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Viral STI

HPV Testing

HPV (human papillomavirus) is the most common STI in the United States: about 43 million Americans had an active infection in 2018, with an estimated 13 million new infections a year. Most clear on their own within 1–2 years with no symptoms. What matters is the split between low-risk types (6, 11) that cause genital warts and high-risk types (16, 18, and others) that, if they persist, drive cervical, oropharyngeal, anal, penile, vulvar, and vaginal cancers. Gardasil 9 covers nine types (6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52, 58) and is 99%+ effective against them, one of medicine's most effective cancer-preventing tools. Because there's no blood or urine test for HPV, protection runs through vaccination and regular cervical screening, not a single post-exposure test.

Find HPV testing near you When can HPV be detected?

Understanding HPV

Testing for HPV, in brief

HPV is usually symptomless, so testing is the only reliable way to know you have it. This page covers how HPV testing works, what it costs, and where to get tested near you.

Full HPV overview: symptoms, complications & treatment

Where to get tested

Find HPV testing near you

Choose your test and enter your city: we'll take you straight to local HPV testing: nearby clinics and labs, prices, hours and county rates.

Test from home

At-home STD testing in the U.S.

if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to the U.S., you collect the sample privately, and mail it back to a CLIA-certified lab. Results come online in days, with a clinician available if anything is positive. Same labs as a clinic, no waiting room, and you can read how accurate at-home STD tests are before you order.

Want a free option first? The CDC-supported TakeMeHome program mails free at-home HIV self-test kits, and, in many areas, free STI kits, to your door, with no insurance or payment needed. The paid kits below add broader panels and faster turnaround.

  • In-home collection

    Quest Diagnostics

    Quest Diagnostics

    $79 & up

    Panel:
    8-infection panel incl. chlamydia, gonorrhea, HIV, syphilis, hepatitis & herpes: single tests too
    Sample:
    Quest Mobile: a phlebotomist collects your sample at home
    Results:
    1–3 days, online: physician-reviewed
    • In-home sample collection
    • Nationwide Quest lab network
    • Physician-reviewed results
    • FSA/HSA eligible
    Order online Quest Diagnostics review

  • Best for simplicity & support

    LetsGetChecked

    LetsGetChecked

    $89 & up

    Panel:
    5–6 common STIs incl. chlamydia, gonorrhea, HIV, syphilis & trichomoniasis
    Sample:
    Finger-prick + urine/swab
    Results:
    2–5 days, online
    • 24/7 nurse support
    • Prescription for positives
    • CLIA-certified labs
    • Free shipping both ways
    Order online LetsGetChecked review

  • Best value: single tests

    Everlywell

    Everlywell

    $49 & up

    Panel:
    Chlamydia & gonorrhea, up to a 6-test panel adding HIV, syphilis, trichomoniasis & hep C
    Sample:
    Finger-prick + swab
    Results:
    Days, online
    • Telehealth visit if positive
    • CLIA-certified labs
    • HSA/FSA eligible
    • Subscription savings
    Order online Everlywell review

Every kit uses CLIA-certified labs. At-home testing is for screening; a reactive result should be confirmed and treated by a clinician. Prices and panels shown are illustrative and change often, confirm current details on the provider's site.

Symptoms

Do you need a HPV test?

Most HPV infections, including high-risk cancer-causing types, cause no symptoms whatsoever and clear spontaneously within 1–2 years. Many people live with HPV for months or years, transmit it to partners, and never know they had it. The absence of symptoms does not mean an infection is absent. That's exactly why testing matters: you can have it, pass it on, and never feel a thing.

See every HPV symptom — in women, men, rectal & throat

How testing works

How a HPV test works

Testing for HPV is simple and painless — you pee in a cup or do a quick swab, and a lab checks the sample for the infection. Below: your options, what each costs, and how soon you can test after a possible exposure.

When to test

Follow your cervical screening schedule: Pap test alone every 3 years starting at age 21; from age 30, HPV test alone or Pap + HPV co-test every 5 years (ASCCP also supports primary HPV testing from age 25). If a result shows high-risk HPV, your clinician will advise follow-up, either repeat testing in 1–3 years or colposcopy for further evaluation.

