Human Papilloma Virus

HPV, or Human Papilloma Virus, is a virus from the papillomavirus family that affects human skin and the moist membranes that line the body, such as the throat, mouth, feet, fingers, nails, anus and cervix. There are over 100 types, of which 40 can affect the genital area.

How does one get hpv

Genital HPV is spread through direct skin-to-skin contact with someone who has an HPV infection. Contact includes vaginal, anal, and oral sex. Some types of HPV cause genital warts, which are hard, rough lumps that develop on the skin. Anyone who is sexually active can get HPV and genital warts.

In women, genital warts most often appear:

On the vulva (the outer female genital area)

In or around the vagina

In or around the anus

On the groin (where the genital area meets the inner thigh)

On the cervix

Symptoms

In many cases, HPV produces no symptoms. When they do occur, the most common symptom is the presence of warts in the genital area. Signs of infection can appear weeks, months, or even years after infection with the virus.

Vaccination

The first approved HPV vaccine, called Gardasil®, is approved for girls and women ages 9 to 26, and protects against the development of cervical cancer and genital warts. It is also approved for boys and men ages 9-26 to protect against genital warts. The second approved vaccine, called Cervarix, is approved for women between the ages of 9-25, to protect against cervical cancer.

It is best to get the vaccine before the start of sexual activity. The vaccine consists of a series of three shots, with shot two coming 2 months after the first, and shot three coming 6 months after the first.