HPV is a common sexually transmitted infection (STI). Most sexually active people will be infected at some point in their lives, often without experiencing any symptoms. In most cases, the body’s immune system clears the virus on its own. HPV can affect the skin, genital area, and throat.
However, HPV can lead to the development of cancers – according to the World Health Organization 99 per cent of all cervical cancers are linked to the virus. A vaccine is now available against HPV – in countries where immunisation is well established, it has led to a huge decrease in the incidence of cervical cancer.
Most people with HPV do not develop any symptoms or health problems. In many cases, the infection will resolve itself without the person ever knowing they had it. However, some people may experience symptoms that can include:
Most of the time HPV does not cause any problems. However, in some people, certain types of HPV can cause genital warts or abnormal changes in cells that may sometimes turn into cancer. High-risk types of HPV are linked to various cancers including:
Cancers often take many years, even decades, to develop after a person gets HPV. People with weakened immune systems may be more likely to develop health problems from HPV.
HPV is primarily spread through skin-to-skin contact of the genital area. It can be transmitted through any skin-to-skin contact in the genital area. Ways HPV can be spread includes:
A person with HPV can pass the infection to someone else even when they have no signs or symptoms. You do not need to have sex with a lot of people to get HPV. You can get HPV the first time you have sex.
There is no treatment for the HPV virus itself. Most HPV infections do not cause any problems and are cleared by the body on its own within two years. However, there are treatments available for health problems that HPV can cause, such as:
There are ways to lower your chances of getting HPV and avoid the health problems it can cause:
The link between HPV and cervical cancer was first recognised in the 1980s when scientists studied the cells of Henrietta Lacks, an African American woman who died of cervical cancer in 1951. Her cells, named HeLa, were the first sign that cancer could be caused by a virus.
German virologist Harald zur Hausen identified HPV DNA in cervical cancer biopsies, which led to the development of the HPV vaccine. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2008 for his discovery.
Vaccination against the virus has been a remarkable success story. The first HPV vaccine was approved in 2006 and in 2008 vaccination was rolled out for girls in the UK. A 2024 study led by scientists at Cancer Research UK and St Mary’s University, London found that the vaccination programme had cut the number of cervical cases by 90 per cent in England. A study in the Lancet in 2018 showed that Australia is on track to be the first country to eliminate cervical cancer if its vaccination and screening programme continue at the same rate.
who.int/human-papilloma-virus-and-cancer
cancerresearchuk.org/hpv-and-cancer
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