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Men and HPV

August 01, 2006

Have you ever heard of HPV? Did you know men can have HPV? Just like any other sexually transmitted disease, HPV can be contracted and transmitted by sexual contact. Although it is sometimes portrayed as something that only affects women; in this article we will explore a little about HPV, and how it affects men.

What is HPV?

HPV is a sexually transmitted disease caused by the human papillomavirus. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention:

Human papillomavirus is the name of a group of viruses that includes more than 100 different strains or types. More than 30 of these viruses are sexually transmitted, and they can infect the genital area of men and women including the skin of the penis, vulva (area outside the vagina), or anus, and the linings of the vagina, cervix, or rectum. Most people who become infected with HPV will not have any symptoms and will clear the infection on their own.

Approximately 20 million people are currently infected with HPV. At least 50 percent of sexually active men and women acquire genital HPV infection at some point in their lives. By age 50, at least 80 percent of women will have acquired genital HPV infection. About 6.2 million Americans get a new genital HPV infection each year.

Most men who have HPV have no visible symptoms of the infection. But those who do, usually have soft, moist, growths in the genital area. These warts can even appear near the anus, even though the man has never had anal sex, because the infection lives in the skin, not in the body.

Men can get HPV through sexual contact with an infected partner. In men, since there are few if any symptoms, a man may have HPV for years and pass it to multiple partners without even knowing it. Currently, the only method of diagnosing HPV in men is by visual inspection.

Is HPV life threatening?

Generally, HPV is not life threatening. It is an infection of the skin, which usually goes away on its own. However, men who are HIV positive are more likely to develop severe cases of genital warts. In addition, women are more likely to develop cervical cancer if they are infected.

How do I protect myself?

The only way to protect yourself is to not have sex with an infected person; but that's hard to do when most people do not show any signs or symptoms. Using a condom, according to the CDC, will reduce the risk of being infected. But the only sure fire way not to get infected, is to not have sex. The choice is yours.

Posted at 10:29 AM by Phil in the STDs category/ies.