What an HPV test for men checks
An HPV test checks a swab sample for strains of the human papillomavirus, split broadly into high-risk types, which are linked to certain cancers, and low-risk types, which are the ones most likely to cause visible genital warts. Our HPV test covers high-risk types 16 and 18 among others. It costs £225, which includes taking the swab, the examination and HPV typing, and results take 3 to 5 days. A result only applies to the area swabbed and to that point in time. Unlike cervical screening in women, there is no agreed programme for acting on a high-risk result in a man without symptoms, so your clinician will explain what your result means for you.
When HPV testing is worth it for men, and when it isn't
Testing is most worth doing when you have visible warts or lesions and want to understand the strain involved, or when a partner has recently been told they have high-risk HPV and you want to know your own status. Because most HPV infections in men clear on their own and there is no agreed screening interval the way there is for women, testing "just in case" with no symptoms and no known exposure is a personal choice rather than a clinical necessity, and your clinician can talk this through with you at the appointment.
HPV in men: symptoms
Most men with HPV have no symptoms at all. When symptoms do appear, they are usually low-risk-type genital warts: small, flesh-coloured or skin-toned bumps, sometimes described as cauliflower-shaped, in the genital area. High-risk HPV types typically cause no visible signs, so you cannot tell from symptoms whether you carry them.
If your partner has HPV
If a partner has told you they have tested positive for HPV, particularly a high-risk type, it is reasonable to ask about your own testing options, even without symptoms. HPV is extremely common and very often does not indicate anything about when or how it was acquired, so this is not a conversation that needs to carry blame. Our clinicians can talk through what testing can and cannot tell you in this situation.
Testing vs vaccination
Testing tells you whether you currently carry a detectable HPV infection. Vaccination is a separate, preventive step: Gardasil 9 protects against nine HPV types (6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52 and 58), covering most of the strains responsible for genital warts and HPV-related cancers. The NHS offers it at age 12 to 13, with catch-up up to age 25, and to gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men up to age 45 through sexual health clinics. Outside these groups, adults can have it privately after discussing it with a clinician. At Sexual Health Clinic London the first dose is £325 and each additional dose is £225. You can read more about the vaccine at HPV vaccination (Gardasil 9). Testing and vaccination are not a substitute for one another: vaccination does not clear an existing infection, and testing does not provide future protection.
If you have visible warts
A visible wart or bump is assessed differently to a routine HPV swab. Our genital warts check is a clinical examination by a doctor, £150, with an immediate diagnosis, and treatment options are then discussed with you directly.
How to get tested on Harley Street
An HPV test involves a swab taken by our clinical team, with results back in 3 to 5 days, communicated to you confidentially. If you would prefer a broader check alongside HPV, our Platinum STI package for men, £625, includes HPV testing as part of a wider STI panel covering chlamydia, gonorrhoea, HIV, syphilis and more. The Platinum package for men who have sex with men, also £625, includes HPV testing too, with throat and rectal chlamydia and gonorrhoea testing. You can walk in seven days a week at 117A Harley Street for any of these appointments, as part of our wider private STI testing in London service.
Book an HPV test or the Platinum screening package at 117a Harley Street.
References
- NHS: HPV (human papillomavirus)
- NHS: HPV vaccine
- NICE Clinical Knowledge Summaries: Genital warts
- BASHH: UK national guideline on the management of anogenital warts
- UKHSA: Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme
