1. What should I tell my partner about HPV?

You should explain to your partner that HPV is very common. Most sexually active people will get HPV. Most of the time people will not know whom they got HPV from or when they got HPV. Most people will not know they have it because they often have no symptoms. Sexual partners can reinfect each other with HPV. You can be infected by another type of HPV. But, once you have one type of HPV you cannot get that type again from your partner.

2. Can my husband or boyfriend be tested for HPV?

No. There currently is no FDA-approved HPV test for men. However, a doctor for cell changes caused by HPV can examine your husband or boyfriend.

Although HPV infection has been linked to cancer of the penis and anus, these cancers are very rare in men.

3. Will HPV affect my pregnancy or my baby?

HPV infection will not affect your ability to get pregnant nor will it affect a pregnancy. However, in very rare cases, it may be passed from mother to baby. Types of HPV that can be passed to the baby are “low risk types” that do not cause cancer. In these cases, babies may be affected by having small growths or warts in the breathing tract.

4. Do all people who have HPV get cancer?

No. Most of the time, your body’s immune system will clear HPV on its own. Most women clear the virus within 2 years. Women who do not clear the virus (those with a persistent infection) are at increased risk of getting cervical cancer. Just because you have not cleared the virus does not mean you will get cancer. An HPV infection that is long lasting just means that your doctor will have to see you more often and order more tests to follow what’s happening in your body.

5. Why shouldn’t women under 30 get tested for HPV?

HPV is very common in women under 30 years old. If you give women under age 30 the HPV test, chances are it will come back positive. Most of the time, women in this age group fight off the HPV infection. At the same time, cervical cancers are less likely to be found in this age group. Therefore, HPV testing in women under 30 years old doesn’t add much to our ability to identify women at risk for cervical cancer.

6. If I am over 30 years old, how often do I need to get my Pap test and HPV test?

When you need to get retested depends on what your test results are. If both the Pap test and HPV test are negative, then you don’t need to be retested in 3 years. If your Pap test is abnormal then you need immediate follow-up with colposcopy regardless of the HPV test results. Finally, if your Pap test and your HPV test results don’t agree then you will need follow-up in 6 to 12 months.

7. If I had a hysterectomy do I still need to get checked for cervical cancer?

The answer to this question depends on what kind or hysterectomy you have had. The answer also depends on the reason you needed to have a hysterectomy. The only way to know whether you need to continue getting screened is to talk to your doctor. Remember, to bring the medical records concerning your hysterectomy to your doctor’s visit.

8. Will girls and women who get the HPV vaccine still need to get checked for cervical cancer?

Yes. The vaccine will not protect against all types of HPV that cause cervical cancer. Women who have already been exposed to HPV before they got the vaccine will not get the full benefit of the vaccine. Also some girls and women will not get all the required doses of the vaccine so they may not get the vaccine’s full benefit.

9. Should I get an HPV test before getting the HPV vaccine?

No. You do not need any kind of test to find out if you should get the vaccine. Even girls and women who have already been exposed to one type of HPV will get protection from the other HPV types that the vaccine protects against.

10. How long will the HPV vaccine protect me and will I need a booster shot?

How long a vaccine will protect you is not known when a vaccine first comes on the market. Studies for the HPV vaccine show that women are protected for at least 5 years. More research is being done to discover if a booster HPV vaccine will be needed.