HPV and cancer

How is HPV related to cancer?

Certain types of HPV have been linked with cancers in both men and women. The section called “What is HPV?” has details on HPV types and the cells they affect.

Some of the cancers that have been linked to HPV infection include:

Cancer type	Women	Men
Cervical			X
Vulvar			X
Vaginal			X
Anal			X		X
Penile					X
Mouth & throat			X		X

For instance:

• Nearly all cervical cancers are caused by HPV.
• About 9 out of 10 squamous cell anal cancers are linked to HPV.
• Nearly half of cancers of the vulva and about 7 out of 10 vaginal cancers are HPV-related.
• About 1 out of 3 cancers of the penis are linked to HPV.

To learn more about the cancers that have been linked to HPV infection, please see HPV and Cancer or our detailed guide on the type of cancer you want to learn more about.