Although there is avaccineto prevent HPV, there is no cure for the virus itself.
Home Remedies and Lifestyle
There are no home remedies that can directly treatHPV symptoms.
How Closely Are HPV and Cancer Linked?
Illustration by Zoe Hansen for Verywell Health
Nearly all cervical cancers are HPV-related.
In fact, many infections will resolve on their own without treatment.
In people with HPV, some STIs can facilitate changes in cells that lead to cancer.
Get our printable guide for your next doctor’s appointment to help you ask the right questions.
Keep in mind that HPV is spread by skin-to-skin contact and can infect areas that condoms don’t cover.
Avoiding having multiple sex partners can also reduce your risk of acquiring HPV and transmitting it to others.
The risks extend well beyond just cervical cancer.
There is strong evidence that smoking can also increase the risk of HPV-relatedhead and neck cancer.
Prescriptions
Genital warts and anal warts are brought on by human papillomavirus.
The HPV types that cause genital warts rarely cause cancer.
Even so, they can be itchy, painful, or unsightly.
The same applies to HPV-related changes in cells that can lead to cancer, referred to asdysplasia.
Genital Warts
Healthcare providers sometimes recommend a watch-and-wait approach if a genital wart is small and uncomplicated.
The hope is that it will eventually go away on its own without treatment.
When changes occur in the cervix, it is referred to ascervical dysplasia.
Cervical dysplasia can be diagnosed with aPap smear.
What About Anal Pap Smears?
People who have been diagnosed with dysplasia will need to be monitored closely for recurrence.
This is especially true if an HPV infection lasts for more than two years.
By preventing HPV infection, further treatment will not be necessary.
Get our printable guide for your next doctor’s appointment to help you ask the right questions.
Summary
There is no cure for human papillomavirus (HPV).
The treatment instead focuses onmanaging the conditions that HPV can cause.
Preventing infection, especially through vaccination, is important.
This includes genital and HPV warts.
There are also procedures used to treat HPV-related dysplasia (changes in cells that may lead to cancer).
These include procedures known as LEEP, cold knife conization, and cryosurgery.
By and large, treatments for HPV-associated conditions have few complications.
In the unlikely event that cancer is diagnosed, early treatment almost invariably leads to better outcomes.
Frequently Asked Questions
HPV is most commonly spread through vaginal or anal sex.
But it can also be spread through skin-to-skin contact during sex.
A person with HPV can pass the infection to someone even when they have no signs or symptoms.
These are referred to as low-risk HPV types.
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American Cancer Society.Risk factors for cervical cancer.
3M Pharmaceutical.Aldara (imiquimod) cream, 5%.
Oclassen Pharmaceuticals.Condylox (podofilox) gel, 0.5%.
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World Health Organization.Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and cervical cancer.
2019;26(5):3139. doi:10.1097/PAP.0000000000000239
Planned Parenthood.What is cryotherapy?.
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP).
American Academy of Family Physicians.Cervical dysplasia.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.HPV vaccination.
2020;70(5):321-46. doi:10.3322/caac.21628
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Genital HPV infection - fact sheet.
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