HPV is the infection you probably don’t know you have: about 8 in 10 people get it at some point. It can have serious health consequences – particularly for women – so get the facts about how to protect yourself.
HPV is the infection you probably don’t know you have: about 8 in 10 people get it at some point. It can have serious health consequences – particularly for women – so get the facts about how to protect yourself.
HPV stands for ‘human papillomavirus’. It’s the name for a group of more than 200 viruses that infect humans. So how many people have HPV? It’s very widespread, with an estimated 79 million Americans infected.
“Most people with HPV won’t even know they’ve been infected,” says Dr Ann Nainan, family doctor and Healthily expert. So how can you protect yourself against these silent viruses, which can cause genital warts and, in rarer cases, some cancers? Here’s everything you need to know.
People often ask “can you get HPV without having sex?”
Here are the facts:
“Most people will clear HPV from their body within 1 to 2 years without any symptoms,” says Dr Ann. “But if it doesn’t go away, some types of HPV can go on to cause symptoms or health issues.”
In most cases, yes – usually within 1 to 2 years. But it’s still possible to pass the virus on to someone else during this time, and some types of HPV can stay in your body.
“It’s important for women to know that HPV can put them at risk in ways they may not have realized,” says Dr Ann. “Because with safe sex, the HPV vaccine and regular screening, you can do something about it.”
It’s rare to get cancer from an HPV infection, as your immune system usually clears the virus from your body. But women get more HPV-related cancers than men. In the US, high-risk HPV causes 3% of all cancers in women, and 2% in men.
Research also shows that the rates of some of these cancers are increasing. For example, US data shows the number of vaginal, vulval, anal and mouth/throat cancers increased in women of all ages and racial or ethnic groups from 2001-2017.
And although cervical cancer cases have decreased overall in the US, rates have increased in white women aged 50-74, black women aged 50-64, and Hispanic women of all ages.
The HPV vaccine has been shown to be up to 99% effective at preventing HPV-related cancers and genital warts. And cervical screening – sometimes also known as ‘a pap smear’ or ‘smear test’ – can pick up HPV infection, and check for cell changes that might lead to cancer.
But data shows the number of people who take advantage of these protective measures is surprisingly low:
Lack of knowledge about the options available to help protect women is a key problem, says Dr Ann. But there are other issues, too.
“Talk to your insurance company, your doctor or healthcare provider; contact Medicaid to find out what is available for you, and make sure you get it,” says Dr Ann. “And talk to your friends and loved ones about it. It’s also important that you get your children vaccinated, when they’re eligible.”
Issues affecting women’s access to protection against HPV include:
Unlike HIV, there’s no test that can tell you your ‘HPV status’.
But you can get checked for HPV during cervical screening – which checks the health of cells in the entrance to your womb (cervix).
“HPV testing can pick up high-risk HPV,” says Dr Ann. “If a high-risk HPV infection shows up, then more cells from the sample can be tested to check for cell changes that are at a precancerous or cancerous stage.”
“The good news is that these changes can be detected early, then treated before any cancer develops or spreads.”
An HPV test looks for the types of high-risk HPV that can cause cell changes. A pap test looks for any precancerous cell changes on your cervix, which may become cervical cancer.
If abnormal cells are picked up on your pap test, your doctor will discuss a course of treatment with you. This could include:
Make sure you talk to your doctor and get the support you need to talk about your results, and to follow up on any precancerous or cancerous cell changes. Watch this CDC video, where Ana talks about the importance of understanding and acting on abnormal results.
Read about how cervical cancer is treated.
The CDC doesn’t recommend routine HPV screening for men. Some sexual health clinics may offer HPV pap tests to men at higher risk of anal cancer, such as men who have sex with men.
Men who notice anything new or unusual affecting their penis, balls (scrotum), bottom (anus), mouth or throat should see their doctor. There are lots of more common issues that can affect these areas, such as warts and skin infections. But see a doctor, so they can help you work out what’s going on.
Rachel got an HPV positive result after she went for cervical screening, and later had a colposcopy to check her cervix for cell changes.
“My first reaction was panic. I had the idea that cervical screening was a test for cancer, and my letter was full of medical jargon that I didn’t understand.”
But she says finding out the facts about HPV helped her a lot – particularly learning that it’s really common, which made her realize she wasn’t alone.
“My big piece of advice for anyone who has just received their HPV positive letter is talk about it, talk about your feelings, and normalize it. It’s the only way to reduce the stigma surrounding HPV.”
In the US, the HPV vaccine schedule is as follows:
HPV vaccines are very safe. Before Gardasil 9 was licensed by the FDA, it was studied in more than 15,000 people, and found to be safe and effective.
“From what we know right now, the benefits of the HPV vaccine really do outweigh the risk of adverse effects, which tend to be minor and temporary.” says Dr Ann. “Remember, it’s the only vaccine to protect against some types of cancer.”
Reported HPV vaccine side effects include:
Some people can faint after any medical procedure. So you’re usually advised to sit down for 15 minutes after your shot, in case this happens.
You should also tell your doctor or nurse if you have a severe allergy to yeast or latex.
HPV vaccines offer long-lasting protection against HPV infection. Researchers followed vaccinated people for 12 years, with no signs of the protection waning.
Scientists hope that period blood might one day be used to screen for HPV infections, reducing the need for more invasive pap tests.
Research published by Stanford University trialed a modified menstrual pad as a method of testing for HPV, comparing it with pap tests by clinicians and swabs taken by the women themselves.
The researchers found that 94% of women preferred the menstrual pad method over a pap test – and the results were similar to the pap test in terms of how many cases of HPV they picked up.
They concluded that testing menstrual blood looks like a promising approach, but more research is needed.
Important: Our website provides useful information but is not a substitute for medical advice. You should always seek the advice of your doctor when making decisions about your health.