How to Recognize the Symptoms of HPV

The majority of HPV infections do not have any signs or symptoms, so most people never even realize that they are carrying the virus. Although most people with HPV never have a single symptom, the outward signs of the virus are easy to recognize if they do occur.

Instructions

Recognize HPV Symptoms

• 1

  Visit your doctor if you suspect you may have HPV. Since the infection usually goes away on its own, your doctor may not recommend any action on your part. Even with a positive HPV test, you may never develop any symptoms.

• 2

  Check for genital warts, which appear mostly in the inner lining of the vagina. The warts are small growths often described as looking like pink or red cauliflower. Warts may appear in and around the vagina, anus and ****. Not all HPV strains cause genital warts.

• 3

  Not all genital warts are linked to HPV. Since warts are contagious, you should avoid sexual contact regardless of whether you have been diagnosed with HPV. Warts caused by HPV usually appear anywhere from six weeks to one year after contact with an infected partner, so the virus is hard to track.

• 4

  Visit a doctor if you have any genital warts. With men, there are no tests for HPV, so the genital warts are the only way to recognize an HPV infection.

• 5

  Not all HPV infections lead to cervical cancer; in fact, very few of the more than 100 strains can cause the cancer. The strains that cause genital warts do not cause cervical cancer and vice versa.

• 6

  Have a regular pelvic exam and pap test to look for any changes in the cervix. This is the best way to recognize an HPV infection.

• 7

  See a doctor if you ever experience any abnormal bleeding, especially after sex. Irregular bleeding and spotting may be a symptom of cervical cancer or other condition, so you should be checked out as soon as possible.