouth and throat.

About 60 of the 100 HPV types cause warts on areas like the hands or feet. The other 40 or so enter the body during sexual contact. They're drawn to the body's mucous membranes, such as the moist layers around the anus and genitals.

Not all of the 40 sexually transmitted human papillomaviruses cause serious health problems.
High-risk
High-risk HPV strains include HPV 16 and 18, which cause about 70% of cervical cancers. Other high-risk human papillomaviruses include 31, 33, 45, 52, 58, and a few others.

Low-risk HPV strains, such as HPV 6 and 11, cause about 90% of genital warts, which rarely develop into cancer. These growths can look like bumps. Sometimes, they're shaped like cauliflower. The warts can show up weeks or months after you've had sex with an infected partner.
Low-risk
Low-risk HPV strains, such as HPV 6 and 11, cause about 90% of genital warts, which rarely develop into cancer. These growths can look like bumps. Sometimes, they're shaped like cauliflower. The warts can show up weeks or months after you've had sex with an infected partner.

HPV Symptoms

Often, HPV infections cause no symptoms, and the body clears the infection on its own in a few years. Many people never know they were infected with HPV.

But sometimes an infection with high-risk types of HPV will last longer. This can cause changes in the cells of the cervix that could lead to cancer, including vulvar cancer. The same thing could cause abnormal changes in cells of the penis and anus, but this is rare.

The symptoms of a low-risk HPV infection are warts. The kind of warts you get will depend on which kind of HPV you have.

Genital warts. These are either flat spots or raised bumps. In women, they usually grow on the vulva, but can also show up on the anus, cervix, or vagina. Men get them on the penis, scrotum, or anus.

Common warts. These rough bumps typically show up on the hands and fingers.

Plantar warts. Plantar warts are hard, grainy, painful bumps that affect the bottom of your feet.

Flat warts. These are slightly raised spots with a flat top. You can get them anywhere, but they're common on the face and legs.

HPV Causes and Risk Factors

The human papillomavirus infects you by entering your body through a cut, scrape, or tear in your skin. You get it from skin-to-skin contact, or vaginal, anal, or oral sex. You can pass HPV to your baby if you have genital warts when you're pregnant. In rare cases, this can cause a noncancerous growth in your baby 's voice box (larynx).

The warts are contagious. You can get them by touching someone else's wart, or by touching a surface that came into contact with one.

Certain things make your chances of getting HPV go up. They include:

Damaged skin. Places on your skin that have been cut a lot or have holes are more likely to get common warts.

Direct contact. If you touch someone's warts or come into contact with surfaces warts have touched, you can get HPV.

Number of sexual partners. The more sexual partners you have, the higher your risk of getting HPV. If you have sex with someone who has many partners, that increases your risk, too.

Age. Children are more likely to get common warts. Genital warts are more common in adolescents and young adults.

Weak immune system. If you have a condition such as HIV or AIDS, or are on treatment that weakens your immune system, you're more likely to get HPV.

HPV Diagnosis

Your doctor may be able to tell you have HPV just by examining your warts. But there are also several tests they can use if you don't have symptoms you can see.

Vinegar solution test. This test uses a vinegar (acetic acid) solution. Your doctor applies it to your genital area. If you have lesions in the area, they'll turn white.

Pap test. Your doctor uses a swab to collect samples from your cervix or vagina. They send the samples to a lab to see if you have abnormal cells. Abnormal cells can lead to cancer.

DNA test. If you're a woman over 30, your doctor may recommend this test along with a Pap test. They look at the DNA of the cells of your cervix to see if you have the type of HPV that can lead to cancer.

HPV Treatments

Warts may go away without treatment, especially in kids. But there are also medications that treat them, including:

Salicylic acid. You put treatments with this ingredient directly on the wart. They destroy the wart one layer at a time. You shouldn't use it on your face.

Imiquimod. This is a prescription cream that helps your immune system get rid of HPV. It can cause some redness and swelling around the area you apply it.

Podofilox. You apply this gel directly to genital warts to destroy their tissue. You may get some burning and itching from it.

Trichloroacetic acid. This burns off warts on your palms, soles of your feet, and genitals. It may irritate your skin.

