HPV (human papillomavirus) is highly contagious and can cause a variety of cancers and genital warts. In most of us the infection is invisible, harmless and goes away after a few months without causing any problems.
There are more than 100 different types of HPV, which infect different parts of the body. Around 50 types can infect the genitals, including the cervix (the neck of the uterus).
HPV spreads through sexual contact and can pass through tiny cuts in the skin. Condoms are good at stopping many STIs, but less effective at blocking HPV because they don't cover all of the genital skin.
Most people who have HPV do not even know they have it. They may not develop symptoms or suffer health problems. However, HPV infections can cause:
HPV can cause changes to the cells of the cervix and in rare cases, lead to cervical cancer. This takes a long time, about 10 to 15 years. However, almost all cervical cancers are linked to HPV infection.
