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Prevention
By Mayo Clinic staff
Common warts
It's difficult to prevent HPV infections that cause common warts. If you have a common wart, you can prevent the spread of the infection and formation of new warts by not picking at a wart and not biting your nails.
Plantar warts
You may reduce the risk of contracting HPV infections that cause plantar warts by keeping your feet clean and dry, wearing clean socks, and wearing shoes or sandals in public pools and locker rooms.
Genital warts
You can reduce your risk of developing genital warts and other HPV-related genital lesions by:
- Being in a mutually monogamous sexual relationship
- Reducing your number of sex partners
- Using a latex condom, which may prevent some but not all HPV transmission
HPV vaccines
A vaccine known as Gardasil protects against the strains of HPV that cause most genital warts. Gardasil also protects against the HPV strains most likely to cause cervical cancer. Another vaccine, called Cervarix, protects against cervical cancer but not genital warts.
The national Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends routine HPV vaccination for girls and boys ages 11 and 12. If not fully vaccinated at ages 11 and 12, they recommend that girls and women through age 26 and boys and men through age 21 receive the vaccine. However, men may receive the HPV vaccine through age 26 if desired. These vaccines are most effective if given before becoming sexually active.
- HPV (Human papillomavirus). U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/forconsumers/byaudience/forwomen/ucm118530.htm. Accessed Nov. 28, 2012.
- Longo DL, et al. Harrison's Online. 18th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2012. http://www.accessmedicine.com/resourceTOC.aspx?resourceID=4. Accessed Nov. 28, 2012.
- Castle PE. The life cycle, natural history, and immunology of human papillomaviruses. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Nov. 28, 2012.
- Genital HPV infection: Fact sheet. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/std/HPV/STDFact-HPV.htm. Accessed Nov. 28, 2012.
- Goldsmith LA, et al., eds. Fitzpatrick's Dermatology in General Medicine. 8th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2012. http://www.accessmedicine.com/resourceTOC.aspx?resourceID=740. Accessed Nov. 28, 2012.
- Goldman L, et al. Cecil Medicine. 24th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2012. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/191371208-2/0/1492/0.html#. Accessed Nov. 28, 2012.
- Reichman R. Epidemiology of human papillomavirus infections. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Nov. 28, 2012.
- Palefsky JM, et al. Virology of human papillomavirus infections and the link to cancer. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Nov. 28, 2012.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, et al. Recommendations on the use of quadrivalent human papillomavirus vaccine in males - Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). MMWR Recommendations and Reports. 2011:60;1705.
- Salicylic acid. Micromedex Healthcare Series. http://www.micromedex.com. Accessed Nov. 29, 2012.
- Imiquimod. Micromedex Healthcare Series. http://www.micromedex.com. Accessed Nov. 29, 2012.
- Podofilox. Micromedex Healthcare Series. http://www.micromedex.com. Accessed Nov. 29, 2012.
- Mulhem E, et al. Treatment of nongenital cutaneous warts. American Family Physician. 2011;84:288.
- Steckelberg JM (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Dec. 3, 2012.
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