My doctor says the only way to get this disease is through sex. I guess she'll watch for more cervical changes. I have never had sex with anyone other than my spouse and have been what I thought was happily married for 27 years. Of the 50 some odd strains of HPV that infect humans, about six are thought to cause cancer of the cervix. Others can cause warts on the feet, skin, vocal cords, or any skin surface or mucous membrane.
Genital warts are common.
A study of college women showed that almost 80 percent had HPV in their vaginas at some point in their four years of college. Obvious genital warts in men are not that common, which probably means that many men carry the virus without showing any signs. The wart virus has even been found in virgins. That's because warts can be transmitted through inanimate objects. One report identified a number of people who were infected after lying on unsterilized massage tables.