Can you be exposed to hpv and not get it

However, if HPV does not go away, it can cause genital warts or certain kinds of cancer. See your healthcare provider if you have questions about anything new or unusual such as warts, or unusual growths, lumps, or sores on your penis, scrotum, anus, mouth, or throat. Genital warts usually appear as a small bump or group of bumps in the genital area around the penis or the anus.

These warts might be small or large, raised or flat, or shaped like a cauliflower. The warts may go away, or stay the same, or grow in size or number. Usually, a healthcare provider can diagnose genital warts simply by looking at them. Genital warts can come back, even after treatment. The types of HPV that cause warts do not cause cancer. These include cervical cancer in women, penile cancer in men, and anal cancer in both women and men.

HPV can also cause cancer in the back of the throat, including the base of the tongue and tonsils called oropharyngeal cancer. All of these cancers are caused by HPV infections that did not go away.

Cancer develops very slowly and may not be diagnosed until years, or even decades, after a person first gets infected with HPV. Currently, there is no way to know who will have only a temporary HPV infection, and who will develop cancer after getting HPV. However, some healthcare providers do offer anal Pap tests to men who may be at increased risk for anal cancer, including men with HIV or men who receive anal sex. If you have symptoms and are concerned about cancer, please see a healthcare provider.

Genital warts can be treated by your healthcare provider, or with prescription medication. HPV-related cancers are more treatable when diagnosed and treated promptly.

For more information, visit www. If you are younger than 15 years old and your first two doses were separated by at least six months, you do not need any additional doses.

You can start by checking with your primary healthcare provider. If you cannot get the vaccine from their office, you can also check with your gynecologist, the local health department or a local pharmacy. The manufacturer, Merck, also has an adult vaccine locator on their website that might be of help. A few studies have looked at this and none have found that receiving the HPV vaccine causes girls to become promiscuous or engage in sexual activity at an earlier age.

The study found no differences between the two groups in regard to the incidence of pregnancies, tests for or diagnosis of sexually transmitted diseases STDs , and contraceptive counseling. The HPV vaccine was introduced in , and according to an article published in the July issue of Pediatrics , use of the HPV vaccine resulted not only in lower rates of infection among those who were vaccinated, but also, to some degree, in those who have not been vaccinated.

This phenomenon is commonly known as herd immunity. You should still consider getting the vaccine because while herd immunity might lessen your chance of coming into contact with the virus, the vaccine will significantly decrease your chance of infection if you do come into contact with it. Unfortunately, despite the decreases in transmission resulting from HPV vaccination, millions of people are still infected with HPV and many do not know they are infected.

The reason to get the HPV vaccine even if you are already sexually active is that you are not likely to have been exposed to all of the HPV types contained in the vaccine.

Although HPV is a known cause of cervical cancer, the virus can also cause other cancers of the reproductive tract, anal cancer, penile cancer, genital warts, and on occasion, cancers of the head and neck. In fact, about 4 of every 10 cases of HPV-related cancers occur in boys or men.

Because vaccinating boys will also decrease the spread of the virus, they will not only protect themselves, but also their sexual partners. The HPV vaccine can be given at the same time as other vaccines recommended at this age, including the vaccine for tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis Tdap and the one for meningococcus.

If it is influenza vaccine season, this vaccine can be given as well. Yes, you can still get the HPV vaccine even if you have had sexual intercourse. While you may have been exposed to one or more types of HPV, it is unlikely that you would have been exposed to all of the types that the vaccine protects against, so it may still be of benefit for you.

In October , the vaccine was licensed for people up to 45 years of age, so inquire with your provider. Because the HPV vaccine does not protect against all types of HPV, it is possible that a fully vaccinated person could be infected with a type of HPV that is not contained in the vaccine.

Most people will clear any type of HPV infection— but it may take months to do so. In a few people, however, HPV infection will persist and possibly become cancerous. We have no way of knowing who will be affected over the long term. That said, the vaccine protects against the most common types that cause cancer or genital warts. Vaccine safety is studied by many, many groups not just those who manufacture vaccines.

The FDA reviews all data associated with studies completed by vaccine manufacturers as well as visiting manufacturing sites and continuing to monitor the vaccine as long as it is being made. Additionally, the CDC has systems in place to monitor vaccine safety, including:. Their findings are available online. More than million doses of HPV vaccine have been given safely throughout the world. More than million of these have been given in the U.

