HPV in men: Signs, transmissibility, cancer, vaccination

A man has a 91% chance of contracting HPV at some point in his life.
HPV contributes to 63% of penile cancers, over 90% of anal cancers, and 70% of oropharynx cancers.
There are no testing guidelines for HPV in men and the majority of people won't know they have it.
Visit Insider's Health Reference library for more advice.

HPV — human papilloma virus — is the most common sexually transmitted infection. A man has a 91% chance of contracting HPV at some point in his life.

You can easily have HPV without knowing as it is often asymptomatic. In other cases, it can cause warts on the hands, feet, genitals, and elsewhere on your body.

More than 90% of HPV infections will go away on their own within 6 months to two years. However, some strains of the virus can cause cancer.

Here's what you need to know about HPV transmission, effects, and treatment.

Signs and symptoms 

The majority of men with HPV are asymptomatic. However, about  1% of sexually active people in the US have noticeable genital warts.

Genital warts can form on the penis, scrotum, or anus and are often described as looking like cauliflower, appearing singly or in bunches. The bumps can be white, red, or skin-colored and are typically raised and rough to the touch, though sometimes they are flat. There's no telling when the warts will turn up, some can appear months or even years after you're infected. 

While genital warts are a tell-tale sign of HPV, this infection can cause warts across many parts of the body including the throat and mouth. If you are wart-free, however, getting a diagnosis for HPV can be difficult.

"In the absence of genital warts, testing for HPV in men is extremely rare, and there are no tests used regularly in current clinical practices. There are currently no guidelines for testing men for HPV infection," says Abraham Aragones, MD, an internal medicine physician and public health researcher at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

In transgender men who still have a cervix, testing for HPV is done if you have an abnormal pap smear. Pap smears can detect cell changes caused by HPV, which can be a warning sign for developing cervical cancer in the future. Cervical cancer screenings are recommended every three years for people with a cervix aged 30 and older.

Transmissibility

"HPV is extremely easy to transmit, since all it is needed is skin-to-skin contact," says Aragones. 

You can get HPV from any type of sex — vaginal, anal, oral — says Aragones.

Though HPV can be spread through any close genital skin contact it is most commonly spread through penetrative vaginal or anal sex. 

If you are sexually active "consistent condom use can prevent the spread of HPV in up to 70% of cases," says Yolanda Lawson, MD, of Made Well Obstetrics and Gynecology. 

You are more likely to contract HPV if you have many sexual partners, if you are a smoker, or if you have a weakened immune system.

Cancer

There are over 180 subtypes of HPV  and many are ultimately harmless. However, some strains are considered high-risk, because if they are not cleared by the immune system they can lead to cancer in the genital or oral region. Parts of the body that can be affected by cancer due to HPV include the:

Penis: About 63% of penile cancers, 900 per year, are associated with HPV.
Anus: Over 90% of the 7300 annually diagnosed anal cancers are associated with HPV.
Cervix: There are about 12000 cases of cervical cancer yearly and over 90% of them are caused by HPV.
Vulva: 70% or 2900 yearly cases of cancer of the vulva are estimated to be caused by HPV.
Vagina: Vaginal cancer is rare — about 900 cases per year — and 75% of those are associated with HPV.
Oropharynx: The rate of cancer of the base of tongue and throat due to HPV is increasing — 70% of the 20,000 annual cases are caused by HPV.

Treatment

There is no cure for HPV infection once it occurs. However, as noted, in most cases your immune system will clear the virus from your body without you ever showing any symptoms at all. 

If you have genital warts there are options for treatment including topical medications or surgical removal. The warts sometimes go away on their own, though that can take months. 

Be aware that you still carry the virus even if you have warts removed — if you have HPV it is important to practice safe sex and to inform sexual partners of your status.

The HPV vaccine

HPV can lead to many forms of cancer including oropharynx, anus, and penile. "The HPV vaccine is the most effective way of reducing the risk for all these types of cancer," says Aragones. 

In fact, the HPV vaccine can prevent up to 90% of cancers caused by the virus.

Those who are 45 years or younger can get the HPV vaccine. However, the younger you're vaccinated, the better, says Aragones. 

"There is no way to know who will get an HPV related cancer," says Lawson. 

In the case of cervical cancer — screening can detect precancerous changes to cells, which can then be removed, but for other types of cancer caused by HPV there are no screenings or tests.

 Aragones says, "If you discover a lump in your neck or lower jaw, have a lesion in the anus or penis or observe what could be warts in the genital, anal, or mouth area, you should contact your primary care provider for further testing and potential treatment." 

Insider's takeaway

There shouldn't be stigma or embarrassment associated with HPV infections — they are extremely common. 

Most cases cause no symptoms and are cleared from the body within a few months. For HPV infection that lingers in the body there is a small, but real, risk of it leading to cancer. 

You can lower this risk by getting an HPV vaccine if you're under the age of 45 and by practicing safe sex.

Adam Barnes

What is HPV