The human papillomavirus (HPV) is a group of viruses that affect the moist areas of the body, such as the mouth, throat or genitals.
HPV is spread through sexual contact and there are over 200 different types of the virus.
You can get HPV from:
Oral, vaginal or anal sex.
Skin-to-skin contact of the genital areas.
Sharing sex toys.
You do not need to have penetrative sex to get HPV.
HPV is easy to catch and is very common. Most people will get HPV at some point during their life.
HPV infections are often symptomless, and most people won’t realise they have it.
For some people, HPV can cause genital warts.
HPV can also cause cancer. The virus is now responsible for 5% of all cancers and is one of the leading causes of mouth cancer.
Other cancers that are linked to HPV include cervical cancer, anal cancer, genital cancers, and cancers of the head and neck.
Having HPV does not mean you will automatically get cancer or genita…
