HPV Information for Men

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), HPV is the single most common sexually transmitted infection. Although it most commonly causes symptoms only in women, it is possible for men to contract and transmit HPV from and to their partners, and about half of men will contract HPV during their lives. Men also develop symptoms as a result of HPV.

Transmission

• The CDC reports that HPV transmission occurs as a result of genital contact during either vaginal or anal sex. Like herpes, HPV can be spread or contracted from skin that is not covered by a barrier such as a condom.

Symptoms

• Symptoms of HPV are rare in men, with the most common being genital warts, found in the groin or rectal areas, according to thehpvtest.com. Other, more rare symptoms include cancers of the affected tissues (penis and anus).

Testing

• There is no test for HPV in men, partially because skin cells from the genitals would have to be collected, according to thehpvtest.com.

Vaccine

• The vaccine approved for use in women to prevent HPV, Gardasil, is not approved for use in men. The hpvtest.com reports that there is no evidence that a vaccine against HPV would be useful in men.

Treatment

• According to the CDC, there is no direct treatment for HPV, though genital warts themselves can be treated. The CDC reports that most cases of HPV simply clear up on their own, most often without causing symptoms.

Prevention

• The correct and consistent use of condoms can lower the chances of HPV transmission. However, it is possible to contract and transmit HPV via skin that is not covered by a barrier.