But despite its prevalence, there are many misconceptions about who gets HPV, how they get it, and what a diagnosis means. Here are some of the most common myths — and the corresponding facts — about HPV.
Myth 1: Only Women Get HPV
Fact Men can get HPV through intimate contact with an infected partner — and since many people with HPV experience no symptoms, that could be almost anyone. Men can develop genital warts from certain types of HPV, and they can develop cancer of the penis, anus, and back of the throat, called oropharyngeal cancer, from cancer-causing types of HPV. While cancers from HPV are not common among men in general, according to the CDC, men with weakened immune systems, including those living with HIV, are at higher risk.
Myth 2: All Types of HPV Cause Cancer
Fact Not all HPV types can cause cancer — in fact, most of them don’t. The human papillomavirus is actually a group of more than 150 related viruses. Some of those types of HPV cause skin warts, some cause genital warts, and some can cause precancerous changes in cells that can lead to cancer of the cervix, vagina, vulva, anus, penis, or oropharynx (the back and sides of the throat, tonsils, and base of the tongue). The HPV types that cause cancer are known as high-risk HPV types. Types 16 and 18, in particular, raise the risk of cervical cancer and genital cancers in men and women. Type 16 also causes the majority of cases of oropharyngeal cancer. But according to the National Cancer Institute, even most high-risk HPV infections go away within one to two years and do not ultimately cause cancer. When a high-risk type of HPV does persist, it can take years to decades for cancer to develop, which is why women are advised to get screened for cervical cancer every three to five years — depending on the method of screening used — from age 21 through age 65 and possibly beyond that, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
Myth 3: If You Don’t Have Sex, You Won’t Get HPV
Fact HPV can be spread through skin-to-skin contact, so you don’t need to have sexual intercourse to get HPV. Using condoms can lower your risk of contracting HPV, but you can still be exposed to the virus if it’s present in skin not covered by a condom.
Myth 4: Men Can Get Screened for HPV
Fact There are no tests approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to screen for HPV in men. Men who are at higher risk for anal HPV may be referred for anal cytology testing (also called the anal Pap test) to look for abnormal cells. But according to the American Cancer Society, there is no widespread agreement on how often such testing should be done or even on who should have it. For women, there is a test that can detect HPV in cervical cells. Women can also get a Pap test, also called a Pap smear, to check for cancerous or precancerous changes in cervical cells.
Myth 5: There Are Treatment Options Available for HPV
Fact Although healthcare professionals can treat precancerous lesions, cancers, and genital warts that are caused by HPV infections, there’s no treatment available for the virus itself. If you test positive for HPV, that means you’ll likely have the infection until your body clears it — and during this time, it’s possible to pass the virus to other people.
Myth 6: People With HPV Always Have Symptoms
Fact Most people with an HPV infection don’t develop any symptoms. Although there are many potential health problems associated with HPV — including genital warts and cervical cancer — most people don’t develop health problems from an HPV infection. The CDC estimates that in 90 percent of HPV cases, a person’s immune system fights off the infection within two years.
Myth 7: I Got the HPV Vaccine, So I Don’t Need to Get Pap Tests
Fact Even if you get the HPV vaccine, you still need to get regular Pap tests or HPV tests to screen for HPV-related changes that can lead to cervical cancer. That’s because the HPV vaccine doesn’t protect against all of the HPV types that can cause cancer. A woman may also have been infected with a cancer-causing type of HPV before getting the vaccine, in which case it won’t protect her against that particular HPV type. The HPV vaccine currently used in the United States, Gardasil 9, protects against HPV types 6 and 11, which can cause genital warts, as well as against types 16 and 18 and five other types that can cause cancer: 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58. Two earlier HPV vaccines — Gardasil and Cervarix — protect against only two high-risk HPV types (16 and 18) that can cause cancer. Additional reporting by Quinn Phillips.
