Yes, human papillomavirus (HPV) can be transmitted from a woman to a man and vice versa. HPV can affect anyone who has sex with an infected person. You can get HPV if you have vaginal, anal, or oral sex with a person who has the virus. It usually spreads during anal or vaginal sex.
It also spreads through direct skin-to-skin contact during sexual intercourse. HPV can be spread even when an infected person has no signs or symptoms. Yes, men can get HPV from women. The virus can be transmitted between sexual partners of any gender.
If a man's long-term sexual partner has HPV, it is likely that good transmission of HPV has already occurred and that he also has it. HPV in men can go away from the body more easily than in women. In general, women get rid of the virus in two years or less. Generally speaking, HPV can be transmitted through any genital or anal contact, even if there are no symptoms.
If there are warts or genital lesions, it is better to avoid sexual intercourse until they resolve. If you are not completely sure that the condition has gone away, call your healthcare provider and take extra precautions if you have sex, such as wearing gloves or finger cots for masturbation, fingers, or fists. The types of HPV associated with cervical cancer usually don't cause health problems for a heterosexual man who has sex with an HPV-infected woman.
