21/01/2026
Here are six things we want everyone to know about HPV this Cervical Cancer Prevention Week:
1. HPV (Human papillomavirus) is a common virus. HPV infects the skin and the moist lining inside parts of the body called mucous membranes. This includes the: cervix (the neck of the womb), va**na (the internal ge***alia), v***a (the skin of the lips surrounding the va**na and the cl****is), a**s, lining of your mouth and throat, skin of the p***s.
2. HPV is passed on through skin-to-skin s*xual contact. This includes s*xual touch, oral, va**nal and a**l s*x, and sharing s*x toys. Because the virus is passed on through skin-to-skin contact, it is easy to get and difficult to completely protect against.
3. 4 in 5 of us get HPV at some point in our lives. Most of the time, our immune system gets rid of HPV within two years without it causing any problems.
4. HPV is split into two groups: low-risk HPV and high-risk HPV. Most types of HPV are in the low-risk group. Low-risk HPV may not cause any problems. Sometimes it can cause warts on your hands or feet, or ge***al warts.
5. About 14 types of HPV are linked to cancer. These are called high-risk HPV. Having high-risk HPV does not mean you will get cancer. In most people, HPV will go away without causing any problems.
6. Nearly all cervical cancers are caused by high-risk HPV. Around 1 in 20 cancers are caused by HPV.
We have lots more information on HPV, HPV vaccination and cervical screening on our website: eveappeal.org.uk/ccpw
