The human papilloma is a papilloma virus which infects the skin and mucous membranes of humans. 130 HPV types have been discovered until now and some of them can cause warts or cancer. Still, other types have no symptoms. Almost 40 types of them are transmitted through sexual contact and infect the anogenital region. The persistent infections are different from one another but they might develop to precancerous lesions and cancer. The HPV strains mostly cause the cervical cancer.

Researchers have discovered and stated in The Journal of Infectious Diseases that men increase the risk of developing HPV infections but these infections last less than a year. A year is the time that the virus needs to develop in women too.

The human papilloma virus has been known for causing those genital warts, but the HPV has started to be strongly connected with cervical cancer. Recently, 25% of the girls in the United States have taken the vaccine against this type of cancer. Gardasil released a vaccine to prevent cervical cancer and doctors advised parents to get their daughters vaccine around 11 or 12 years old, before they become sexually active.

Dr. Anna R. Giuliano of the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute in Tampa, Florida, and colleagues led a study on 290 men from Arizona with ages between 18 and 44. They were examined from 6 to 6 months and all in all they were tracked for 15.5 months.

30% of them got the HPV and the rate of infection was 29.2%. Among all the men who were found to be infected with the HPV, three types of the virus can cause cervical cancer. 75% of the infection could be cured within a year.