Can you give yourself HPV if you have a wart?

It is possible to spread human papillomavirus (HPV) to yourself if you already have warts caused by HPV. However, there are some important factors to consider.

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What is HPV?

HPV is a very common virus that infects the skin and mucous membranes. There are over 100 types of HPV. Around 40 types of HPV can infect the genital areas and cause genital warts or abnormal cell changes that can lead to cancer.

HPV is primarily spread through sexual contact with an infected partner. But it is possible to spread HPV to other areas of your own body through touch.

Can you spread HPV to yourself?

If you already have a wart caused by HPV, it is possible for the virus to spread to other areas of your body. Here are some key points:

HPV can be present on the surface of warts and invisible, microscopic abrasions on the skin near warts.

Touching a wart and then touching another part of your body provides an opportunity for transfer of the virus.
Areas most prone to self-inoculation of HPV include the hands, fingers, thighs, groin, and face.
Spreading HPV to other areas increases the number of warts you have.

Once you have been infected with a type of HPV, you usually develop immunity to that specific type. However, there are many different types of HPV that can infect you.

In essence, having a current HPV infection makes you more susceptible to spreading the virus to new sites on your own body. Proper hygiene and being careful not to touch warts can help reduce the risk of self-inoculation.

Can you spread HPV without visible warts?

It is also possible to spread HPV to yourself even if you do not have any visible warts. This can occur because:

You may have microscopic HPV-infected abrasions that are not visible.
You can shed HPV from normal looking skin when no wart is present.
Touching an area of shedding HPV and then touching normal skin can allow self-spread.

Even without visible warts, HPV can persist on the surface layers of the skin or mucous membranes and be transferred by touch. There is a higher risk of this in the first few months after HPV infection while viral shedding is highest.

What factors affect self-spread of HPV?

Several factors can influence the likelihood that HPV will spread from one part of your body to another:

Number of existing warts – The more warts you have, the more opportunity to touch them and spread the virus.

HPV viral load – Higher amounts of virus present on the skin or in warts increases contagiousness.
Involvement of fingers and hands – Warts on fingers and hands can more easily spread HPV through touch to other areas.
Fresh wounds or abrasions – Breaks in the skin allow the virus access to spread infection.

Immune suppression – Weakened immune response allows HPV to proliferate and shedding to increase.
Care in hygiene – Touching warts then touching other body parts spreads HPV. Meticulous hygiene helps prevent self-inoculation.

Understanding these risk factors can help you take precautions against spreading HPV within your own body.

Which body parts are prone to self-spread of HPV?

The areas most prone to getting infected with HPV through spreading the virus from one part of your body to another include:

Hands and fingers – Easily spread to other areas through touch.
Face – People frequently touch their face allowing transfer of HPV from hands to nose, mouth, eyes.

Thighs and groin – HPV from genital warts can spread through touch to inner thighs and groin.
Knees – Warts on feet and toes can spread to knees if in contact.
Underarms – Shaving armpits with HPV on hands can lead to infection.

Stomach/abdomen – HPV has a predilection for moist epithelial surfaces like the stomach and belly button.

Being aware of the high-risk areas for self-inoculation allows you to be vigilant about hygiene and preventing spread.

Can you spread HPV without sexual contact?

Yes, HPV can definitely spread from one part of your body to another without sexual contact. Some key points:

Casual skin-to-skin contact is enough for HPV transmission through microscopic abrasions.
Spreading HPV through touch often requires higher levels of virus than sexual transmission.
Fomites (inanimate objects) like towels, razors, and underwear can transmit HPV.

Non-sexual forms of HPV include the types that cause common warts on hands and feet.
Kissing provides opportunity for HPV transmission through contact of lips, mouth, and saliva.

While sexual activity is the most common way to contract HPV, non-sexual spread through close contact and fomites is definitely possible as well.

Steps to prevent self-spread of HPV

If you have HPV warts, you can take certain precautions to avoid infecting other areas of your own body:

Avoid touching, scratching or picking at warts. Keep warts covered with bandages.
Wash hands carefully with soap and water after touching warts. Use alcohol-based sanitizer.

Avoid shaving areas with warts using same razor on normal skin. Use electric razor instead.
Disinfect bathroom surfaces like sinks and showers after use.
Use clean towels, washcloths, undergarments each day.

Avoid touching face and mouth with hands until they are washed.
Treat existing warts to remove them and decrease HPV viral load.

Proper hygiene habits combined with wart treatment can help disrupt the spread of HPV to new areas of your body.

Treatment options for existing HPV warts

Getting treatment for your existing warts caused by HPV can help decrease contagiousness and prevent self-spread. Treatment options include:

Treatment	Methods
Medications	Imiquimod, podophyllin, sinecatechins, etc.
Destruction	Cryotherapy, electrocautery, laser ablation
Surgical removal	Excision, shave removal
Home remedies	Duct tape, salicylic acid, apple cider vinegar

Seeking treatment for genital warts or common warts on hands/feet can help remove the source of HPV and lower transmission risk. Discuss options with your doctor to find the most appropriate treatments.

Does treatment of warts prevent self-spread of HPV?

Successfully treating existing visible warts can definitely help prevent spread of HPV to other areas of your body. Here’s how:

Destroys HPV infected cells – Removes source and reservoir of virus from the body.
Decreases overall HPV viral load – Lowers the amount of virus present to transmit.
Reduces risk of touching warts – Removes warts that can be touched and spread.

May stimulate immune response – Your immune system can better control any remaining HPV.
Eliminates microscopic HPV lesions – Invisible infected skin can no longer transmit virus.

However, treatment may not prevent future warts in all cases because:

HPV may still persist at low levels after wart removal.
You can still have HPV viral shedding with no visible wart.
HPV can stay dormant and reactivate later.

Treating warts reduces but does not completely eliminate the ability for HPV to spread within your body. But it is still an important tool to control infection.

Risk factors that increase self-spread of HPV

Certain factors can make you more prone to spread HPV from one part of your body to another. These include:

Weak immune system – from HIV, drugs, autoimmune disease allows HPV to proliferate.

Immunosuppressants – Medications that intentionally suppress immunity.
Active HPV infection – Higher HPV levels and active replication and shedding.
Genetic susceptibility – Gene mutations causing skin or immune abnormalities.

Skin trauma – Cuts, abrasions or burns provide viral entry points.
Other infections – Having bacterial, viral or fungal infections in addition to HPV.
Smoking – Impairs immune response and encourages HPV spread.

Knowing your individual risk factors allows you to take focused preventive steps to avoid self-spread of HPV.

Precautions for people at high risk of self-spread

If you have a condition or situation that increases your susceptibility to infecting yourself with HPV, extra precautions can help. These include:

Check skin carefully each day for warts or abnormal changes.

Keep skin moisturized to avoid cracks and openings.
Use gloves for activities like gardening or cleaning.
Bandage any wounds, scrapes or cuts immediately.

Shower and change clothes after potential HPV exposures.
Discuss immune boosting or antiviral medications with your doctor.
Ask about vaccination to protect against strains of HPV you don’t have.

Avoid taking immunosuppressant medications if possible.

Being proactive and vigilant about reducing HPV spread can offset increased susceptibility in those with high-risk conditions.

Conclusion

The bottom line is that it is definitely possible to spread HPV from one area of your body to another through touch. Self-inoculation with HPV most commonly occurs from visible warts but can also happen from microscopic infected skin or simply shedding virus, especially with high-risk strains.

Practicing good hygiene, treating existing warts, avoiding skin trauma, and controlling risk factors can all help prevent spreading HPV within your own body. While not completely foolproof, being aware and taking precautions offers the best protection.