HPV: What It Is, Symptoms In Men Vs. Women & Treatment

Talking about sexually transmitted infections (STIs) can be uncomfortable. But whether you’re talking to your partner, child or doctor, these are important conversations to have.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 20% of Americans had an STI in 2018. There are still more undetected, unreported and untreated sexually transmitted infections that can result in “serious health consequences.”

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common STI in the United States, so it’s important to know the facts about HPV symptoms, prevention and treatment.

What Is HPV?

The CDC reports there were 43 million HPV infections in the United States in 2018. It’s a virus, and Mayo Clinic says it’s so widespread that an estimated 85% of all people will become infected with HPV in their lifetime.

“Many women have been exposed and don't know,” said Tina Ayeni, MD, a gynecologic oncologist with Franciscan Physician Network in Indianapolis. “It doesn't cause abnormal discharge, pelvic pain. It just is a virus that causes normal cells to transition into pre-cancer and ultimately into cancer.”

The U.S. National Cancer Institute explains HPV and cancer this way: There are more than 200 viruses related to HPV. Sexually transmitted HPV is separated into low-risk HPV and high-risk HPV. High-risk HPV, specifically HPV-16 and HPV-18, is responsible for a majority of HPV-related cancers.

How Do You Get HPV?

HPV spreads through close, intimate contact with someone infected with the virus. This includes vaginal, anal and oral sex, or skin-to-skin contact.

Anyone who is sexually active can contract the virus.

According to Mayo Clinic, you’re at a higher risk for contracting sexually transmitted HPV if you:

• Have multiple sexual partners
• Are an adolescent or a young adult
• Have a weakened immune system

HPV Symptoms

It’s common for a person, male or female, to be infected with HPV and not have any symptoms at all. However, the CDC warns an asymptomatic person with HPV can still infect someone else.

There are certain strains of HPV that can cause symptoms like genital warts or even cancer.

HPV Symptoms In Women

Mayo Clinic explains genital warts are small bumps, brown or pink in color, found on the vulva, vaginal walls, anus or cervix. They can also appear in the mouth or throat.

Genital warts can cause itching and discomfort, as well as bleeding with intercourse.

The National Cancer Institute says long-term, high-risk HPV can infect cells and cause cancer of the cervix. It recommends regular cervical cancer screenings for early detection.

High-risk HPV can also cause cancer of the oropharynx, vagina, anus and vulva. Itching and bleeding are signs of a precancerous lesion.

HPV Symptoms In Men

Men can also develop genital warts that are similar in appearance. For men, genital warts can develop on the penis, scrotum, anus, and the mouth and throat.

There’s also a cancer risk for men with high-risk HPV. Left untreated over a long period of time, the virus can modify cells and develop into cancer. This includes penile, anal and oropharyngeal cancer.

“HPV is not just associated with GYN cancer, cervical cancer, vulvar cancer or anal cancer,” said Meghana Raghavendra, MD, a medical oncologist and hematologist with Franciscan Physician Network in Indianapolis. “It also is associated with increased risk of head and neck cancers: tonsillar cancers, tongue base or even throat cancer. Getting the vaccination decreases the risk of all those cancers developing that tends to be HPV associated.”

HPV Treatment

There’s no treatment for the HPV virus; however, treatment is available for health problems that develop as a result of contracting the virus.

For genital warts, your health care provider can prescribe topical medications. Prescription medications such as imiquimod (Aldara, Zyclara) and sinecatechins (Veregen) are commonly used for treating genital warts, according to the Mayo Clinic.

There are U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved cervical cancer screenings that can detect high-risk HPV in cervical cells. There’s also a Pap test that can identify precancerous cell changes. The National Cancer Institute says early detection of HPV is important.

HPV Prevention

To reduce your risk of contracting HPV, the CDC offers a few suggestions. Being in a monogamous sexual relationship and knowing your partner’s sexual history before having sex can lower your risk. Condoms and dental dams can also help reduce your risk of contracting HPV, but neither provides 100% protection from the virus.

Another preventive measure is the HPV vaccine GARDASIL 9. This vaccine has significantly lowered HPV infections and cervical pre-cancers in girls and young women, according to the CDC.

Ideally, a child or young person should be vaccinated for HPV before they become sexually active. According to the CDC:

• For children 11 and 12 years old, they should receive the HPV vaccine as two doses given 6 to 12 months apart.
• For children who receive the HPV vaccine on or after their 15^th birthday, it should be given in three doses over the course of 6 months.

“If we can get that vaccine into their system before they're exposed to HPV, which is a sexually transmitted viral infection, then their body's immune system is super on alert and can actually get rid of that virus, destroy that virus, if a person was ever to be exposed,” Dr. Ayeni said.

The HPV vaccine is currently recommended through age 26. The HPV vaccine isn’t recommended for everyone 26 and older, but some adults ages 27 to 45 might decide to get the HPV vaccine based on a discussion with their doctor, such as if they did not get vaccinated or adequately vaccinated when they were younger.

The HPV vaccine given to adults provides less benefits than if it was given at a younger age, as more adults are more likely to already have been exposed to HPV. However, Dr. Ayeni says even people with an HPV infection can see a benefit from receiving the vaccine.

“The scenarios that I see are women who have been exposed to HPV in the past, and now they're dealing with pre-cancerous changes of the labia, the vagina, the cervix, the anal tissue,” Dr. Ayeni said. “We know that even if you've been exposed and you're having symptoms from the exposure, if we vaccinate you, it significantly decreases the risk of recurrent pre cancer cells.

“If I treat someone for pre-cancer of the cervix, we get the vaccine, and it decreases the chance of them having a recurrence of their pre-cancer. So even after prior HPV exposure, immunization can boost your immune system so it can more effectively get rid of the virus.”

As with all vaccines, the HPV vaccine may cause certain side effects, including:

• Pain, swelling or redness in the area where the vaccine was injected
• Nausea
• Dizziness
• Fainting (more common in adolescents)
• Headache

Knowing the facts about HPV can help you make informed decisions about prevention and treatment. Talk to your health care provider if you’re concerned about exposure to human papillomavirus or for more information about the HPV vaccine.