Am I really at risk of getting HPV? Genital warts typically develop four weeks to eight months after contracting one of the types of HPV that cause genital warts. However, HPV can also replicate without causing symptoms for several years before genital warts appear.
Important facts about HPV: HPV infection spreads from one person to another through sexual contact involving the anus, mouth, or vagina. The virus can be spread, even if you DO NOT see the warts. You may not see warts for 6 weeks to 6 months after becoming infected.
HPV Latency: It can take weeks, months, or even years after exposure to HPV before symptoms develop or the virus is detected.
Incubation period
2 to 3 months, with a range of 1 to 20 months for genital warts. It can take up to 10 years for a high-risk HPV infection to develop into cancer.
Is HPV contagious for life? Not necessarily. You're contagious for as long as you have the virus — regardless of whether or not you have symptoms. For example, even if your genital warts have disappeared, you can still spread the HPV that caused them if the virus is still in your body.
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.
While sexual intercourse is the primary means of transmission, genital-to-genital interactions, oral-to-genital interactions, or deep (French) kissing can also spread the virus.
How common is HPV? HPV is very common. It is estimated that up to 80% of people in Australia have HPV at some time in their lives.
Does it go away? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) state that 90% of HPV infections will resolve spontaneously within 2 years in both males and females. The CDC also indicate that this occurs with both low-risk and high-risk HPV types.
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.
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.
Most people with HPV do not know they have the infection. They never develop symptoms or health problems from it. Some people find out they have HPV when they get genital warts. Women may find out they have HPV when they get an abnormal Pap test result (during cervical cancer screening).
Those who said they were depressed or believed they had high levels of stress also still had an active HPV infection. HPV usually clears up on its own, but this study is really the first to indicate a link between stress and persistent HPV infection.
Small bumps (up to 2-3mm) that are skin-coloured and often grow in clusters forming a sort of cauliflower shape. Some people only have one or two warts. When these growths are located directly in the genital area, they are usually soft-to-the-touch and can be either raised or flat.
Since this foot condition can be spread through contact due to HPV, there is a possibility that warts can be spread through an infected person's contact with bed sheets.
A false-negative test result means you really do have an HPV infection, but the test indicates that you don't. This might cause a delay in appropriate follow-up tests or procedures.
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.
Most men who get HPV never have symptoms. The infection usually goes away by itself. But, if HPV does not go away, it can cause genital warts or certain kinds of cancer.
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.
Yes. Although most infections occur following intercourse, HPV may also be passed on during oral sex and genital-to-genital contact. Even more rarely, a mom can transmit the virus to her baby during birth.
HPV is the most common STI. There were about 43 million HPV infections in 2018, many among people in their late teens and early 20s. There are many different types of HPV. Some types can cause health problems, including genital warts and cancers.
Some HPV infections can lead to cancer
Most HPV infections (9 out of 10) go away by themselves within 2 years. But sometimes, HPV infections will last longer and can cause some cancers. HPV infections can cause cancers of the: Cervix, vagina, and vulva.
Also there would be no risk of getting HPV from hugging and kissing someone if they just have HPV on the genitals as you would need direct contact with the area for there to be a risk for example oral, vaginal or anal sex.
But it is clear that you can't get oral HPV from casual contact, like kissing on the cheek or sharing a drink with an infected person. You may never know you have HPV. The virus doesn't cause symptoms, and most of the time, your immune system clears the infection from your body within 2 years.
It might be possible for you to get HPV again. This may be the same HPV type your body had before. But you could get a type you have not had. If you have had one type of HPV, it is less likely you will be infected with that type again.