Is there testing for HPV in Men? No, there is currently no approved test for HPV in men. CDC does not recommend routine testing (also called 'screening') for HPV in men. CDC also does not recommend routine testing for diseases from HPV before there are signs or symptoms in men.
Health care providers can usually diagnose low-risk HPV by visually examining the warts. So no testing is needed. While men can be infected with HPV, testing is generally not recommended for men. There is no FDA-approved HPV test for men, and most men with HPV recover from the infection without any symptoms.
Tests for HPV Infection in Men
Sometimes normal skin is mistakenly identified as a wart. There is no routine test for men to check for high-risk HPV strains that can cause cancer. However, some doctors are urging anal Pap tests for gay and bisexual men, who are at higher risk of anal cancer caused by HPV.
The HPV Test is a qualitative in vitro test for the detection of the Human Papillomavirus using a urine specimen for males. Urine is collected following kit instructions in the privacy of your own home.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HPV is so common that at least half of sexually active men and women get it at some point in their lives.
Can a man be tested? Research has shown that the HPV test may lead to inconsistent results with men. This is because it is difficult to get a good cell sample to test from the thick skin on the penis. Most people will not have visible symptoms if they are exposed to HPV.
Often, HPV warts will appear three to six months after sexual relations with an infected person; or they may take months to appear; or they may never appear.
It is difficult to detect in males, and there is no cure. In men, HPV can cause genital warts, precancerous lesions, and cancer of the anus, penis, and oropharynx. Men are the primary mode of transmission to women.
Unfortunately, there is no swab or blood test to test for HPV. A sexual health check at the doctors/clinic (routine check up) is not able to detect skin viruses, HPV or HSV (genital herpes). HPV can be diagnosed only if a person has visible warts on genital skin or if they have an abnormal cervical smear result.
HPV can stay in the body for 10-20 years. Finding out you have HPV doesn't mean you or your partner have been unfaithful. It's your decision whether or not to tell your partner you have HPV.
In most cases (9 out of 10), HPV goes away on its own within two years without health problems. But when HPV does not go away, it can cause health problems like genital warts and cancer.
How did I get HPV? HPV is a sexually-acquired virus. Even if you were to have sex with a single partner in your life, using condoms every time, there is an 80% chance you will acquire HPV in your lifetime. HPV can be spread by contact between genital skin, so LGBQTI people can also get the virus.
It's hard to know when people are no longer contagious, because there's no blood test that looks for HPV. Most of the time, HPV is gone within 2 years of when someone was infected.
HPV is transmitted by skin-to-skin contact. Because HPV can infect areas that are not covered by the condom, condoms will not fully protect you against HPV, but condoms do help in HPV prevention.
Myth: A man can't give a woman HPV.
Fact: A man can transmit HPV to a woman through intimate skin to skin contact, as well as contact with genital warts or within semen during vaginal sex. And remember, HPV can cause cervical cancer in women.
HPV stands for human papillomavirus. It's the most common sexually transmitted infection. HPV is usually harmless and goes away by itself, but some types can lead to cancer or genital warts.
In fact, many women with HPV will never have an abnormal pap smear. That being said, routine screening with your provider is the only way to follow any changes to the cervix that could lead to cervical cancer.
Having HPV does not mean that a person or their partner is having sex outside the current relationship. There is no treatment to eliminate HPV itself. HPV is usually dealt with by your body's immune system. HPV does not stop you having a normal sex life.
Men definitely need to be concerned about human papillomavirus (HPV). More than 40 types of HPV can be passed on through genital or oral sexual contact, and HPV can infect men's genital areas, including the skin on and around the penis or anus, as well as the mouth and throat.
Most people with HPV — no matter what their gender is — don't have any symptoms. Sometimes HPV can cause warts on your penis or vulva and around your anus. Genital warts can cause irritation and discomfort, and you can pass the HPV that caused them to other people.
There is no sure way to know when you got HPV or who gave it to you. A person can have HPV for many years before it is detected.
If genital warts aren't visible, you'll need one or more of the following tests: Vinegar (acetic acid) solution test. A vinegar solution applied to HPV -infected genital areas turns them white. This may help in identifying difficult-to-see flat lesions.