Currently, there is no treatment for HPV. However, in 90% of cases, the body’s immune system will clear a HPV infection within a few years, without any treatment. HPV infections that don’t go away completely can be more or less detectable over time depending on how your immune system is doing. When your immune system is stressed or compromised, an HPV infection from many years ago can reappear, even if you had many ‘normal’ results in the years between. Other viruses also behave this way, like chickenpox, which can reactivate later in life to cause shingles.
The most effective way to take care of an HPV infection is by engaging in routine cervical cancer screening and recommended follow-up care. There is a preventive HPV vaccine that helps protect against certain HPV types, but it works best when taken before exposure to HPV.
Only a very small percentage of HPV infections lead to abnormal cell changes requiring treatment
Read more about the different ways HPV can show up in your body, and how this can change over time.