Why do women get hpv

In women, genital warts can also grow inside the vagina. In most cases, your body's immune system defeats an HPV infection before it creates warts.

When warts do appear, they vary in appearance depending on which kind of HPV is involved:. Genital warts. These appear as flat lesions, small cauliflower-like bumps or tiny stemlike protrusions.

In women, genital warts appear mostly on the vulva but can also occur near the anus, on the cervix or in the vagina. In men, genital warts appear on the penis and scrotum or around the anus.

Genital warts rarely cause discomfort or pain, though they may itch or feel tender. Nearly all cervical cancers are caused by HPV infections, but cervical cancer may take 20 years or longer to develop after an HPV infection. The HPV infection and early cervical cancer typically don't cause noticeable symptoms. Getting vaccinated against HPV infection is your best protection from cervical cancer.

Because early cervical cancer doesn't cause symptoms, it's vital that women have regular screening tests to detect any precancerous changes in the cervix that might lead to cancer. Current guidelines recommend that women ages 21 to 29 have a Pap test every three years. Women ages 30 to 65 are advised to continue having a Pap test every three years, or every five years if they also get the HPV DNA test at the same time. If you or your child has warts of any kind that cause embarrassment, discomfort or pain, seek advice from your doctor.

HPV infection occurs when the virus enters your body, usually through a cut, abrasion or small tear in your skin. The virus is transferred primarily by skin-to-skin contact. Genital HPV infections are contracted through sexual intercourse, anal sex and other skin-to-skin contact in the genital region. Some HPV infections that result in oral or upper respiratory lesions are contracted through oral sex.

If you're pregnant and have an HPV infection with genital warts, it's possible your baby may get the infection. Rarely, the infection may cause a noncancerous growth in the baby's voice box larynx. Warts are contagious. They can spread through direct contact with a wart.

Warts can also spread when someone touches something that already touched a wart. HPV infections are common. Risk factors for HPV infection include:. Be sure you and your partner are tested for STIs. Talk to each other about the test results before you have sex. Be monogamous. Having sex with just one partner can lower your risk for STIs.

After being tested for STIs, be faithful to each other. That means that you have sex only with each other and no one else. Limit your number of sex partners. Your risk of getting STIs goes up with the number of partners you have. Do not douche. Douching removes some of the normal bacteria in the vagina that protects you from infection. This may increase your risk of getting STIs.

Do not abuse alcohol or drugs. Drinking too much alcohol or using drugs increases risky behavior and may put you at risk of sexual assault and possible exposure to STIs. What is the HPV vaccine? When can I get the HPV vaccine? You might not be fully protected if you did not get all the vaccine doses or at the recommended ages. You might not fully benefit from the vaccine if you were vaccinated after getting one or more types of HPV before vaccination.

There are many types of HPV, so you can get it again. Can women who have sex with women get HPV? Did we answer your question about HPV? Sources Myers, E. Mathematical model for the natural history of human papillomavirus infection and cervical carcinogenesis.

Am J Epidemiol; — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Preventive Services Task Force. Cervical Cancer: Screening. Citation of the source is appreciated. Language Assistance Available. Genital warts: Before HPV vaccines were introduced, roughly , to , women and men were affected by genital warts caused by HPV every year.

Cervical cancer: Every year, nearly 12, women living in the U. There are other conditions and cancers caused by HPV that occur in people living in the United States. Every year, approximately 19, women and 12, men are affected by cancers caused by HPV. This could be an underestimate of the actual number of people who get genital warts.

If you are pregnant and have HPV, you can get genital warts or develop abnormal cell changes on your cervix. Abnormal cell changes can be found with routine cervical cancer screening. You should get routine cervical cancer screening even when you are pregnant. There is no treatment for the virus itself. However, there are treatments for the health problems that HPV can cause:. Cervical Cancer Screening. Box Rockville, MD E-mail: npin-info cdc. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link.

Human Papillomavirus HPV. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. Most HPV infections do not need treatment because your body can clear the virus itself. But in some people, the HPV infection can develop into cancer or genital warts. HPV causes 1 in 20 cancers worldwide. It is one of the leading causes of cervical cancer. Cervical cancer is a cancer of a woman's cervix the entrance to the womb. The HPV virus can also cause a range of pre-cancerous lesions abnormal cells in both men and women.

You can get HPV by having vaginal, anal or oral sex with someone who has the virus.