Can I get reinfected with HPV?

Yes. There are more than 100 types of HPV, and having one type doesn’t protect you against the others. You can also catch the same type again. Research suggests the antibodies your body makes after an infection give women only modest protection against that type, and men may get little or none, although the evidence is limited.

The good news is that most HPV infections clear by themselves. The NHS says the virus is usually cleared by your body within 2 years, although it can sometimes stay for longer.

HPV (human papillomavirus) is a very common virus that affects the skin and places like the inside of the mouth, throat, vagina and anus. Most people will get some type of HPV in their life, and you don’t need to have had lots of partners to catch it.

• Low-risk types can cause genital warts. Types 6 and 11 cause about 90% of them.
• High-risk types can cause changes to cells that may lead to cancer, including cervical, anal, penile, vulval and vaginal cancers and some head and neck cancers.

HPV usually has no symptoms, so most people who have it don’t know. Read more in “What cancers can HPV cause?”

The NHS says you can get HPV from:

• any skin-to-skin contact of the genital area
• vaginal, anal or oral sex
• sharing sex toys

You don’t need to have penetrative sex, and HPV can pass on when there are no warts or other signs. Rarely, a mother can pass HPV to her baby during birth. Read more in “3 STIs you can catch even if you use a condom”

When HPV is found again after a clear result, or warts come back after treatment, it isn’t always a new infection. HPV can stay in the body at levels too low to find, and become active again later. The NHS says you can have HPV for many years without it causing problems, even if you haven’t had a new partner for many years.

Doctors usually can’t tell whether a repeat result is a new infection or the same one. So the NHS says a positive HPV result doesn’t mean your partner has had sex with someone else while you’ve been together.

These things can make it more likely that you catch HPV again, or that it stays in your body:

• new sexual partners, or a partner who has other partners
• smoking, which makes it harder for your immune system to clear HPV
• a weakened immune system, for example from HIV or medicines that suppress the immune system

Warts are also more likely to last or come back if you smoke, are pregnant or have a weakened immune system.

Yes. Treatment removes warts but doesn’t always clear the virus from the skin, so warts can come back weeks, months or years later. Treatment isn’t always needed, as warts sometimes go on their own within 6 months, and UK guidelines say there’s little evidence that any treatment stops them coming back.

If you have genital warts, your current partners should think about getting checked, as they may have warts without knowing it. They don’t need treatment unless they have warts too. Read more in “Can I get genital warts if my partner has them?”

Usually not. Most HPV infections cause no problems and clear by themselves. What matters for cancer risk is a high-risk type that stays in the body for a long time, and that’s what cervical screening looks for.

Cervical screening tests a sample from the cervix for high-risk HPV first. In England and Wales, people with a cervix aged 25 to 64 are invited every 5 years. If HPV is found but your cells are normal, you’re invited back after 1 year to check whether it has cleared. There’s no routine HPV test for men in the UK.

The HPV vaccine used in the UK, Gardasil 9, protects against 9 types of HPV, including the types that cause most genital warts and cervical cancers. Protection lasts at least 10 years and may be lifelong.

It doesn’t treat an infection you already have. But UKHSA says it may boost immunity and help prevent reinfection, and having had one type doesn’t reduce its protection against the others. In the UK:

• all children aged 12 to 13 are offered it
• girls, and boys born on or after 1 September 2006, can catch up until their 25th birthday
• gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men can have it up to and including the age of 45

People under 25 usually need 1 dose, and people aged 25 to 45 usually need 2. Condoms lower the risk too, but they don’t cover all the skin around the genitals, so they don’t fully protect you.

Better2Know offers:

• HPV home test: for women, a vaginal swab that checks for 14 high-risk types of HPV, with results in 3 days.
• Blemish Screen: if you have a wart, lump or sore on or around your genitals, it tests a swab for HPV, Herpes 1, Herpes 2 and Syphilis, with results in 5 days. You can book it at one of our clinics or order a Blemish Screen home test.
• Full Screen: if you’d like to check for other STIs, it tests for 7 infections, including HIV, Syphilis, Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea, from 28 days after sex, with results in 3 days.

If you test before 45 days, a negative HIV result needs a repeat test. A Syphilis test in the first 3 months after sex can miss the infection, so you may need a repeat test. Not sure which test you need? Our Patient Care Team is available 24/7 on 020 7099 0955.

Can my partner and I keep passing HPV back and forth?

HPV passes easily between partners, often without any signs, but there’s no good evidence on couples passing the same infection back and forth. Most infections clear by themselves, and the vaccine and condoms lower the risk.

Is HPV more serious the second time?

There’s no evidence that a second infection is more serious than the first. What raises the risk of cancer is a high-risk type that stays in your body for a long time.

Should I get the HPV vaccine if I’ve already had HPV?

If you’re eligible, yes. UKHSA says that if you’re sexually active, you should still have the vaccine, as it protects against types you haven’t had.

You can get HPV more than once, and repeat results are common. But most infections clear by themselves, and the vaccine, condoms and not smoking all lower your risk. If you have a cervix, cervical screening picks up the high-risk types that matter most.

Order an HPV home test, or book a Blemish Screen at a clinic near you if you have a wart or lump. Our Patient Care Team is available 24/7 on 020 7099 0955.

Not in the UK? Choose your country from the selector at the top of the page for local tests and prices.

This article was last updated on 1 October 2026.

Medical review. This article was medically reviewed by Dr Steve Chapman, Doctor with a wealth of clinical experience in the field of STIs, on 29 April 2025. It is general information and not a substitute for personal medical advice.

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