Someone asked us: I haven't had sex, so how did I get HPV?
You don’t have to have sex to get HPV (human papillomavirus). You can also get it when your genitals come into any contact with the genitals or mouth of someone else who has it. This is called “skin-to-skin contact”. So even if you don’t have vaginal, anal, or oral sex, or come in contact with semen or other sexual fluids, skin-to-skin contact alone can still cause you to give or get HPV.
It's totally possible to have HPV and not know it. That’s because the most common symptom of HPV is usually no symptoms at all. It’s also the most common STD. Since many people have it, it’s very possible and normal that at some point you’ll get it. It's also hard to know when you got it, because you may have gotten it a long time ago without realizing it.
In most cases, your body’s immune system can fight off HPV on its own. HPV is the only STD where this is the case. But some types of HPV can lead to genital warts or certain types of cancer. The best way to prevent HPV is to get the HPV vaccine, and use condoms and dental dams every time you have sex. If you have a cervix, getting regular check-ups that include a Pap test and/or HPV test can help you prevent cervical cancer caused by HPV or detect it early so it’s easier to treat.