HPV Infection Risk
The surest way to eliminate risk for genital HPV infection is to refrain from any genital contact with another individual.
For
those who choose to be sexually active, a long-term, mutually
monogamous relationship with an uninfected partner is the strategy most
likely to prevent future genital HPV infections. However, it is
difficult to determine whether a partner who has been sexually active
in the past is currently infected.
For those choosing to be
sexually active and who are not in long-term mutually monogamous
relationships, reducing the number of sexual partners and choosing a
partner less likely to be infected may reduce the risk of genital HPV
infection. Partners less likely to be infected include those who have
had no or few prior sex partners.
HPV infection can occur in
both male and female genital areas that are covered or protected by a
latex condom, as well as in areas that are not covered. While the
effect of condoms in preventing HPV infection is unknown, condom use
has been associated with a lower rate of cervical cancer, an
HPV-associated disease.
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