HPV viruses infect the skin that lines the lower genital tract and mouth; viral DNA replicates in the squamous epithelium. Condom use reduces the risk of transmitting HPV but does not completely prevent transmission. Since the virus infects skin cells, there can be transmission in unprotected skin-to-skin contact.
Symptoms of HPV viral infection are rare; the majority of individuals infected are unaware that they have contracted HPV. Most infections spontaneously resolve within a few months without the formation of lesions.
