Paid Sponsorship, Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Fact Sheet and Ohio Department of Health Comprehensive Cancer Control Program
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection. HPV is a viral infection that can be spread from one person to another person through anal, vaginal, or oral sex, or through other close skin-to-skin touching during sexual activity. People who are sexually active can get HPV, and nearly all sexually active people get infected with HPV at some point in their lives. It is important to understand that getting HPV is not the same thing as getting HIV or herpes.
Men can get HPV by having sex with someone who is infected with HPV and can be spread even when an infected person has no visible signs or symptoms.
Most of the time HPV infections completely go away and don’t cause any health problems. However, if an infection does not go away on its own, it is possible to develop HPV symptoms months or years after getting infected. This makes it hard to know exactly when someone becomes infected. Lasting HPV infection can cause genital warts or certain kinds of cancer. It is not known why some people develop health problems from HPV and others do not.
Please view the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Fact Sheet, HPV and Men, for additional details.
For more information regarding HPV in Ohio, please contact Jill Price at the Ohio Department of Health or call 614.728.3106.