Most people with HPV do not develop symptoms or health problems from it. In 90% of cases, the body’s immune system clears HPV within two years. But there is no way to know which people who get HPV will go on to develop health problems.
- Sometimes, certain types of HPV can cause genital warts in males and females. Rarely, these types can also cause warts in the throat — a condition called recurrent respiratory papillomatosis or RRP.
- Other HPV types can cause normal cells in the body to turn abnormal, and might lead to cancer over time. These HPV types can cause Cervical cancer and other, less common cancers, including cancers of the vulva, vagina, penis, anus, and oropharynx (back of the throat, including the base of the tongue and tonsils).
The types of HPV that can cause genital warts are not the same as the types that can cause cancer.