What we know from all of these data is that the vaccine is safe and it is working to decrease transmission of HPV, genital warts, cervical changes that cause cancer, and juvenile-onset recurrent respiratory papillomatosis. First, the length of time between the dose and the appearance of symptoms is not what one would expect if the vaccine was the cause.

Second, of the three symptoms you mentioned, the only one that was consistently reported in HPV vaccine recipients was headache, and that was typically reported within 15 days of the first dose. HPV infections do not cause infertility, except indirectly in cases when they progress to cervical cancer, so it is not biologically plausible that the HPV vaccine would lead to infertility.

To the contrary, since the HPV vaccine decreases the number of cases of cervical cancer, it may indirectly decrease the number of women unable to have a baby. The known side effects of the HPV vaccine include pain, redness or swelling at the injection site.

In addition, because teens tend to faint more easily, fainting has been associated with vaccines given to this age group. Reports of blood clots, strokes, heart attacks, chronic fatigue syndrome, infertility or premature ovarian failure, and even death have occurred after receipt of this vaccine; however, reviews of individual cases as well as controlled studies looking at groups of people who did and did not get the vaccine have shown that none of these problems were caused by the HPV vaccine.

The HPV vaccine contains higher concentrations of salt than other vaccines, so they may hurt a bit more when they are administered. However, you can suggest one of the following to make your daughter more comfortable while getting the shot:. The HPV vaccine may cause redness, swelling and tenderness at the site of the injection. Some people may faint when they get the vaccine, so people are advised to stay at the doctor's office for minutes after getting the vaccine.

Some teens are more prone to fainting after getting the vaccine; therefore, all teens are recommended to wait at the doctor's office for 15 minutes to be sure they are okay. It takes about two weeks after the first dose of vaccine for the immune system to generate an immune response.

The additional doses make that response stronger, particularly the last one which fortifies the memory response. It is important to understand that the HPV vaccine does not protect against other STDs, such as syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhea, and herpes, nor does it protect against types of HPV to which one was already exposed.

For these reasons, using protection is still prudent to consider. While you may have some protection after receiving the first dose of HPV vaccine, your best level of protection will occur after you receive all recommended doses. The HPV vaccine will not protect you against types of HPV to which you may have already been exposed; however, it will protect you against types to which you were not previously exposed.

Since the vaccine protects against nine types of HPV, it is likely that you can still benefit from receiving the vaccine.

For this reason, knowing your sexual activity status is not a requirement for deciding whether or not you should get the HPV vaccine. We do not know for sure whether immunity will last a lifetime; however, the data are reassuring. Second, the immune responses generated by the vaccine are stronger than those invoked after natural infection.

Finally, the hepatitis B vaccine, which is made using a technology similar to the HPV vaccine, induces a memory response that lasts at least 30 years. Yes, it is possible. Although the HPV vaccine protects against the two strains of HPV that most commonly cause genital warts, it will still only prevent about 9 of every 10 cases of genital warts.

Therefore, someone could still get genital warts if they are infected with a type of HPV that causes genital warts but was not in the vaccine. The strains of HPV included in the vaccine will prevent about 9 of 10 cases of cervical cancer.

However, because a possibility of getting cervical cancer from one of the types of HPV not contained in the vaccine still exists, women should continue to get regular Pap tests. In addition, the vaccine does not protect against other sexually transmitted diseases, so practicing safe sex is also important. HPV booster doses are not expected to be necessary; however, public health officials will continue to monitor rates of disease to watch for waning immunity.

If you already have genital warts, the HPV vaccine will not treat them. However, the vaccine may still protect you against other types of HPV to which you were not previously exposed. Consult your doctor about medicines and procedures that may be used to treat genital warts. Although the protein folds itself to look like a viral particle in a microscope, it does not contain any genetic material, so it cannot replicate and cause an infection.

The vaccine does not protect against any other STD. Free movie! The minute film tells the powerful story of five incredible women whose lives were forever changed by human papillomavirus HPV and cervical cancer. Those stories also provide an opportunity to learn more about HPV disease and common issues faced by families. Watch all or parts of that interview here.

Various professional and advocacy groups provide reliable information about HPV and the HPV vaccine; several are compiled below. Materials in this section are updated as new information and vaccines become available. The Vaccine Education Center staff regularly reviews materials for accuracy. You should not consider the information in this site to be specific, professional medical advice for your personal health or for your family's personal health. You should not use it to replace any relationship with a physician or other qualified healthcare professional.