Usually your doctor will recommend medication first. If that doesn't work, they can remove them with:

Cryotherapy (freezing with liquid nitrogen)

Electrocautery (burning with an electric current)

Surgery

Laser surgery (using intense light to destroy warts and abnormal cells)

For HPV on your cervix, your doctor may use a procedure called colposcopy to find and remove cells that look abnormal. They'll use an instrument called a colposcope to magnify your cervix and take samples of ( biopsy) these areas.

To remove any precancerous cells on your cervix, your doctor may use:

Loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP). This uses a thin wire loop with an electric current to remove a layer of cervical tissue.

Cold knife conization (cone biopsy). A doctor removes a cone-shaped piece of tissue from your cervix and sends it to a lab to look for abnormal cells.

Cryosurgery. Your doctor uses extreme cold to destroy abnormal tissue.

Surgery

Laser surgery

There aren't any FDA-approved tests to screen for HPV-caused cell changes in the anus, penis, or head and neck. But Pap tests for the anus may help your doctor see early cell changes or precancerous cells. Your doctor may suggest you get one if you are in a high-risk category for HPV.

HPV Complications

When HPV doesn't go away, it can lead to other problems. Some HPV infections cause lesions, or abnormal areas on your tongue, tonsils, soft palate, or in your nose or larynx.

HPV can also cause cancer. Certain strains of HPV can lead to cancer of the:

Genitals

Anus

Mouth and upper respiratory tract

HPV Prevention

You can get HPV through sex (vaginal, anal, or oral). It spreads through skin-to-skin contact.

HPV can infect skin not normally covered by a condom, so using one won't fully protect you.

You can't get HPV from a toilet seat, swimming pools, or from an infected person's blood.

The only way to avoid all risk of any type of HPV infection is to never be sexually active -- no vaginal, anal, or oral sex.

To lower your risk, you can also limit the number of sex partners you have. And you can choose partners who've had few or no sex partners before you.

Three vaccines -- Cervarix, Gardasil, and Gardasil-9 -- protect against HPV. They're available to boys and girls as young as 9 and adults up to age 26.

The vaccines focus on some of the higher-risk types of HPV. All three guard against HPV 16 and 18. Gardasil and Gardasil-9 are also effective against HPV 6 and 11, which cause most genital warts. Gardasil-9 also covers against the high-risk strains 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58.

While you can't completely avoid the low-risk HPV infections that cause common or plantar warts, you can reduce your chances if you:

Don't pick at warts you already have.

Don't bite your nails.

Wear shoes or sandals in locker rooms or public pools.

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Information About the Human Papillomavirus (HPV)

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HPV is a sexually transmitted infection. HPV stands for human papillomavirus. It's very common. Many people don't have any symptoms, and the infection might go away on its own. But some types of HPV can lead to cervical cancer, head and neck cancer, or cancer of the anus or penis.

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"There is no test to find out a person’s “HPV status.” Also, there is no approved HPV test to find HPV in the mouth or throat.

There are HPV tests that can screen for cervical cancer. Healthcare providers only use these tests for screening women aged 30 years and older. HPV tests are not recommended to screen men, adolescents, or women under the age of 30 years.

Most people with HPV do not know they have the infection. They never develop symptoms or health problems from it. Some people find out they have HPV when they get genital warts. Women may find out they have HPV when they get an abnormal Pap test result (during cervical cancer screening). Others may only find out once they’ve developed more serious problems from HPV, such as cancers."
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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HPV is a common virus that can lead to certain types of cancer later in life. Getting your 11-12 year-old child two doses of the HPV vaccine can prevent these cancers.

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1. Abstaining from or using protection when being sexually active.
2. Women should be routinely screened for cervical cancer.
3. Get vaccinated; CDC recommends HPV vaccination for:

All preteens (including boys and girls) at age 11 or 12 years (or can start at age 9 years).

Everyone through age 26 years, if not vaccinated already.

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Tampere University

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Viral human strain of Papillomaviridae.

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Human Papillomavirus HPV, learn about this common virus - Hospital CMQ

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Human Papillomavirus HPV is a common viral infections in young adults. Learn about HPV infections, its risk factors, symptoms, causes and how to prevent it.

