What happens when u get it?

Symptoms of HPV normally appears in the form of a cauliflower-like growths called genital warts, that occur on and around the vagina, penis and anus . These may be also flat.

There are two types of strains of HPV. One is called low-risk and this tends to show up as genital warts on the external or interal genitalia. Warts can be removed through different methods, including burning or freezing them off. this needs to be done by a doctor though, and not with over-the-counter medication.

The other type is called high-risk. this rarely manifests itself in men–they just tend to be carriers. High risk HPV is what can cause abnormal cervical changes in women. Left untreated, this may develop into cervical cancer. It is really important for all women who are sexually-active to get Pap smears every year, because cervical cancer is very easy to treat when caught early.

It is important to note that the majority of people who have HPV never have symptoms that manifest themselves as genital warts or cervical cancer. but they can be silent carriers, as the virus can be passed on to others even if no symptoms are present. just because a woman has HPV does not mean she will definitely get cancer! Most women fight the virus off on their own.

Also, HPV is an extremely common virus. It is estimated that by the age of 50, 75-80% of sexually active women will have had some form of the other of HPV. It's just that many never realize they have it.

My OBGYN said that 3 out of 4 people have HPV and most have no symptoms at all. The only symptom of having it is if your doc has found some genital warts or cervical cancer. (or cancer cells)