For medical concerns, including decisions about vaccinations, medications and other treatments, you should always consult your physician or, in serious cases, seek immediate assistance from emergency personnel. Contact Us Online. If someone is infected with one type of HPV and their immune system clears it, are they immune to other types of HPV too? How long does an HPV infection last?

Can it still be spread to someone else? How does HPV cause cancer? Am I really at risk of getting HPV? How common is HPV? Is HPV deadly? Once a person has HPV, can he or she get rid of it? Can someone be infected with more than one type of HPV? Yes, you can be infected with more than one type of HPV at a time. Symptom-related questions How long does it take for symptoms of HPV to appear? If someone has genital warts, does that mean HPV virus is still present?

Will I always have them? How soon will genital warts appear if I get infected with HPV? How soon after an HPV infection does cervical cancer develop?

Transmission-related questions I recently had an LEEP procedure to remove high-risk cells from my cervix following a positive Pap test. Can I still pass HPV on to my partner after having this procedure done? Is it possible for a person who says they are a virgin to spread HPV?

I have heard HPV can be transmitted by skin-to-skin contact. So, if a woman has HPV, can I or my children get it by being around her? I have never been diagnosed with HPV or genital warts, so how could my child have recurrent respiratory papillomatosis?

I have been in a monogamous relationship for more than 20 years; however, I was recently diagnosed with genital warts. My wife has never had them. How could I have gotten them? If a woman is exposed to HPV through oral sex with a man who has had genital warts, can she get HPV and if so, will her infection occur in the oral or genital region?

I have heard that you do not need to have intercourse to get HPV. Is that true? Can someone get HPV during masturbation? Can a woman pass HPV to a male partner through intercourse? Does having HPV put my unborn baby at risk? Consult your doctor if you have any concerns. If you got the vaccine while you were pregnant, you do not need to take any special precautions. I started getting the HPV vaccine and now I am pregnant.

Can I still get the other doses of vaccine? What tests can a woman have related to HPV? Two tests for women are available: Pap test — A Pap test is done by scraping some cells from the cervix and examining them microscopically.

A normal result means your cells looked as expected; an abnormal result means that the cells appeared to have undergone some changes. This does not mean you have cervical cancer. In some cases the cell changes are minor and will return to normal when tested in the future. In other cases the changes are more dramatic and need to be monitored more closely.

If there are no screening tests for men, how can they tell if they have HPV and if so, what is the treatment? There are ways to check for those: Genital warts - If you notice abnormalities in the area of your penis, scrotum or anus, such as warts or blisters, see your healthcare provider. Anal cancers - Gay, bisexual, and HIV-positive men may consider annual screening by digital rectal exam. Although it is not a formal recommendation, these men are at higher risk.

Penile cancers - No screening tests are currently available, but early signs can include color changes or build-up or thickening of the tissue. Cancers of the oropharynx - Signs include issues associated with the throat including pain, constant coughing, voice changes or hoarseness, lumps or masses in the necks, and trouble swallowing or breathing.

Is there a treatment for HPV? If I got the LEEP procedure done and my tests have come back negative, am I still infected or is the virus dormant, and can I still pass it to future partners? Will I always have HPV in my body? If I am infected with HPV, will getting vaccinated make the infection go away? This is to help establish your own comfort level and is where knowledge really does equal power.

One of the most important aspects of coping with HPV, and helping partners develop a good understanding of the virus, is getting factual information and avoiding myths and hype. It may also be a good idea to have resources to which you can direct a partner, so you know they turn to trustworthy sources for information.

When talking to a partner, first remember that having HPV does not mean you have done anything wrong. As mentioned above, most sexually active people are likely to be exposed to HPV at some point, though most never have visible symptoms and remain unaware. Having HPV simply means you, like so many others, have been exposed to a common virus. With a new relationship it may be good to date for a while and allow aspects of the relationship besides sex to develop as you get to know one another and become closer.

Most sexually active couples share HPV until the immune response suppresses the infection. Partners who are sexually intimate only with each other are not likely to pass the same virus back and forth. Current partners are likely to share HPV, but this may be difficult to prove.

Testing options for HPV are limited and most cases are never diagnosed.