Receiving a positive HPV test result — or learning that your partner has one — raises very real, sometimes embarrassing questions: "Did he cheat on me? Can I pass it to my baby? Does the condom actually protect against it? Can you catch it without sex?" This article answers those questions, no taboo, with the evidence we have to date. For what to do after a positive HPV test, see our companion article: HPV positive after pap smear: what to do next. For prevention, see HPV vaccination: who, when, why?
How is HPV transmitted?
HPV is transmitted by direct skin-to-mucosa contact during sexual activity — broadly defined. It's not just intercourse: any intimate contact can transmit the virus (genital touching, oral sex, vulvovaginal-penile contact without penetration). That's why condoms, while useful, only provide partial protection: the virus can be present on areas not covered by the condom (vulva, perineum, scrotum, base of the penis).
The virus can infect any genital mucosa (cervix, vagina, vulva, anus, penis), but also oropharyngeal mucosa — which explains the worrying rise in HPV-related throat cancers over the past 20 years, particularly in men.
An extremely common infection
Around 80% of sexually active women and men will contract at least one HPV infection at some point in their lives. It's the most prevalent sexually transmitted infection in the world. In the great majority of cases, the immune system clears the virus within 12 to 24 months without any intervention. Only persistent infections — those lasting more than two years — pose a risk of precancerous lesions, and only for certain so-called "high-risk oncogenic" strains.
The key message
Having had HPV says nothing about your sex life, your fidelity, or your partner's. It's a virus that circulates very widely in the general population, and contracting it at some point in life is not unusual. The real question isn't "how do I avoid it at all costs" — it's "how do I limit its consequences" through vaccination, screening, and surveillance of persistent lesions.
The questions you didn't dare ask
"Did my partner cheat on me?"
This is probably the most painful question — and the answer is clear: a positive HPV test says nothing about fidelity. The virus can stay dormant for years, sometimes since your very first sexual encounters, and reactivate years later without any new contact. It may also have been contracted at the very start of your current relationship, or be present in your partner who is unaware of it themselves.
This is the natural history of the virus — neither a sign of infidelity nor of betrayal.
"Is my partner a carrier? Can he be tested?"
In men, there is no validated HPV test. No equivalent pap smear, no blood test, no routine examination. A male partner can therefore be a carrier without knowing — and without any way of finding out other than through your own diagnosis. This is one of the current limitations of medicine: we cannot, today, screen men for HPV in routine practice.
That said, men rarely develop HPV-related cancers: infections rarely progress to severe disease in men (with important exceptions: anal, oropharyngeal, penile cancers). This is why vaccinating boys is now considered essential — both to protect them and to limit virus circulation in the population.
"Does the condom really protect against it?"
Only partially. Condoms reduce the risk of transmission, but don't eliminate it, because the virus can be present on areas not covered by the condom (vulva, perineum, scrotum, base of the penis). They remain useful — particularly for the prevention of other sexually transmitted infections — but they don't provide absolute protection against HPV. Vaccination remains by far the most effective prevention.
"Can you catch HPV without sexual contact?"
In practice, no. Transmission via objects, toilet seats, swimming pools, towels or hands is theoretically possible but remains exceptional and has never been clearly demonstrated as a significant cause of infection. The overwhelmingly predominant route of transmission is intimate skin-to-mucosa contact during sexual activity.
"Can I pass HPV to my baby?"
Mother-to-child transmission during delivery exists but remains rare. It can, exceptionally, cause juvenile recurrent respiratory papillomatosis — a benign but recurrent condition in children that justifies certain precautions at birth. This transmission is not a routine indication for caesarean section. Discussion takes place case-by-case with your obstetrician if you have visible lesions at the time of delivery.
"What about oral HPV? Kissing?"
Oral sex can transmit HPV to the oropharyngeal area — this is the main route of transmission for HPV-related throat cancers, which have risen markedly over the past 20 years, particularly in men. Simple kissing presents a very low theoretical risk and has not been demonstrated as a significant route of infection. Here too, vaccination effectively protects against high-risk strains.
Genital warts and HPV: a frequent confusion
Many patients confuse genital warts (condylomata) with precancerous cervical lesions. They are two different manifestations of HPV, caused by distinct virus types:
Genital warts
Caused mainly by HPV types 6 and 11, classified as "low-risk". Visible, sometimes recurrent, but do not progress to cancer. Appear on the vulva, perineum, anus, penis or scrotum.
