What is HPV?

• HPV is a very common virus that infects the human body. According to the CDC, there are over 100 different strains of HPV that have been identified, some of which cause warts to grow on skin, some of which cause genital warts and some of which can increase the risk of various types of cancer, including cervical, anal and penile.
  
  

How is HPV spread?

• Genital forms of HPV are spread through genital contact, usually during sex. While actual warts will spread the disease more easily, the virus may be spread even when there are no visible signs on the skin.
  Other forms of HPV are also spread through direct contact. Again, infected areas may not show any visible signs of warts.
  
  

HPV Testing

• In women, HPV can be tested by taking a tissue sample in the same manner that Pap tests are done. A DNA test is the done on this sample to check for the HPV virus. There is currently no FDA-approved HPV test for men and, while doctors sometimes use a vinegar solution to find genital warts that aren't visible to the naked eye, this test is not reliable.
  
  

HPV Diagnosis

• HPV testing is recommended anytime a woman has an abnormal Pap smear. Women over 30 are recommended to have an HPV test along with their Pap test. If women have an immunodeficiency condition, they are recommended to have more regular HPV testing.
  While there is no FDA-approved HPV test for men, Pap tests can identify abnormal cell growth (associated with cancer and HPV). Bisexual and homosexual men and men with compromised immune systems are at higher risk of developing anal or penile cancer, and are recommended to have regular Pap tests.
  
  

Treating HPV

• While there is a vaccine available to women that protects against a number of high-risk strains of HPV (strains associated with cancer), there is no cure for HPV. Genital warts can be removed by your doctor, through cryrotherapy (freezing), using salicylic acid or through surgical removal. If there is abnormal cell growth within the uterus or cervix, LEEP or conization surgery may be recommended to remove the area around the abnormal growth.
  In healthy individuals, warts often disappear within two years, and the body may clear itself of the virus.
  
  

Preventing HPV

• Using a condom reduces your chances of contracting HPV during sex, although areas not covered by the condom may still be infected with, and transmit, HPV. Limiting your number of sexual partners will also reduce your chances of infection. Since HPV can lay dormant for weeks, months or even years, people with the virus often do not know they are infected.