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"HPV infection is a viral infection that commonly causes skin or mucous membrane growths (warts). There are more than 100 varieties of human papillomavirus (HPV). Some types of HPV infection cause warts, and some can cause different types of cancer...
Most HPV infections don't lead to cancer. But some types of genital HPVcan cause cancer of the lower part of the uterus that connects to the vagina (cervix). Other types of cancers, including cancers of the anus, penis, vagina, vulva and back of the throat (oropharyngeal), have been linked to HPVinfection." (MayoClinic)

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Overview

HPV infection is a viral infection that commonly causes skin or mucous membrane growths (warts). There are more than 100 varieties of human papillomavirus (HPV). Some types of HPV infection cause warts, and some can cause different types of cancer.

Most HPV infections don't lead to cancer. But some types of genital HPV can cause cancer of the lower part of the uterus that connects to the vagina (cervix). Other types of cancers, including cancers of the anus, penis, vagina, vulva and back of the throat (oropharyngeal), have been linked to HPV infection.

These infections are often transmitted sexually or through other skin-to-skin contact. Vaccines can help protect against the strains of HPV most likely to cause genital warts or cervical cancer.

Symptoms

In most cases, your body's immune system defeats an HPV infection before it creates warts. When warts do appear, they vary in appearance depending on which kind of HPV is involved:

Genital warts. These appear as flat lesions, small cauliflower-like bumps or tiny stemlike protrusions. In women, genital warts appear mostly on the vulva but can also occur near the anus, on the cervix or in the vagina.

In men, genital warts appear on the penis and scrotum or around the anus. Genital warts rarely cause discomfort or pain, though they may itch or feel tender.

Common warts. Common warts appear as rough, raised bumps and usually occur on the hands and fingers. In most cases, common warts are simply unsightly, but they can also be painful or susceptible to injury or bleeding.

Plantar warts. Plantar warts are hard, grainy growths that usually appear on the heels or balls of your feet. These warts might cause discomfort.

Flat warts. Flat warts are flat-topped, slightly raised lesions. They can appear anywhere, but children usually get them on the face and men tend to get them in the beard area. Women tend to get them on the legs.

Cervical cancer

Nearly all cervical cancers are caused by HPV infections, but cervical cancer may take 20 years or longer to develop after an HPV infection. The HPV infection and early cervical cancer typically don't cause noticeable symptoms. Getting vaccinated against HPV infection is your best protection from cervical cancer.

Because early cervical cancer doesn't cause symptoms, it's vital that women have regular screening tests to detect any precancerous changes in the cervix that might lead to cancer. Current guidelines recommend that women ages 21 to 29 have a Pap test every three years.

Women ages 30 to 65 are advised to continue having a Pap test every three years, or every five years if they also get the HPV DNA test at the same time. Women over 65 can stop testing if they've had three normal Pap tests in a row, or two HPV DNA and Pap tests with no abnormal results.

When to see a doctor

If you or your child has warts of any kind that cause embarrassment, discomfort or pain, seek advice from your doctor.

Causes

HPV infection occurs when the virus enters your body, usually through a cut, abrasion or small tear in your skin. The virus is transferred primarily by skin-to-skin contact.

Genital HPV infections are contracted through sexual intercourse, anal sex and other skin-to-skin contact in the genital region. Some HPV infections that result in oral or upper respiratory lesions are contracted through oral sex.

If you're pregnant and have an HPV infection with genital warts, it's possible your baby may get the infection. Rarely, the infection may cause a noncancerous growth in the baby's voice box (larynx).

Warts are contagious. They can spread through direct contact with a wart. Warts can also spread when someone touches something that already touched a wart.

Risk factors

HPV infections are common. Risk factors for HPV infection include:

Number of sexual partners. The more sexual partners you have, the more likely you are to contract a genital HPV infection. Having sex with a partner who has had multiple sex partners also increases your risk.

Age. Common warts occur mostly in children. Genital warts occur most often in adolescents and young adults.

Weakened immune systems. People who have weakened immune systems are at greater risk of HPV infections. Immune systems can be weakened by HIV/AIDS or by immune system-suppressing drugs used after organ transplants.

Damaged skin. Areas of skin that have been punctured or opened are more prone to develop common warts.

Personal contact. Touching someone's warts or not wearing protection before contacting surfaces that have been exposed to HPV - such as public showers or swimming pools - might increase your risk of HPV infection.

Complications

Oral and upper respiratory lesions. Some HPV infections cause lesions on your tongue, tonsils, soft palate, or within your larynx and nose.

