What an HPV test for men checks
An HPV test checks a swab sample for strains of the human papillomavirus. These 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 test covers high-risk types 16 and 18 among others. A result applies to the area swabbed and to that point in time. Cervical screening comes with an agreed programme for acting on a high-risk result, but there's no equivalent for a man without symptoms. Your clinician will explain what your result means for you.
When is HPV testing worth it for men?
Testing is most worth doing when you have visible warts or lesions and want to understand the strain involved. It's also worth doing when a partner has recently been told they have high-risk HPV and you'd like to know your own status. Most HPV infections in men clear on their own, and there's no agreed screening interval as there is for women. So if you have no symptoms and no known exposure, testing is a personal choice. Your clinician can talk it through with you at the appointment.
HPV in men: symptoms
Most men with HPV have no symptoms at all. When symptoms do appear, they're usually genital warts from low-risk types: small, flesh-coloured or skin-toned bumps in the genital area, sometimes described as cauliflower-shaped. High-risk types typically cause no visible signs, so symptoms can't tell you whether you carry them.
If your partner has HPV
If a partner has tested positive for HPV, particularly a high-risk type, it's reasonable to ask about your own testing, even without symptoms. HPV is extremely common and very often says nothing about when or how it was caught, so this conversation needn't carry blame. Our clinicians can talk through what testing can 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 that helps protect against future infection. It doesn't clear an infection you already have. 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. Gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men can have it through sexual health clinics up to age 45. Outside these groups, adults can have it privately after talking it through with a clinician. At Sexual Health Clinic London the first dose is £325 and each additional dose is £225. You can read more at HPV vaccination (Gardasil 9). The two work together: testing tells you where you stand now, and vaccination protects you from here on.
If you have visible warts
A visible wart or bump is assessed by examination rather than a routine HPV swab. Our genital warts check is a clinical examination by a doctor for £150, with an immediate diagnosis. We then discuss treatment options with you directly.
How to get tested on Harley Street
The HPV swab is taken by our clinical team, and results are given to you confidentially. If you'd like a broader check alongside HPV, our Platinum STI package for men, £625, includes HPV testing alongside a wider panel covering chlamydia, gonorrhoea, HIV, syphilis and more. The Platinum package for men who have sex with men, also £625, includes HPV testing too, along 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. You can also read how private STI testing in London works before you come.
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
