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​HPV IN WOMEN
In general, HPV poses the greatest risk to women. High-risk HPV can progress to cervical cancer if it’s not treated. Pap smears and HPV tests can detect precancerous cell changes early to prevent cancer in your cervix. Harmless forms of HPV can also cause genital warts in people as well.

HPV IN MEN
HPV poses fewer health risks to men. HPV can cause genital warts, but most infections clear on their own. HPV can lead to cancers of your penis, anus, head and neck, but these cancers are rare. 
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HOW COMMON IS HPV?
​HPV is the most common STI in the United States. Roughly 14 million people become infected each year., HPV is so common that most sexually active people who aren’t vaccinated against HPV will become infected at some point in their lives. Most never know they have the virus.

​WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF HPV?
​Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a common virus that can affect different parts of your body. There are over 100 types of HPV, including strains of HPV that cause warts on your hands, feet, face, etc. About 30 HPV strains can affect your genitals, including your vulva, vagina, cervix, penis and scrotum, as well as your rectum and anus.
HPV that affects your genitals is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) that gets passed through skin-to-skin contact. Many people cringe at the thought of STIs, but the majority of genital HPV strains are harmless. This includes the type of HPV that causes genital warts.

ARE ALL WARTS HPV?
Yes. And this can be confusing — especially when you’re trying to understand the difference between the HPV that causes the wart on your finger or genitals and the HPV that may lead to cervical cancer.
The HPV strains that cause warts, including genital warts, are nuisances. After all, no one wants warts, least of all on their genitals. Still, these types of HPV are harmless. HPV types 6 and 11 most often cause genital warts.          

​IS HPV CURABLE?
There is no cure for HPV, and in the vast majority of cases infections will be cleared by your immune system and not turn into genital warts, precancer or cancer. The majority of HPV infections will clear a few months after infection. Around 90% clear within two years. Women should attend their cervical cancer screening sessions in order to help prevent against cervical cancer.
Unfortunately there are no routine screening guidelines for men and the cancers caused by HPV. If an individual notices any changes on his genitals or anus such as growths, blisters, warts or other skin abnormalities, they should consult their doctor/physician immediately. Using condoms can help reduce the risk of spreading HPV but these do not cover the whole genital area. The HPV vaccine is the best means to protect against HPV-related cancers and diseases.​​

HOW IS HPV RELATED TO CERVICAL CANCER?
Certain strains of HPV (most often types 16 and 18) can cause changes in the cells of your cervix, a condition called cervical dysplasia. Your cervix is the opening between your vagina and your uterus. Left untreated, cervical dysplasia sometimes advances to cervical cancer.
If you’re under 30, most HPV infections clear up on their own. By age 30, finding HPV during a Pap smear (a test that screens for cervical cancer) can determine how often you should get tested. If you test positive, you may be at a higher risk and need more frequent testing.
Getting regular Paps to screen for cervical cancer is important. But it’s important to remember that just because you have HPV or cervical dysplasia doesn’t mean you’ll get cancer.

There are around 200 strains of HPV. Of those strains, around 13 carry the ability to cause cancer. The strains which are most associated with HPV-related cancers are HPV-16 and HPV-18.​
​HPV is the causal agent of:​ 70% of oropharyngeal cancers (head & neck) 91% of anal cancers 91% of cervical cancers 63% of penile cancers 75% of vaginal cancers 70% of vulva cancers.
Every year in the United States:

• Nearly 200,000 women are diagnosed with a cervical precancer
• 11,100 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer caused by HPV
• About 4,000 women die from cervical cancer

Cervical cancer was once the leading cause of cancer deaths among women in the United States. HPV vaccines and cervical cancer screening have made it one of the most preventable cancers. Even women who are vaccinated should still get regular cervical cancer screening starting at age 21 years.
​Cervical cancer is the only type of cancer caused by HPV that can be detected early by a recommended screening test. The other types of cancer caused by HPV may not be found until they cause more serious health problems. HPV vaccination prevents infections that cause these cancers.

How to prevent  getting HPV?​
Cancers related to HPV can take many years to develop after exposure. Worldwide, there are over 570,000 cases of cervical cancer each year and 311,000 deaths. HPV also causes cancer of the vulva, vagina, penis, anus, and back of the throat. Fortunately, there are vaccines that can prevent HPV infection. Getting the HPV vaccine could protect against over 90% of the cancers caused by the virus.
Gardasil 9 is the HPV vaccine now used in the U.S. It protects against nine types of disease-causing HPV. When first introduced, the vaccine only protected against four HPV types. For the HPV vaccine to be most effective, it needs to be given before exposure to the virus. The CDC recommends that both boys and girls get the HPV vaccine at age 11 or 12. At this age, the vaccine is given in two doses.
People who start the HPV vaccine at age 15 or older will need three doses. The vaccine is recommended for everyone up to 26 years of age.
The HPV vaccine has also been recently approved for those 27 to 45 years old. However, HPV vaccination of people in this age range provides less benefit, as more have been already exposed to HPV. Since the vaccine was introduced, HPV infection rates have fallen dramatically. Among teen girls, infections with the types of HPV that cause genital warts and cancer have dropped by 86%.

How can I avoid giving someone HPV?
The truth is, unless you have a high-risk type of HPV, or have genital warts, you’ll probably never know you had HPV. So the best way to avoid giving it to someone is to never have it to begin with, by getting the HPV vaccine. Here are some things you can do to help prevent HPV:

• Avoid skin-to-skin contact by not having sex.
• Use condoms and/or dental dams every time you have vaginal, anal, or oral sex. Though condoms and dental dams are not as effective against HPV as they are against other STDs like chlamydia and HIV, safer sex can lower your chances of getting HPV. Get the HPV vaccine and encourage your partner to do the same.

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