How is HPV transmitted?
HPV infects the skin, often causing irregular cell growth or warts. Genital skin-to-skin contact with another individual is believed to be the most common route of transmission. Most sexually active people get at least one HPV infection in their life, usually without ever knowing it. It is very difficult to determine whether a partner who has been sexually active in the past is currently infected. Transmission of the virus is possible even when there are no visible signs of infection. Even when genital warts are removed or destroyed, HPV often persists in surrounding skin. Non-sexual transmission of HPV has been reported. A mother with HPV can pass the infection to her child during birth, which would be detected in the linings of the nose and mouth of the child.
