HPV is a common sexually transmitted virus. More than eight out of 10 people (80 per cent) will have an HPV infection at some point in their life.
You can be exposed to HPV the first-time sexual activity occurs and from only one sexual partner.
Most people won’t know they have HPV as it rarely has any symptoms. An HPV infection is usually cleared naturally by the body, but sometimes, if it is not cleared, it can lead to serious diseases, including cancer.
HPV can infect people of all genders and sexualities.
People in monogamous relationships, or people who have not been sexually active for many years can still have an HPV infection.
HPV is commonly spread through genital-skin contact during any type of sexual activity (including vaginal, anal or oral sex) through tiny breaks in the skin. HPV is not transmitted via blood or body fluids (e.g. semen).
Using condoms or dental dams may offer some but not total protection from HPV, as they don't cover all the genital skin. They do however offer protection from many other sexually transmitted infections.
If you find out that you or your partner has HPV, it is important to remember that more than 80 per cent of sexually active people will have HPV at some point in their lives – it’s nothing to be embarrassed about.
To learn more about HPV and sexual health, head to Sexual Health Victoria’s page about HPV.
Read more about HPV
HPV and genital warts
Genital warts are a sexually transmitted infection caused by HPV. They appear as small bumps on the genitals.
They are caused by the types of HPV that don’t cause cancer. Having genital warts does not mean you are at risk of cancer.
Genital warts used to be a very common sexually transmitted infection in Australia, especially in young people. But since the HPV vaccine was introduced in 2007, genital warts have become much less common.
In most cases, genital warts can be treated by your doctor.
Can you get HPV without having sex?
There are over 200 types of HPV, most of which only infect the skin and can sometimes cause warts. Warts on the hands, feet and face are caused by HPV types, that the HPV vaccine does not protect against. The types of HPV that cause warts are not associated with cancer.
The types of HPV that cause hand, feet and face warts can be spread through non-genital skin contact or contact with an object or surface contaminated with HPV (e.g. towels).
There are about 40 types of HPV that can affect the genital areas and some of these can cause cancers and genital warts. These HPV types are spread through genital skin-to-skin contact during sexual activity.