After treatment

If you notice soft bumps on or around the genitals or anus, see a clinician for a visual exam: genital warts are diagnosed on sight, not by swab. For high-risk HPV in people with a cervix, the right strategy is staying on your screening schedule, not seeking a one-time exposure test.

HPV test (high-risk types, cervical sample) Cervical screening
Sample
Clinician-collected or self-collected cervical swab
Results
1–5 days

Screens for 14 high-risk HPV types most closely associated with cervical cancer. ASCCP supports primary HPV testing from age 25; USPSTF recommends it alone or as a co-test from age 30. A negative result means no high-risk HPV detected, not that no HPV is present. Not available for men.

Pap smear / Pap + HPV co-test
Sample
Cervical cells collected by clinician or self-collection device
Results
1–5 days

Pap smear examines cervical cells for precancerous changes (ASCUS, LSIL, HSIL); co-test adds an HPV test to the same sample. Standard screening from age 21 (Pap alone every 3 years) or age 30 (co-test every 5 years). Abnormal results are followed with colposcopy and possible biopsy.

Anal Pap (anal cytology) High-risk groups
Sample
Swab of the anal canal by clinician
Results
1–5 days

Screens for HPV-related precancerous changes in the anal canal. Recommended for high-risk groups: MSM, people with HIV, immunocompromised individuals. Not a population-wide screening test. Abnormal results are followed with high-resolution anoscopy (HRA).

Visual exam / biopsy for genital warts
Sample
Clinical examination; biopsy if atypical
Results
Same visit (exam); 3–7 days (biopsy)

Genital warts are diagnosed by visual inspection, no swab or lab test required for typical lesions. A biopsy is occasionally performed for atypical, non-responsive, or immunocompromised-patient lesions to rule out malignancy. Acetowhitening (dilute acetic acid) can highlight subclinical wart tissue during exam.

What a HPV test costs

Where What it costs
Private lab (self-pay)Cervical HPV/Pap tests: roughly $40–$120 at a private lab or clinic including sample collection and processing; at-home self-collection cervical kits (where available) run ~$49–$99. No self-pay HPV test exists for men.
Free / sliding-scale clinicCervical screening is available free or on a sliding scale at health departments, Title X family-planning clinics, and community health centers. The HPV vaccine is free for eligible children and adolescents through the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program.
With insuranceRoutine cervical HPV testing and Pap smears are covered at no cost-sharing under ACA preventive care for people with a cervix aged 21–65. The HPV vaccine series is covered at no cost under most ACA-compliant insurance plans for all recommended age groups.

Compare STD testing costs across every option.

Screening guidance

Who should get tested for HPV?

Because HPV is often silent, the CDC and U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommend routine screening for the groups most likely to have it, not just people with symptoms.

  1. 1

    People with a cervix, follow cervical screening guidelines

    The USPSTF recommends a Pap test alone every 3 years starting at age 21. From age 30, options are: HPV test alone every 5 years, or Pap + HPV co-test every 5 years. ASCCP guidelines also support primary HPV testing starting at age 25. These are the only evidence-based tests for detecting high-risk HPV and precancerous cervical changes: they are cancer-screening tests, not post-exposure diagnostic tests.

  2. 2

    Anyone who notices new genital or anal bumps

    Genital warts are diagnosed by visual examination, there is no swab or blood test. If you notice soft, flesh-colored, flat, or cauliflower-shaped bumps on or around the genitals or anus, see a clinician the same visit for evaluation and discussion of treatment options.

  3. 3

    Higher-risk groups, anal cancer screening where available

    People with HIV, men who have sex with men (MSM), and others at elevated risk for anal cancer may benefit from anal Pap tests (anal cytology) to screen for HPV-related precancerous changes. Ask a clinician familiar with your history whether this is appropriate for your situation.

  4. 4

    Everyone eligible, get vaccinated now if you haven't

    Vaccination is the most effective protective action. Gardasil 9 is routinely recommended at age 11–12 (can start at 9), with catch-up through age 26. For adults 27–45, shared clinical decision-making with a provider determines whether vaccination makes sense based on risk factors and prior exposure.

