What is HPV?

HPV is human papillomavirus, and refers to a group of over 200 different types of viruses.

What does HPV do?

HPV affects the skin, and in most instances does not cause any problems. However, some types of HPV can cause genital warts, or cancer. 

How do I get HPV?

HPV is a very common sexually transmitted disease (STD).

• Skin-to-skin contact of the genital area
• Sharing sex toys
• Vaginal, anal or oral sex

HPV symptoms

HPV is very common and many people get it in their lives with no symptoms or problems. However, there are some symptoms to watch out for:

• HPV is usually asymptomatic (you have no symptoms) and in 90% of cases goes away in 2 years with no issues.
• Painless growths around your vagina, penis, anus or throat
  • 2 types of HPV cause warts — HPV6 & HPV11
  • These are not dangerous, so you should not be worried.

HPV & Cancer

• Roughly a dozen HPV types can cause cancer, the most common being HPV16 & HPV18. These HPV types are therefore deemed ‘high-risk’.
• In particular these high-risk HPVs can cause cervical, anal, penile, vulval, vaginal and some types of head & neck cancer.
• Even high-risk HPV does not always develop into cancer, and when it does, this often takes years.
• It is not known exactly why HPV develops into cancer in some cases, but not in others — but it is known that having a condition that impacts your immune system makes you more vulnerable.

How do I get diagnosed with HPV?
Diagnosis of HPV occurs during cervical screening. If you want more information on cervical screening, then check out our blog on cervical screening here!

HPV prevention

• Condoms
  • These do not fully cover all skin around the genitals, so do not offer full protection, but they can help.
• The HPV vaccine
  • Protects against many of the types of HPV that cause genital warts and cervical cancer.
  • However, this does not protect against all types of HPV.
  • This vaccine is available to all schoolchildren in Year 8, with the second dose being offered within 2 years after this.
  • If you have missed the HPV vaccine in Year 8, it is available for free on the NHS up until your 25^th birthday.
• Protect your vaginal microbiome
  • There is increasing evidence that your vaginal microbiome and community state type have an impact on your risk of getting HPV. Learn more about community-state types & what this means here.
  • Particular vaginal microbiome balances can either play a protective or pathogenic role post HPV infection to this transitioning to cervical cancer. Therefore, it is very important to not just learn about your vaginal microbiome, but to annually check your vaginal health and monitor any changes. This is why we offer our Vaginal Health Packages. As well as screening 100% of the bacteria and yeast present in your vaginal microbiome, these tests come with a free consultation — so our experts can talk you through your results, next steps, and create bespoke plans of action.

HPV treatment

• There is currently no treatment for most HPV infections, as these usually leave your body within 2 years.
• HPV infections that lead to genital warts or cancers will require appropriate treatment. For more information on cervical cancer, have a look at our blog here.

Hopefully this has cleared up a few of the misconceptions surrounding HPV, as well as provided you with the knowledge to minimise your risk of getting such.