HPV infects men just as commonly as women, but most men never know they have it. The majority of infections clear on their own within a year, causing no symptoms at all. When HPV does cause problems in men, those problems range from genital warts to several types of cancer, and the virus can even affect fertility.
Most Infections Clear Without Symptoms
HPV is remarkably common and, in most cases, temporary. A study following 290 men in the U.S. found that the median time to clear an HPV infection was about 6 months. By 12 months, roughly 75% of men had cleared the virus entirely, and by 18 months, nearly 90% had. The body’s immune system handles the infection without the person ever developing symptoms or knowing they were infected.
The infections that don’t clear are the ones that matter. When the virus persists for months or years, it can trigger cell changes that lead to warts or, in rarer cases, cancer. The HPV strains that cause warts are different from those that cause cancer, so having genital warts does not mean you’re at higher risk for HPV-related cancers.
Genital Warts
Genital warts are the most visible effect of HPV in men. They appear as small, skin-colored bumps on the tip or shaft of the penis, the scrotum, or around the anus. Sometimes a cluster of warts develops a textured, cauliflower-like shape. In other cases, warts are so small they’re difficult to see with the naked eye. They can also form in the mouth or throat after oral sex with an infected partner.
Warts are not dangerous, but they can be uncomfortable and tend to recur even after treatment. They’re caused by low-risk HPV strains, most often types 6 and 11.
HPV-Linked Cancers in Men
The more serious consequence of a persistent HPV infection is cancer. High-risk strains, particularly types 16 and 18, can cause cancers of the penis, anus, and the back of the throat (oropharyngeal cancer, which includes the base of the tongue and tonsils).
Throat cancer is by far the most common HPV-related cancer in men. CDC data from 2018 to 2022 shows roughly 18,800 oropharyngeal cancers diagnosed in men per year, with an estimated 13,600 of those caused by HPV. That makes HPV-related throat cancer more common in men than cervical cancer is in women in the United States.
Anal cancer is less common overall but strongly tied to HPV. Most cases are linked to high-risk HPV types. Anal cancer can start without noticeable symptoms, but early signs include bleeding from the anus, pain, a lump or growth in the anal canal, itching, or changes in bowel habits like thinner stools. Penile cancer is rarer still, though a significant share of cases are also HPV-driven. Early signs can include changes in skin color or thickness on the penis, or sores that don’t heal.
Effects on Fertility
A growing body of research links HPV in semen to reduced fertility. The virus can attach to the surface of sperm cells, and its presence has been associated with lower sperm counts, reduced motility (how well sperm swim), and higher rates of DNA fragmentation in sperm. These changes can make it harder to conceive naturally and may also affect outcomes in assisted reproduction, since infected sperm can potentially transmit the virus to the egg during fertilization.
One encouraging finding: in a study of 99 men with HPV-infected semen who received the HPV vaccine, researchers observed higher rates of viral clearance along with improved sperm motility and lower levels of anti-sperm antibodies. This suggests vaccination may help even after infection in some cases, though this area of research is still developing.
No Approved Screening Test for Men
Unlike women, who can be tested for HPV during routine cervical screening, men have no approved clinical test for HPV in the U.S. or most other countries. There are several reasons for this gap: most infections in men clear quickly, the virus doesn’t survive as reliably on male genital skin as it does in the cervix, and researchers haven’t yet developed a sampling method for men that matches the accuracy of cervical testing.
Some clinicians use swabs from the penis, urine samples, or anal swabs to detect HPV in research settings, but these alternatives are less sensitive and not standardized for routine clinical use. In practice, this means HPV in men is typically only identified when it causes a visible problem, like warts, or when a biopsy reveals HPV-related cell changes in a cancer diagnosis. Men who have receptive anal sex are sometimes offered anal screening, but this is not yet a universal recommendation.
How Condoms Reduce Risk
HPV spreads through skin-to-skin contact, not just through bodily fluids, which means condoms don’t eliminate the risk entirely. But consistent condom use makes a meaningful difference. A large study found that men who always used condoms had about 50% lower odds of HPV detection compared to those who used them inconsistently. Among men with more than one sexual partner, consistent condom use was associated with a 60% to 77% lower risk of infection with cancer-causing HPV strains.
The key word is “consistent.” Using condoms some of the time offered much less protection than using them every time.
Vaccination for Men
The HPV vaccine is the most effective way to prevent infection. The CDC recommends vaccination at age 11 or 12, though it can be given as early as 9. For anyone who wasn’t vaccinated as a child, the vaccine is recommended through age 26. Children who start the series before age 15 need only two doses, spaced 6 to 12 months apart. Those who begin at 15 or older receive three doses over about six months.
The vaccine protects against the HPV types responsible for most genital warts and most HPV-related cancers. It works best when given before any exposure to the virus, which is why the recommendation targets preteens. But even for men in their 20s who may have already been exposed to some HPV strains, the vaccine still offers protection against strains they haven’t encountered. Adults between 27 and 45 can also discuss vaccination with a healthcare provider, as the three-dose series is approved through age 45.