  5. 5

    Men, no routine HPV test exists; vaccination is key

    There is currently no FDA-approved or CDC-recommended HPV test for men. Men with a penis cannot receive a routine HPV screen; no blood or urine test detects HPV exposure. The primary protective actions for men are HPV vaccination and, for those at elevated anal cancer risk (e.g., MSM, people with HIV), anal Pap smears where clinically indicated.

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HPV testing by state & city

Jump to local HPV testing, clinics and labs, prices and county rates, in your state or a popular city, or explore another test.

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More on HPV

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Living with HPV

Questions to ask your provider about HPV

HPV is treatable and nothing to be ashamed of. The most useful next step after a positive result (or before a first test) is a direct conversation with a clinician. Here are the questions that matter most:

  • Is my HPV test result definitive, or do I need a confirmatory test?
  • If I have high-risk HPV, when is my next cervical screening or colposcopy?
  • Should I notify my recent partners, and can your office help me do that confidentially?
  • Should my partner get the HPV vaccine or a cervical screen?
  • Are there other STIs I should test for at the same visit?
  • Can this affect my fertility, pregnancy, or long-term health if left untreated?

Good to Know

HPV testing FAQs

Common questions about HPV and HPV testing, answered.

How do I get tested for HPV?

For people with a cervix, HPV testing is done on a cervical sample: collected by a clinician during a pelvic exam or, increasingly, via self-collection devices. The standard schedule: Pap test every 3 years starting at age 21; primary HPV test or Pap + HPV co-test every 5 years from age 30 (ASCCP supports primary HPV testing from age 25). These are cancer-prevention screening tests: they tell you whether high-risk HPV is currently present in cervical cells, not whether you were recently exposed. For men, no routine HPV test exists, the primary protective action is vaccination. If you notice genital warts, see a clinician for a same-visit visual diagnosis; no lab test is required.

How soon after exposure can HPV be detected?

There is no post-exposure window-period test for HPV the way there is for chlamydia, gonorrhea, or HIV. An HPV test on a cervical sample doesn't diagnose a recent exposure, it detects persistent high-risk HPV in cervical cells over time. For people with a cervix, the right response to a potential HPV exposure is staying on your routine cervical screening schedule (Pap every 3 years from age 21; HPV test or co-test every 5 years from age 30) rather than seeking a one-time post-exposure test. Genital warts, caused by low-risk types, typically appear 2–3 months after exposure but can take up to a year or more to develop.

Can men be tested for HPV?

No routine FDA-approved HPV test exists for men. There is no blood test, urine test, or swab-based HPV screen for people with a penis. For men at higher risk of anal cancer, particularly MSM and people with HIV, some specialized clinics offer anal Pap tests (anal cytology) followed by high-resolution anoscopy if abnormal results are found, but this is not a universal recommendation. The most important protective action for men is HPV vaccination (Gardasil 9) before potential exposure. Men should also watch for visible genital warts and seek clinical evaluation if any appear.

Can I test for HPV at home?

Self-collection devices for cervical HPV/Pap testing are now available at some clinics and through selected at-home kits, you self-insert a swab and mail it to a CLIA-certified lab. These are specifically designed for high-risk HPV screening in people with a cervix, typically for those age 25 or older per ASCCP guidance. They are not a general exposure test and do not test for low-risk HPV types that cause genital warts. No at-home HPV test exists for men or people with penises.

How much does HPV testing or vaccination cost?

Cervical HPV/Pap testing is covered at no out-of-pocket cost under ACA preventive care for people with a cervix aged 21–65 with insurance. Without insurance, cervical testing at a private clinic typically runs $40–$120. HPV vaccination is covered with no cost-sharing under most ACA-compliant plans for all recommended age groups; it is also free for eligible children and teens through the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program. Community health centers and Title X clinics offer both cervical screening and vaccination on a sliding scale based on income.

Medically Reviewed · Updated

Reviewed by Dr. Grace Lin, MD, FACOG · OB-GYN

Obstetrician-gynecologist focused on reproductive and sexual health for women: pregnancy, BV, yeast, trichomoniasis and HPV/cervical screening. Our editorial guidelines →

8 Sources

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