Precancerous cervical lesions
Caused by high-risk oncogenic types (HPV 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52, 58…). Silent, no symptoms — hence the importance of screening with pap smears or HPV tests.
The Gardasil 9 vaccine covers both categories: it prevents both genital warts (types 6 and 11) and the main cancer-causing strains (16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52, 58). A single vaccination therefore protects against these two very different manifestations of the virus.
What to do as a couple if one of you is positive
The situation comes up regularly in consultation: one partner gets a positive HPV result, the other is anxious. Here are the practical points.
What you need to know
- No need to test the other partner if it's a man — there is no HPV test in men. If it's a woman, normal screening for her age applies.
- No need for systematic protection between you: at this point, you have probably already been exposed. Transmission may have already occurred, and the virus often circulates both ways within a couple.
- Vaccination of the partner can be discussed if they're under 26 — it can prevent the strains they haven't yet contracted.
- Screening for the female partner should follow the standard schedule (pap smear or HPV test depending on age).
In practice, in a stable couple, discovering an HPV-positive result in one partner rarely calls for changes in sexual behaviour — except in the case of visible lesions like condylomata, where consultation is justified for both.
The best protection: vaccination before exposure
The logical conclusion of all this is that vaccination before sexual debut is, by far, the best prevention. That's why public health authorities worldwide recommend vaccinating between 11 and 14 years — well before likely exposure to the virus.
For young adults already exposed but not to all strains, catch-up vaccination up to age 26 (now reimbursed in France since December 2025) remains useful: it protects against the strains not yet contracted. The full schedule, side effects and myths are covered in our dedicated article: HPV vaccination: who, when, why?
A question, a result, a doubt?
Dr Jérémie Zeitoun consults in English at his Paris 8th arrondissement clinic and at the Hartmann Clinic in Neuilly-sur-Seine, for HPV-related questions, abnormal pap smears, colposcopy and follow-up.
Frequently asked questions
How soon after infection do symptoms appear?
HPV is almost always silent. The vast majority of infections cause no symptoms and resolve spontaneously. When lesions do appear (warts or precancerous cervical lesions), they may show up months or years after the initial infection — which is why it's often impossible to identify a specific "source" partner.
Can an HPV infection come back after disappearing?
Yes, two mechanisms exist: reinfection (with a new strain, or the same strain from another partner), and reactivation of a latent infection when the immune system is weakened (stress, illness, immunosuppressive therapy, pregnancy).
Can I have sex with a positive HPV test?
Yes. A positive HPV test is not a contraindication to sexual activity. If you're in a stable relationship, your partner has probably already been exposed. If you have a new partner, condoms reduce (but don't eliminate) transmission risk. Vaccination of the partner remains relevant if they're under 26.
Should I tell my ex-partners about a positive HPV result?
It's not a medical obligation (unlike for some other STIs such as HIV). That said, the information can be useful: an ex-partner may want to discuss it with their current partner, or to get vaccinated if they're under 26. It's a personal choice, with no formal recommendation.
Can virgins have HPV?
This is extremely rare. Non-sexual transmission (objects, hands, vertical mother-to-child) exists but remains exceptional. This is why pap smear screening only starts at age 25 in France and the UK, and only in women who have been sexually active.
My partner and I always used condoms. How could I have caught HPV?
Condoms don't cover all potentially infected areas: the vulva, perineum, scrotum and base of the penis remain in direct contact during sex. In addition, intimate contact without penetration (touching, oral sex) can transmit the virus. This is one of the reasons vaccination is more effective than condoms in preventing HPV.
Scientific sources
- World Health Organization (WHO). Human papillomavirus (HPV) and cervical cancer, fact sheet updated 2025.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Genital HPV infection — Basic fact sheet, 2025.
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Committee Opinion.
- NHS UK. HPV: human papillomavirus — Causes and transmission, 2025.
- Haute Autorité de Santé (HAS). HPV vaccination recommendations, May 2025.
- de Sanjosé S et al. Human papillomavirus genotype attribution in invasive cervical cancer: a retrospective cross-sectional worldwide study. The Lancet Oncology, 2010.
- Bouvard V et al. A review of human carcinogens — Part B: biological agents. The Lancet Oncology, 2009.