What is HPV?
Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common STI in the United States. There are many different types of HPV.

How is HPV spread?
HPV is spread through sexual contact and skin to skin contact. HPV can be transmitted to someone even if there are no signs or symptoms.

What are the risks associated with HPV?
Low-risk HPVs do not typically result in disease, but a few of them result in genital warts. High-risk HPVs can cause several types of cancer. Most HPV infections don’t cause cancer. In the United States, high-risk HPVs cause 3% of all cancers in women and 2% of all cancers in men. In 9 out of 10 HPV cases, it goes away on its own within 2 years without health issues. 

Genital warts can cause warts around the genitals, anus, mouth, or throat.

HPV can cause cancer, including more than 90% of anal and cervical cancers, about 70% of vaginal and vulvar cancers, and 60% of penile cancers. It can also cause oropharyngeal cancer, which affects the back of the throat, and can include the base of the tongue and tonsils.

What are the signs & symptoms of HPV?
In most cases of high-risk HPV, there are no symptoms until the infection has resulted in health complications. Most men who get HPV never have symptoms, but you should talk to your healthcare provider if you notice anything new or abnormal on your penis, scrotum, anus, mouth, or throat, such as warts, unusual growths, lumps, or sores.

If HPV does result in cancer, the following symptoms may occur:

• Penile cancer

• Changes in color or thickness of the skin of your penis, or a painful sore might show up on your penis.

• Anal cancer

• Anal bleeding, pain, itching, or discharge, or changes in bowel habits (pooping).

• Vulvar cancer

• Changes in color/thickness of the skin of your vulva. Chronic pain, itching, or presence of a lump.

• Throat cancer

• Sore throat, constant ear pain, constant coughing, pain or trouble swallowing or breathing, weight loss, or a lump or mass in your neck.

Can HPV be tested for?
There is not a test to determine a person’s “HPV status.” However, there are HPV tests that can screen for cervical cancer for women 30 and older. HPV tests are not recommended to screen men, adolescents, or women under the age of 30 years.

What treatments are available for those who have contracted HPV?
There is no treatment for HPV, but there are treatments for the health problems that HPV can cause. Speak to your healthcare provider for available treatments. There are options to treat genital warts. Cervical precancer treatment is available. Other HPV-related cancers are more treatable when found early.

Is there a way to reduce the risk of transmission of HPV?
Although condoms may not fully protect against HPV due to areas that condoms do not cover, they still lower the chances of transmitting HPV. Content creators who are in exclusive relationships have a lower risk of contracting HPV, but we recognize that this may not be applicable to most adult industry workers. It is worth considering getting the HPV vaccine, which is available for all people ages 9 to 45.