How to Contract the HPV Virus
HPV (human papillomavirus) is the virus that causes warts and genital warts. While not all strains of HPV can lead to cervical cancer, some types are more dangerous and cervical cancer can almost always be linked to HPV. Someone infected with HPV may not show symptoms, so it is now the most widespread sexually transmitted disease in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 20 million Americans are infected with HPV, with more than 6 million new infections each year.
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Things You'll Need
- Sexual partner infected with HPV (genital warts)
- Condoms and other barrier methods of sexual protection
- Disinfectant (for sex toys, if used)
Instructions
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Avoid promiscuous, unprotected sex. You can contract HPV through sexual activity with an infected partner.
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Avoid skin-to-skin genital contact during sex by using a condom or other barrier.
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Do not touch your partner's genitals and then touch your own. Penetration is not necessary to spread HPV, and it can be spread by heterosexual and same-sex partners through vaginal and anal intercourse as well as through oral sex.
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Do not share sex toys without first disinfecting them.
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Don't worry about catching HPV from toilet seats. This is a common myth, but the type of HPV that causes genital warts is a sexually transmitted disease.
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Tips & Warnings
Girls and women age 9-26 can take the Gardasil vaccine, which prevents the type of HPV infection that causes cervical cancer. Sexually active women should have regular gynecological examinations and Pap smears, which screen for HPV infection.
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