Is HPV contagious to family members?

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.

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Is it safe to be around someone with HPV?

You can get HPV by having vaginal, anal, or oral sex with someone who has the virus. It is most commonly spread during vaginal or anal sex. It also spreads through close skin-to-skin touching during sex. A person with HPV can pass the infection to someone even when they have no signs or symptoms.

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How is HPV spread non sexually?

The route of HPV transmission is primarily through skin-to-skin or skin-to-mucosa contact. Sexual transmission is the most documented, but there have been studies suggesting non-sexual courses. The horizontal transfer of HPV includes fomites, fingers, and mouth, skin contact (other than sexual).

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Is HPV contagious all the time?

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. Once your immune system destroys the virus, you're no longer contagious.

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Can HPV be passed from parents?

Even though HPV is called an STI, it can be transmitted through non-sexual routes like hand to hand contact, or from mother to child during a vaginal delivery, for example.

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Debunking HPV Myths

37 related questions found

Is it safe to kiss someone with HPV?

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.

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How long is HPV contagious?

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.

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What to do if you test positive for HPV?

If you got a positive HPV test and your Pap test was abnormal, your doctor will probably follow up with a colposcopy. Try to see a physician who specializes in this procedure. During a colposcopy, your doctor will look more closely at the cervix, vagina or vulva with a special microscope called a colposcope.

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How contagious is HPV without warts?

At this stage most people don't know they have HPV. This means that a person has the virus but there are no warts or other signs of infection. The virus can still be spread to others during genital skin-to-skin contact even if there are no symptoms.

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Can I pass HPV to my child by holding hands?

HPV is passed from one person to another during skin-to-skin sexual contact, including oral sex. In a recent study, 46 percent of females got HPV before ever having vaginal intercourse. You cannot get HPV from toilet seats, hugging or holding hands, swimming in pools or hot tubs, or sharing food or utensils.

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Do I need to tell my partner I have HPV?

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.

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Is my life over after HPV?

If you've been diagnosed with HPV, you can still lead a relatively normal life. However, you need to protect yourself and any other sexual partners you have as you do so: Use condoms: Using condoms when having sex is essential to reduce the risk of transmitting HPV.

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How serious is HPV?

Low-risk HPVs mostly cause no disease. However, a few low-risk HPV types can cause warts on or around the genitals, anus, mouth, or throat. High-risk HPVs can cause several types of cancer. There are about 14 high-risk HPV types including HPV 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59, 66, and 68.

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Can stress cause HPV to flare up?

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.

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Should I panic if I test positive for HPV?

Don't panic.

In most cases, your body is able to fight HPV on its own, and the virus will go away without causing any health problems in one or two years.

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How often should I get a Pap smear if I have HPV?

Cervical Cancer Screening Guidelines

Women age 21-65 should get a Pap smear every 3 years beginning at age 21. Women age 30 and older can consider Pap testing every 5 years if the procedure is combined with human papillomavirus (HPV)—a common sexually transmitted infection that can cause cervical cancer.

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What if I still have HPV after 3 years?

If you still have HPV after 3 years, you may need to have a colposcopy. You'll be asked to have a colposcopy. Information: HPV is a common virus and most people will get it at some point.

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Can you hug people with HPV?

You cannot get HPV from:

Hugging or holding hands. Swimming pools or hot tubs. Sharing food or utensils.

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Can HPV make you tired?

Background. Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection has contributed to an increased incidence of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). Fatigue is a major side effect of SCCHN and its treatment.

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How long can you have HPV before you test positive?

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.

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What does HPV look like on a man?

Genital warts usually appear as a small bump or group of bumps in the genital area. They can be small or large, raised or flat, or shaped like a cauliflower. The warts may go away, stay the same, or grow in size or number. A healthcare provider can usually diagnose genital warts by looking at them.

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