• Regular pap tests
• Abstinence from all sexual activity
• Maintain monogamous relationship with someone who has had no other or few sex partners
• Limit the number of partners you have and choose your partners carefully. The fewer partners your partner has had, the less likely he or she is to have HPV
• Condoms may help reduce the risk of HPV infection but is not fully protective against infection
• Vaccination with HPV vaccine

Pap test ¹⁸

The Pap test looks for cell changes caused by genital HPV. It finds cell changes early-so the cells can be treated before they turn into cancer. This test can also find cancer in its early stages so it can be treated before it becomes life threatening.

Vaccination ¹⁸

Currently vaccination is available to prevent HPV infection and may reduce the risk of cervical cancer and HPV related diseases caused by certain types of HPV.

Reference:

17. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Sexually Transmitted Diseases. HPV Vaccine Questions and Answers. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/std/hpv/STDFact-HPV-vaccine.htm.Assessed August 2006.

18. CDC. Genital HPV infection fact sheet.
http://www.cdc.gov/std/hpv/commoninfection/CDC_HPV_Poster_Eng_FINAL06_low.pdf