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Cancer Awareness GuideGeneral information & support

HPV and cancer: which cancers HPV can cause

HPV and cancer are closely linked, but having HPV is very common and rarely leads to cancer. This guide explains, in plain language and using the US National Cancer Institute and the World Health Organization as sources, which cancers HPV can cause, why most infections never cause problems, and what lowers the risk.

For information only - this is not medical advice. If you are worried about HPV, a symptom or your screening results, talk to your doctor or sexual health service.

What HPV is

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is not one virus but a large family. The US National Cancer Institute (NCI) describes HPV as a group of more than 200 related viruses, some of which are spread through vaginal, anal or oral sex (NCI: HPV and Cancer). The NHS adds that it can also spread through skin-to-skin contact in the genital area, that penetrative sex is not needed, and that it can be passed on the first time someone has sex (NHS: HPV).

HPV is extremely common. NCI states that nearly all sexually active people are infected with HPV within months to a few years of becoming sexually active, and the World Health Organization (WHO) says almost all sexually active people will be infected at some point in their lives (WHO: HPV and cancer fact sheet). Having HPV is not a sign of anything unusual, and the NHS describes it as nothing to be ashamed of.

Low-risk and high-risk types

NCI groups HPV types into low-risk and high-risk:

  • Low-risk types rarely cause cancer. Some can cause warts on or around the genitals, anus, mouth or throat.
  • High-risk types can cause cancer if the infection lasts for many years. NCI lists 12 high-risk types: HPV 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58 and 59. Of these, HPV 16 and 18 cause most HPV-related cancers.

NCI notes that about half of HPV infections are with high-risk types. Even so, most of these infections never turn into cancer.

Which cancers HPV can cause

WHO explains that persistent infection with high-risk HPV causes cervical cancer and is also associated with cancers of the vulva, vagina, mouth and throat, penis and anus. NCI gives the share of each cancer that is caused by HPV:

  • Cervical cancer: virtually all cervical cancer is caused by HPV.
  • Anal cancer: over 90% is caused by HPV.
  • Vaginal cancer: most (75%) is caused by HPV.
  • Oropharyngeal (throat) cancer: most (70%) is caused by HPV.
  • Vulvar cancer: most (69%) is caused by HPV.
  • Penile cancer: most (63%) is caused by HPV.

These percentages describe how many of each cancer are linked to HPV. They do not describe the chance that a person with HPV will get cancer, which is low. NCI stresses that anyone, regardless of sex, can develop an HPV-related cancer.

How HPV can lead to cancer

NCI explains that when high-risk HPV infects cells, for example in the cervix, it interferes with the way those cells grow, divide and communicate with one another. If the infection is not cleared, infected cells can keep growing and become precancerous cells, which may later become cancer. For cervical cells, NCI says this usually takes a long time: about 5 to 10 years to become precancer and about 20 years to develop into cancer.

That long timeline is one reason screening works so well for cervical cancer: precancerous changes can be found and treated before cancer develops. To understand how gene changes in cells lead to cancer more generally, see what is cancer?

Most HPV infections clear on their own

Being told you have HPV can be worrying, but it is important to keep it in proportion. NCI states that the immune system usually controls HPV infections so that they are cleared within a year or two. WHO says that in 90% of people the body controls the infection by itself. The NHS says the body usually clears the virus within 2 years, although it can sometimes stay longer.

The NHS also notes that there is no treatment for the HPV infection itself. What can be treated are the problems it may cause, such as genital warts or abnormal cell changes in the cervix.

Symptoms: usually none

NCI states that infection with high-risk HPV does not cause symptoms. The NHS says HPV does not usually cause any symptoms, and that sometimes it causes painless growths or lumps around the vagina, penis or anus (genital warts), which come from low-risk types. NCI explains that if a high-risk infection lasts and leads to precancer or cancer, that cancer may cause symptoms such as lumps, bleeding or pain.

Because HPV itself is silent, you cannot tell from how you feel whether you have it. Any lasting or unexplained change - such as bleeding that is not normal for you, a lump, or a sore throat or mouth problem that does not get better - is worth checking with a doctor. Our guide to cancer warning signs explains general changes to discuss.

