- According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 20 million Americans are currently infected with the human papillomavirus, or HPV, one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases. When contracted, it can cause cancer, and some types can also cause genital warts. In many cases, symptoms do not immediately present themselves. However, if you are worried about a possible infection or if you frequently have sex with multiple partners, an HPV test is a simple way to find out whether you are infected.
- Testing for HPV is different for men and women. For a woman, a swab test is performed to get cells from the cervix. To do this, a medical professional will take a cotton swab and gently scrape it across the surface of the cervix. The swabs are then sent to a lab for testing. In some cases, HPV may be tested using the same cells collected during a Pap test, but only if a liquid-based Pap test is performed.
- According the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there is no approved testing method for diagnosing HPV in men. However, in most male cases, HPV goes away on its own and does not cause a serious threat to a man's health. Outward symptoms of HPV may help men realize they have HPV, because many forms of the virus cause genital warts.
