Which hpv causes cancer

HPV vaccination prevents infections that cause these cancers. More than 4 out of every 10 cases of cancer caused by HPV occur among men. Every year in the U. You can protect your child from these cancers with HPV vaccine at age 11—12 years. 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. Cancers Caused by HPV. Women may also have warts on the cervix and in the vagina. Infection with HPV is very common. In most people, the body is able to clear the infection on its own.

HPV can be passed from one person to another by skin-to-skin contact, such as occurs with sexual activity. The main way HPV is spread is through sexual activity, including vaginal, anal, and oral sex. HPV can be spread even when an infected person has no visible signs or symptoms.

HPV infection is very common. Most men and women who have ever had sex get at least one type of genital HPV at some time in their lives.

Anyone who has had sex can get HPV, even if it was only with only one person, but infections are more likely in people who have had many sex partners. Even if a person delays sexual activity until marriage, or only has one partner, they are still at risk of HPV infection if their partner has been exposed. To learn more about any of the cancers listed here, visit our website at www.

Cervical cancer is the most common cancer linked to HPV in people with a cervix. Nearly all cervical cancers are caused by HPV. Cervical cancer can be found early and even prevented with routine screening tests.

The Pap test looks for changes in cervical cells caused by HPV infection. The HPV test looks for the infection itself. HPV can also cause cancer of the vulva , which is the outer part of the female genital organs. It can also cause cancer of the oropharynx. This is the middle part of the throat, from the tonsils to the tip of the voice box. These HPV-related cancers are rising.

Other cancers. HPV is also linked to less common cancers. They include anal , penile , vaginal , and vulvar cancers. Many types of HPV have no symptoms.

For women who are sexually active, there is an HPV screening test that can detect the strains of HPV most commonly linked to cervical cancer. During this test, a trained health care professional takes a sample of cells from a woman's cervix. This sample is tested by a pathologist. A pathologist is a doctor who specializes in interpreting laboratory tests and evaluating cells, tissues, and organs to diagnose disease.

HPV testing can be done alone or with a Pap test. Pap tests look for any abnormal changes to the sample of cells taken from the cervix. Often both tests can use the same sample. All women should talk with their health care teams about HPV testing.

There is no recommended HPV test for men. There is no cure for HPV. But doctors can often treat the warts and precancerous lesions the infection causes. They can be treated by removing the warts or applying a medicated cream. The warts can be removed by:. Treating genital warts does not mean you no longer have HPV.