Sexual Contact
Human papillomavirus, or HPV, is a sexually transmitted virus that can be spread from person to person through any sort of sexual contact. You don't even have to have intercourse to contract HPV, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Vaginal sexual intercourse, anal intercourse, oral sex or any contact with the genitals of someone infected with HPV is enough to contract the disease.
Open Wound
Though it's most often transmitted through sexual contact, some people can contract HPV without ever having sex or being physically intimate with another person. The virus can also be contracted via some sort of open cut or sore in the skin, according to the Mayo Clinic. The opening in the skin may be so small that you don't even see it, but it can still be large enough to let the HPV into your body.
Mother to Baby
It's uncommon, but the Mayo Clinic says that pregnant women who are infected with HPV can pass the virus along to their baby during the process of delivery. The baby can then contract HPV and show symptoms, either in the respiratory system or on the genitals.
Protect Yourself
The best way to prevent HPV is by being sexually safe and smart. That means abstaining from sex, or, if you are sexually active, only having sex in a monogamous relationship. Always use a condom--though even that may not always prevent HPV-- and try to minimize the number of sexual partners that you have.
