Some types of HPV can be dormant for years before someone develops symptoms or finds out they have it. HPV can lay dormant for many years after a person contracts the virus, even if symptoms never occur. Most cases of HPV clear within 1 to 2 years as the immune system fights off and eliminates the virus from the body. In extreme cases, HPV may lay dormant in the body for many years or even decades. During this time, the virus is always reproducing within cells, and it can spread even if there are no symptoms.
HPV can spread easily when partners have sex without a condom or other barrier method, even if the virus is dormant. This is because the viral material still lives inside the cells in the area where the virus was contracted. During sexual activity, a partner may be directly exposed to these cells, which can then pass the viral material into their bodies. Not everything you read online or from others is true. Getting tested regularly for STIs is important to prevent the spread of these infections.
This should be done whenever you have a new partner or if your partners are having sex with anyone else. Can you get HPV without genital warts? In fact, HPV often has with no symptoms at all and goes away on its own. These types are called high-risk HPV. High-risk HPV can cause cancer of the cervix, vagina, anus, vulva, penis, and some head and neck cancers. High-risk HPV includes types 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59 and Types 16 and 18 cause 7 in 10 cervical cancers.
If needed, cell changes can be treated and, in most cases, this is successful. For a small number of women and people with a cervix, cell changes happen more quickly between cervical screening appointments or, rarely, cell changes are not found by cervical screening. If you have been diagnosed with cervical cancer, you have an increased risk of developing another cancer linked to high-risk HPV. This can be upsetting or worrying, but we currently do not have much data on how big this risk is.
If you need support or have questions, speak with your doctor or call our Helpline on If we haven't answered all your questions about HPV and coronavirus here, we also have a hub of information and support that you may find helpful.
The current evidence does not suggest that you are more at risk of getting coronavirus if you have or have had HPV. If you are worried or want to talk anything through, we may be able to help — call our free Helpline on The current evidence does not suggest that you are at higher risk of becoming seriously ill with coronavirus if you have or have had HPV. The people at higher risk of becoming seriously ill with coronavirus are detailed in the government advice for extremely vulnerable groups: England , Scotland , Wales and Northern Ireland.
We know having an appointment postponed can be worrying, especially if you know you have HPV. It may help to know that most people clear HPV within 2 years. If HPV doesn't clear, it usually develops very slowly — over many years, not months — so the delay should not cause any problems.
If you are very worried, contact your GP surgery and ask to speak with your GP or practice nurse. They will be able to give you specific guidance based on your medical history.
If you want to talk it through HPV generally, our free Helpline is here for you — call us on Thank you to all the experts who checked the accuracy of this information, and the volunteers who shared their personal experience to help us develop it. We write our information based on literature searches and expert review. For more information about the references we used, please contact [email protected].
If you have questions or concerns about HPV, get a confidential response from a medical professional. Search Submit. The cervix. Ask The Expert. Have a question? Receive a confidential response from a medical professional. Support events. Connect with others, share experiences and ask questions on our forum. Living with cervical cancer. Practice Nurses and GPs.
Information for teachers. Increasing cervical screening attendance. Cervical Screening Awards. Who we are. Skip to main content. Google Tag Manager. On this page, we answer some common questions about human papillomavirus HPV. About HPV. What is HPV? It infects the skin and any moist membrane mucosa , such as: the cervix the lining of the mouth and throat the vagina, vulva and anus back passage.
Who can get HPV? Can HPV be treated? I've read that HPV can stay in the body for a long time. Is this true?
How likely is it that I could come into contact with HPV after 50? Is HPV the same virus that causes genital warts? Remember, having genital warts does not mean that you are more likely to get cancer. I've had or have genital warts. HPV, sex and relationships. What are the signs and symptoms of HPV? How can people protect themselves from HPV? What are the short and long-term effects of HPV? Is there a test?
Is there a cure? What are the latest medical advancements for HPV prevention? Where can I find more information about HPV and safer sex? Human papillomavirus, or HPV, is a virus that infects the skin and genital area. More than types of HPV have been identified. Some infect the skin and can produce warts, some infect the genital area and can produce genital warts, and some infect the genital area and can lead to cancer of the cervix, the opening of the uterus.
They can also cause cancers of the vagina, vulva, penis, anus, mouth and throat. When the HPV virus is in contact with human cells, it may cause changes to the cell. These changes are called lesions. High-risk oncogenic HPV types are able to integrate into the DNA of the cell and modify its behaviour in a way that can result in cancer. High-risk HPV are the cause of nearly all cervical cancers. They can also cause cancers of the anus, penis, vagina and vulva.
There is growing evidence that high-risk types may also be involved in some cancers of the mouth and throat. Conversely, low-risk HPV types do not cause cancer. Some low-risk HPV types can cause genital warts these are called condyloma and other low-risk types cause lesions that are of no medical consequence or cause no lesions at all. Although people might feel uncomfortable having warts in their genital region, these lesions are not life threatening and rarely present health complications.
Condyloma can develop very quickly or very slowly, they may be undetectable to the eye and they may clear up without treatment. HPV viruses are very common. HPV is most common in young women and men who are in their late teens and early 20s. HPV can be transmitted through skin-to-skin sexual contact, whether or not there is penetration. It can be transmitted through vaginal or anal intercourse, oral sex and mutual masturbation genital touching.
The vaginal and anal tracts are particularly susceptible to sexually-transmitted HPV and the risk of transmission is greatest during penetration without a condom. This being said, HPV is also found on parts of the body such as the vulva, scrotum and inner thighs which are not covered by a condom.
It is thus possible to for partners to transmit HPV even when a condom is used. HPV can be transmitted through vaginal sex, anal sex, oral sex, or skin-to-skin contact of the genitals. Of those, nearly half 44 per cent were infected with an HPV type that causes cancer. Results also indicated that there is a high probability of HPV transmission between partners. When one partner had HPV, the researchers observed that in 42 per cent of couples, the other partner also had the infection.
Moreover, the researchers found that the presence of HPV in one partner was the strongest predictor of finding the same HPV type in the other partner. The types of HPV that cause genital warts do not cause cancer.
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