I am aware of the effects such as cervial cancer of HPV in women, but if there are no signs and symptoms how will a male know that he has HPV and how is it treated in men?

Dear Reader,

Great question! It reflects the fact that there is loads more information out there about how genital human papilloma virus (HPV) affects women than about how the virus affects men. Hopefully, this response will take care of that! While some strains of HPV may be asymptomatic and may disappear on their own, other strains may cause health problems, such as warts and cancer of the penis and anus. Currently, there is no clinical way to "test" for HPV in men, as there is for women, so if you think you've been exposed, your best bet is to keep a look out for the following possible symptoms on the penis, testicles, groin, thighs, or anus:

• Warts (raised, flat, or shaped like a cauliflower)
• Blisters
• Sores
• Ulcers
• White patches
• Any area of the penis that you think looks abnormal
  List adapted from HPV and Men from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

In 2009, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Gardasil (one HPV vaccine) for males age nine to 26. While the vaccine does not treat HPV, it prevents infection from certain HPV strains if received prior to exposure. A health care provider can help you decide whether the vaccine is right for you. In terms of treatment, genital warts that are caused by HPV may be treated with prescription drugs or may be removed by a health care provider with surgery or freezing them off, depending on individual circumstances.

To protect yourself and your partner from HPV transmission, put on a condom before having sex. Although condoms may not always prevent transmission of the virus because they only cover the penis and the virus may be on other parts of the genitals, they can go a long way to keeping HPV at bay because they will cover warts on the penis. For more information on using condoms and HPV transmission, you may want to check out the Go Ask Alice! sexual health archives for the responses in Dormant genital warts? Inactive? Gone? and Transmission of genital warts AND medical reference book.

If you are a student at Columbia and would like to discuss HPV risk, transmission, and symptoms in more depth, you can make an appointment to see a health care provider by either calling x4-2284 or by logging in to Open Communicator.

Again, thanks for your question,

Alice