Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the world, and most people who have it don’t know, since it frequently causes no symptoms at all. Understanding what HPV actually is, how it spreads, what it can cause, and how cervical cancer screening has recently changed can help you protect yourself and know what to watch for.
HPV is a viral infection passed between people through skin-to-skin contact, and it’s the most common sexually transmitted infection worldwide. There are about 40 types of HPV that can infect the genital area in both men and women, spread through sexual contact. In most cases, the body clears HPV on its own before it causes any health problems, but sometimes it doesn’t, which is when HPV can lead to genital warts or, with certain high-risk types, cervical or other cancers over time.
It’s worth knowing that HPV is a different virus entirely from HIV and HSV (herpes). Despite sometimes being mentioned in the same context, they’re not related.
Most people with HPV have no symptoms at all, which is exactly why it spreads so easily and why screening, rather than waiting for symptoms, matters. When HPV does cause problems, they generally fall into a few categories.
Genital warts. Some HPV types cause genital warts, which can be flat or cauliflower shaped, large or small, and range in colour from white or pink to red, purplish brown, or skin toned. They can appear on the vulva, cervix, penis, scrotum, anus, or groin, and following oral sexual contact, on the lips, mouth, tongue, or throat. Warts may take weeks or months to appear after infection, and can cause itching, burning, or discomfort. They aren’t life threatening, but they can be emotionally difficult to deal with.
Other types of warts come from different, non-genital HPV types. These include common warts (rough, raised bumps on hands and fingers), plantar warts (hard, grainy growths on the feet), and flat warts (flat-topped lesions that can appear on the face, beard area, or legs).
Cervical cancer. Long-lasting infection with certain high-risk HPV types is the main cause of cervical cancer, occurring most often in women over 30, though the new screening age below reflects updated risk understanding. Early-stage cervical cancer usually has no symptoms. In more advanced stages, signs can include vaginal bleeding after sex, between periods, or after menopause, unusual vaginal discharge, and pelvic pain during intercourse. The reassuring news is that cervical cancer is highly treatable when caught early, and screening is specifically designed to catch it before symptoms develop.
Other HPV-related cancers, including anal cancer, are less common but possible. Symptoms can include bleeding from the anus or rectum, anal pain, or itching linked to a growth in the anal canal.
HPV is caused by infection with one of roughly 200 related viruses, around 40 of which can infect the genital area specifically. The virus infects skin and mucous membrane cells, and different types behave differently. Some cause warts, some cause no visible effect at all, and a smaller number of “high-risk” types are associated with an increased risk of cancer if the infection persists for years without clearing.
The way someone acquires HPV in the first place is the same regardless of gender, covered in the transmission section below. What’s specifically studied in women, though, is why HPV sometimes lingers and progresses toward cervical changes or cancer in some women rather than clearing on its own, since this is the outcome that matters most clinically for female patients. Research has identified several factors that make this persistence more likely.
A weakened immune system is one of the most consistently identified factors, including conditions like HIV or the use of immunosuppressive medication, since a properly functioning immune response is what normally clears HPV within one to two years.
Smoking is a well-established cofactor. It appears to both increase the likelihood of acquiring high-risk HPV and, separately, accelerate the progression from a persistent infection toward precancerous or cancerous cervical changes, through a combination of local immune suppression in cervical tissue and direct effects on cervical cells themselves.
Early sexual activity and multiple sexual partners increase overall exposure to HPV, raising the chances of encountering a high-risk type in the first place.
Long-term use of combined hormonal contraceptives has been associated with a modestly increased risk of cervical cancer among women with persistent high-risk HPV, though this appears to be one contributing factor among several rather than a dominant one on its own.
Pregnancy-related factors, including a higher number of pregnancies and an early age at first full-term pregnancy, have also been identified as cofactors in progression to cervical cancer in women with persistent HPV infection.
Co-infection with other sexually transmitted infections can further increase the risk of HPV persisting rather than clearing naturally.
It’s worth being clear about what this list actually means. These are factors that influence risk, not guarantees, and having one or more of them doesn’t mean cervical cancer is inevitable, just as having none of them doesn’t mean zero risk. This is exactly why regular cervical cancer screening, covered later in this article, matters regardless of your personal risk factors, and why quitting smoking and discussing your contraceptive options with a doctor are genuinely worthwhile steps if they apply to you.
HPV spreads through vaginal, anal, or oral sex with someone who carries the virus, most commonly via vaginal or anal sex. It can be passed even when the infected person has no visible symptoms at all, which is a major reason it spreads so widely. Anyone who is sexually active can get HPV, even with only one previous partner, and it’s possible to have HPV even years after you were last sexually active, since the virus can remain present without symptoms for a long time.
You cannot get HPV from toilet seats, kissing on the mouth, hugging or holding hands, poor hygiene, sharing food or utensils, swimming pools or hot tubs, or family history.
It’s roughly equally common in both, but it’s less likely to cause serious health problems in men. Most men with HPV never experience symptoms or related health issues, and there’s currently no approved general HPV test for men.
There’s no treatment that cures HPV itself. The infection needs to clear on its own, which happens for most people within about two years. What can be treated are the problems HPV sometimes causes.
Treating genital warts. A doctor needs to prescribe appropriate treatment, chosen based on the warts’ appearance and location. Options include:
Treatment can take weeks to months to fully work, and warts can sometimes reappear even after successful treatment.
Treating abnormal cervical cell changes, found via screening before cancer develops, can involve several approaches:
Get vaccinated. The HPV vaccine is safe and effective, and when given at the recommended ages, it protects against several HPV-related diseases, including certain cancers.
Practise safer sex. Using condoms correctly and consistently, and being in a mutually monogamous relationship, both reduce transmission risk, though neither fully eliminates it, since HPV can infect areas condoms don’t fully cover.
Get screened, and know that screening guidelines have recently changed. The updated 2025 American Cancer Society guidelines now recommend cervical cancer screening starting at age 25, down from 30, with primary HPV testing as the preferred method. A genuinely significant recent development is self-collected HPV testing, where you collect your own vaginal sample in a healthcare setting rather than requiring a clinician to do it. This was FDA approved in 2024 and is now a formally endorsed screening option, making testing more accessible and private for many people. It’s worth noting HPV testing isn’t recommended for men, adolescents, or as a general screening tool outside these guidelines, so check with your doctor about what’s appropriate for you specifically.
A viral infection spread through skin-to-skin contact and the most common sexually transmitted infection worldwide, with about 40 types capable of infecting the genital area.
Most people have no symptoms at all. When symptoms occur, they can include genital warts or, with certain high-risk types, changes that may lead to cervical or other cancers if left untreated over years.
Through vaginal, anal, or oral sex with someone carrying the virus. It can be transmitted even without visible symptoms, and can affect anyone who’s sexually active, even with only one past partner.
There’s no treatment that cures HPV itself, but most infections clear on their own within about two years. Genital warts and abnormal cervical cell changes caused by HPV can both be treated.
As of the American Cancer Society’s December 2025 guideline update, screening is now recommended starting at age 25, down from 30, with a self-collection testing option now available.
HPV is extremely common, usually harmless in the long run, and clears on its own for most people, though it can occasionally lead to genital warts or, for certain high-risk types left unchecked, cervical or other cancers. Vaccination, safer sex practices, and staying current with cervical cancer screening, now starting earlier at age 25 with a more accessible self-collection option, are the most effective ways to protect yourself and catch any problems early. If you have questions about HPV, symptoms that concern you, consult a doctor through the MaNaDr app.