Testing for HPV

Testing for HPV is mainly done as part of cervical screening. NCI notes that cervical cancer is currently the only HPV-related cancer for which FDA-approved screening tests are available, and that routine screening with an HPV test or Pap test can prevent most cervical cancer. The NHS says HPV testing is part of cervical screening and that there is no blood test for HPV. Our guide what is a Pap smear? explains the Pap test, the HPV test and how results are given.

For other HPV-related cancers, NCI says:

  • there are no standard anal cancer screening tests for the general public, although an anal Pap test is sometimes used for people at higher risk;
  • there are no standard screening tests for oropharyngeal (throat) cancer;
  • there are no standard screening tests for penile cancer.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that there is currently no approved test for HPV in men (CDC: HPV and Men). For how screening works in general, and its benefits and limits, see cancer screening explained.

HPV and men

HPV is not only a women's health issue. CDC says most men who get HPV never have symptoms and the infection usually goes away by itself. CDC also notes that cancers from HPV are not common in men, and that men with weakened immune systems, including those living with HIV, are at higher risk. WHO estimates that in 2019 HPV caused about 70,000 cancer cases in men worldwide, compared with about 620,000 in women.

How to lower the risk of HPV-related cancer

WHO states that being vaccinated is the best way to prevent HPV infection, cervical cancer and other HPV-related cancers. These general steps come from NCI, WHO and the NHS:

  1. Ask about the HPV vaccine. NCI estimates the vaccine can prevent up to 90% of cancers caused by HPV infection. WHO recommends giving it before people become sexually active, which is why it is offered at a young age.
  2. Go for cervical screening when invited, if you have a cervix - even if you have been vaccinated. The vaccine does not protect against every high-risk type.
  3. Use condoms. NCI says correct use can lower the chance of passing on HPV but does not prevent it completely, because they do not cover all the skin around the genitals.
  4. Do not smoke. WHO lists not smoking, alongside condom use, among the ways to lower risk.
  5. See a doctor about any lasting change, such as unusual bleeding, a lump or a sore that does not heal, rather than waiting.

For the wider picture of what lowers cancer risk, see reducing cancer risk.

Who is offered the HPV vaccine

Who is offered the vaccine, and how many doses, depends on the country and can change over time, so it is best to check with your doctor or your national vaccination programme. As examples from official bodies:

  • WHO (global): recommends vaccinating girls aged 9 to 14, before they become sexually active, and says the vaccine may be given as 1 or 2 doses; people with weakened immune systems should receive 2 or 3 doses.
  • CDC (United States): recommends HPV vaccination for all preteens, boys and girls, at age 11 or 12 (it can start at age 9), and for everyone through age 26 who was not vaccinated already.

NCI notes that HPV vaccines are approved in the US up to age 45, but vaccination is not routinely recommended for most people aged 27 to 45. Whether it could help an adult in that age range is a question to discuss with a doctor.

Talking to a doctor

If you have had an abnormal screening result, have been told you have HPV, or have a symptom that worries you, it can help to write your questions down first. Our list of questions to ask your doctor may help, and if you are referred to a cancer specialist, what is an oncologist? explains the different kinds.

Having HPV does not mean you have or will get cancer. Most infections clear on their own. This page cannot tell you what your own result means - please ask your doctor or nurse.

Sources

Published and last reviewed: 10 November 2026.

Common questions

Does HPV always cause cancer?

No. HPV is very common and most infections are cleared by the body within a year or two, according to NCI. Only a long-lasting infection with a high-risk type can lead to precancer and, after many years, cancer.

Which cancers are caused by HPV?

NCI says virtually all cervical cancer and over 90% of anal cancer are caused by HPV, as are most vaginal, oropharyngeal (throat), vulvar and penile cancers.

Can men get cancer from HPV?

Yes, although CDC says cancers from HPV are not common in men. HPV is linked to anal, penile and oropharyngeal (throat) cancers. CDC notes there is currently no approved HPV test for men.

Is there a treatment for HPV?

The NHS says there is no treatment for the HPV infection itself, but problems it can cause, such as genital warts or abnormal cervical cells, can be treated.

Do I still need cervical screening if I had the HPV vaccine?

Yes. The vaccine does not protect against every high-risk HPV type, so NCI and the NHS advise vaccinated people with a cervix to keep going for screening when invited.