Cancer. Certain strains of HPV can cause cervical cancer. These strains might also contribute to cancers of the genitals, anus, mouth and upper respiratory tract.

Prevention

Common warts

It's difficult to prevent HPV infections that cause common warts. If you have a common wart, you can prevent the spread of the infection and formation of new warts by not picking at a wart and not biting your nails.

Plantar warts

To reduce the risk of contracting HPV infections that cause plantar warts, wear shoes or sandals in public pools and locker rooms.

Genital warts

You can reduce your risk of developing genital warts and other HPV-related genital lesions by:

Being in a mutually monogamous sexual relationship

Reducing your number of sex partners

Using a latex condom, which can reduce your risk of HPV transmission

HPV vaccines

Three HPV vaccines have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The most recent was Gardasil 9, which is approved for use in males and females ages 9 to 45 to protect against cervical cancer and genital warts.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends routine HPV vaccination for girls and boys ages 11 and 12, although it can be given as early as age 9. It's ideal for girls and boys to receive the vaccine before they have sexual contact and are exposed to HPV. Research has shown that receiving the vaccine at a young age isn't linked to an earlier start of sexual activity.

Once someone is infected with HPV, the vaccine might not be as effective or might not work at all. Also, response to the vaccine is better at younger ages than older ones. But, if given before someone is infected, the vaccine can prevent most cases of cervical cancer.

The CDC now recommends that all 11- and 12-year-olds receive two doses of HPV vaccine at least six months apart, instead of the previously recommended three-dose schedule. Younger adolescents ages 9 and 10 and teens ages 13 and 14 also are able to receive vaccination on the updated two-dose schedule. Research has shown that the two-dose schedule is effective for children under 15.

Teens and young adults who begin the vaccine series later, at ages 15 through 26, should continue to receive three doses of the vaccine.

The CDC now recommends catch-up HPV vaccinations for all people through age 26 who aren't adequately vaccinated.

The Mayo Clinic experience and patient stories

Our patients tell us that the quality of their interactions, our attention to detail and the efficiency of their visits mean health care like they've never experienced. See the stories of satisfied Mayo Clinic patients.

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HPV infection is a viral infection that commonly causes skin or mucous membrane growths (warts). There are more than 100 varieties of human papillomavirus (HPV). Some types of HPV infection cause warts, and some can cause different types of cancer. Most HPV infections don't lead to cancer.

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Out of all of those in the trial, only 17 HPV-positive cancer cases were determined, all from the non-vaccinated cohort. No cases were found within the vaccinated population.
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1. Cervical, vaginal, penile, anal cancers
2. Genital Warts
3. Oropharyngeal Cancer
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Attached is a link for support groups serving individuals with HPV and related cancers.

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Online Cervical Cancer Support Community

The National Cervical Cancer Coalition (NCCC), in partnership with Inspire, is proud to present our cervical cancer/HPV online support community. Through this community you will join thousands of patients and caregivers in sharing personal experiences in a safe, secure environment.

We hope you will feel empowered to ask questions, share stories and, most importantly, feel reassured that you are not alone.

The NCCC community at Inspire is a valuable resource for so many. Here's a comment from one of our community members on what the support group means to her:

"Thank you so very much for providing the Inspire platform for us to share information with and comfort each other! I have learned a lot from others about what to expect with my cervical cancer in just a few short weeks on this site. I am so happy to have found it!

It's easy to join-just visit the NCCC Inspire site and join today.

One-on-One Support

NCCC has partnered with Imerman Angels to serve those in need of a mentor or support. Imerman Angelss provides personalized connections that enable one-on-one support among cancer fighters, survivors and caregivers.

Through their unique matching process, Imerman Angels partners anyone seeking cancer support with a "Mentor Angel." A Mentor Angel is a cancer survivor or caregiver who is the same age, same gender, and most importantly who has faced the same type of cancer. The service is absolutely free and helps anyone touched by any type of cancer, at any cancer stage level, at any age, living anywhere in the world.

To learn more about Imerman Angels and request support, click here. If you're interested in becoming a mentor, click here.

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The National Cervical Cancer Coalition (NCCC), in partnership with Inspire, is proud to present our cervical cancer/HPV online support community. Through this community you will join thousands of patients and caregivers in sharing personal experiences in a safe, secure environment.