HPV

HPV is passed on through close skin-to-skin contact in the genital area. This includes vaginal, anal and oral sex, sexual touching and sharing sex toys, so penetrative sex isn't needed. HPV can also move from the genitals to the anus through skin contact, without anal sex. Condoms lower the risk but don't remove it completely.

HPV is not spread by hugging, sharing baths or towels, swimming pools, toilet seats, or sharing cups, plates and cutlery.

There are more than 200 types of HPV. Some infect the skin of the hands and feet and cause common warts and verrucas. Around 40 types infect the genital area, where some cause genital warts. Having one type of HPV doesn't make you more likely to get another.

Most types are harmless. Around 13 types are called high-risk because they can cause cancer if an infection lasts for many years. Two of these, HPV16 and HPV18, cause around 7 in 10 cervical cancers (de Sanjosé et al., 2010).

HPV usually has no symptoms. In most people the immune system clears it within about two years without them ever knowing they had it (Ho et al., 1998). Having HPV is normal and does not mean you will get cancer.

How common is HPV?

One large modelling study estimated that around 85% of women and 91% of men who have ever had a sexual partner will get HPV during their lifetime (Chesson et al., 2014).

Sources: (The Eve Appeal, 2025; Ho et al., 1998; Mesher et al., 2018).

How HPV can lead to cancer

Cancer only develops when a high-risk HPV infection stays in the body for a long time. It usually takes 10 to 20 years to go from infection to cancer.

• Infection. HPV infects cells in the cervix or other areas. Most infections clear on their own.
• Persistent infection. In a small number of people the virus stays for years.
• Cell changes. Infected cells can become abnormal. These changes are not cancer and can be treated. Cervical screening is designed to find them at this stage.
• Cancer. If cell changes are not found and treated, some can slowly develop into cancer.

Reducing your risk of HPV

There is no treatment for the HPV infection itself, and it isn't possible to fully protect yourself from it. Most infections clear on their own. These steps lower your risk of HPV and of the cancers it can cause:

• Get vaccinated if you're eligible. The vaccine protects against the types of HPV that cause most HPV-related cancers and genital warts. See Vaccines.
• Go for cervical screening when you're invited, if you have a cervix. It finds HPV and cell changes early, before cancer can develop.
• Use condoms and dental dams. They reduce the risk of passing on HPV, but don't cover all the skin around the genitals and anus, so they can't remove the risk completely (see the practical tips below).
• Stop smoking. Smoking makes it harder for your body to clear HPV and is linked to around 1 in 5 cervical cancers. Free support is available from the NHS.
• Know the symptoms of HPV-related cancers and see your GP if something doesn't feel right, whatever your age or vaccination status.

Genital warts

Genital warts are small, fleshy growths on or around the genitals or anus. They are caused by low-risk types of HPV, mainly types 6 and 11, which do not cause cancer. Most people with these types never develop warts, and the virus usually clears on its own.

• What they look like: single lumps or clusters that can look a little like a cauliflower. They're usually painless, but can itch, become inflamed or bleed slightly. Warts inside the urethra can change the flow of urine.
• When they appear: anywhere from a few weeks to several years after infection, so a diagnosis doesn't tell you when or from whom you got HPV.
• Diagnosis: there's no blood, urine or swab test. A doctor or nurse diagnoses warts by looking at them. If you're diagnosed, it's a good idea to have a full sexual health check, including HIV and syphilis, as people can have more than one infection without symptoms.
• Treatment: only needed if warts are visible. Options include creams you apply at home and freezing (cryotherapy) at a clinic. Some people need several treatments, and specialist options are available if these don't work. Treatment removes the warts but not the virus in the surrounding skin, so warts can come back.
• Protecting partners: the virus spreads most easily while warts are present. Use condoms and dams while you have warts and for 3 months after they clear, and let partners know.

Never use over-the-counter wart or verruca treatments on the genitals. Genital warts are caused by different HPV types from hand warts and verrucas, and the skin there is much more sensitive. The HPV vaccine protects against the types that cause around 9 in 10 genital warts (The Eve Appeal, 2025; Joura et al., 2015).

Living with HPV and talking to partners

Finding out you have HPV can feel worrying, but it's one of the most common infections there is. It is nothing to feel ashamed of, it usually causes no problems, and it usually clears on its own. Your chance of developing cancer, and your partner's, is very low.

• Most partners will already have been exposed to HPV, often without knowing. You don't need to stop having sex because of an HPV result.
• It can help to explain that HPV is common, can stay in the body for years, and says nothing about anyone's sexual history.
• Encourage partners with a cervix to go for screening, and anyone eligible to get vaccinated.
• If you'd like to talk it through, a sexual health clinic or The Eve Appeal's Ask Eve nurse service can help.

HPV, pregnancy and fertility

There's no evidence that HPV or genital warts affect fertility. If you have genital warts when pregnant, tell your midwife or doctor, as some treatments aren't suitable during pregnancy. In rare cases, the virus can pass to a baby during birth. Cervical screening is usually delayed until around 12 weeks after giving birth.

Common misconceptions