The human papilloma virus (HPV) is transmitted through sexual contact. Much of the information about human papillomavirus is focused on women, because having the virus increases the risk of developing cervical cancer. However, the HPV virus in men can also cause health problems. It is important for men to know how to reduce the risks of human papillomavirus infection. HPV infection can increase a man’s risk of developing genital cancer, although these cancers are not common. Human papillomavirus can also cause genital warts in men, just as it does in women. More than half of men who are sexually active will contract HPV. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that more than half of men worldwide are infected with HPV at some point in their lives. Often, in men, the infection goes away on its own, without health problems, and the virus has no obvious symptoms, especially with a healthy immune system. However, some of the types of HPV associated with genital cancer can lead to cancer of the anus or penis in men. Both types of cancer are rare, especially in men with healthy immune systems. The risk of anal cancer is about 17 times higher in sexually active homosexual and bisexual men than in men who only have sex with women. Men who have HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) infection are also at higher risk of these cancers. Most cancers that develop in the back of the throat, including the base of the tongue and in the tonsils, are also associated with human papillomavirus. In fact, these are the most common HPV-related cancers found in men. Other types of HPV viruses rarely cause cancer in men, but they do cause genital warts. The types of high-risk HPV that can cause cancer rarely show symptoms in men or women. Genital warts are the first symptom that can be noticed with low-risk HPV strains because they only cause warts, not cancer. References: 1. WebMD.HPV Infection in Men 2. STD Facts – HPV and Men – CDC 3. HPV infection in men – PubMed 4. MedicalNewsToday. HPV in men: Symptoms, complications, causes, and treatment 5. Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) – Cleveland Clinic