HPV and the HPV vaccine

HPV (human papillomavirus) can pass between people through close skin contact, including sex without penetration. It’s a very common group of viruses, and most infections go away without treatment. Some types can cause genital warts. Others are linked to cancer.

Finding out you have HPV can bring up questions about your relationships as well as your health. The virus can be there for years, including when someone hasn’t had sex or a new partner for a long time. Finding HPV can’t tell you when you caught it.

What HPV can do

High-risk types of HPV are linked to cervical cancer and cancers of the anus, penis, vulva and vagina, as well as some head and neck cancers. Most people with HPV have no symptoms. An infection that doesn’t go away can lead to changes in the cells of the cervix. If these aren’t treated, they may turn into cancer.

No treatment gets rid of the HPV infection itself. There are treatments for the problems it causes, including genital warts and changes to cervical cells. Even though many infections go away on their own, prevention, screening and follow-up still matter.

What the vaccine prevents

The vaccine helps prevent infection with the HPV types behind many HPV-related cancers and genital warts. It doesn’t cover every type. It prevents infection, so it doesn’t clear an infection you already have or treat existing illness caused by HPV.

The vaccine is offered before people are likely to come into contact with HPV. CDC guidance says it may still protect you against other types, even if you’ve already had one type. If you missed the vaccine, ask whether you’re eligible. Having had sex in the past doesn’t always mean it’s too late to benefit.

The programme depends on where you live

In the UK, the NHS offers the vaccine to all children aged 12 to 13. The routine programme for teenagers uses a single injection. The course can be different for others who are eligible. Older people in targeted programmes and people with weakened immune systems may need a different course. Your vaccine team can check which programme applies to you.

The NHS offers catch-up vaccines for eligible young people who missed them. It also offers vaccines through sexual health or HIV clinics for some people at higher risk. Who can have it depends on age and the programme rules. Ask your GP, school vaccine team or clinic to check your record.

In the US, the vaccine is recommended at 11 or 12 years, with catch-up up to 26 years of age. Most children who start before 15 years of age need 2 injections. Those who start at or after 15 years of age, and younger people with certain immune conditions, need 3. Adults 27 through 45 years of age can talk to their clinician about it. Ask the vaccine service to arrange the course.

WHO also supports having the vaccine before people start having sex, alongside cervical screening. National programmes differ. Follow the advice of the service where you get care, rather than mixing parts of different countries’ plans.

Screening and symptoms still matter

HPV testing is part of cervical screening, using a sample from the cervix. There’s no blood test for HPV. If you’re arranging sexual health tests, ask which infections they check for and how cervical screening fits into your care.

Keep going to cervical screening when you’re invited, even after the vaccine. Condoms can lower the chance of passing on HPV, but they can’t cover all the genital skin where it may be. New symptoms still need checking, even if you use condoms and go to screening.

Book a GP appointment in the UK, or see your doctor in the US or elsewhere, for bleeding between periods or after sex, or a new discharge that smells bad. These symptoms have several possible causes and need checking. At the appointment, you can also ask who to contact about a missed vaccine or your screening.