Can you get HPV from kissing?

When it comes to taking charge of our sexual health, one of the things we’re taught is to practice safe sex to protect ourselves against STIs like HPV. But what about kissing? Can you get HPV from kissing? The short answer is: maybe. 

Here’s what we know about HPV and what the research says about whether you can get it from kissing.

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Human papillomavirus, or HPV, is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI)—it is spread by oral, anal, or vaginal sexual contact. You can also get it from skin-to-skin contact. 

There are more than 100 types of HPV that can infect humans. According to a 2013–2014 analysis, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that more than 45% of sexually active men and almost 40% of sexually active women had some form of HPV (McQuillan, 2017). 

It has been linked to genital warts as well as several different types of cancers, including cervical cancer and oral cancer. Specifically, HPV 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 45, 52, and 58 fall in the high-risk category for potentially causing cancers (Luria, 2021).

Unfortunately, there are no definitive studies proving or disproving whether you can get HPV from kissing. So, the short answer is maybe.

Several studies suggest that heterosexual couples where one person has HPV have a higher chance of transmission to the uninfected partner. This can happen via open-mouth kissing (i.e., French kissing), oral sex, or genital sex. But research has not established that deep kissing specifically causes oral HPV transmission. The data does show that you have an increased risk of getting HPV if you have multiple sexual partners (Brouwer, 2022; Dahlstrom, 2014).

There are several things you can do to decrease your risk of getting HPV, including (Luria, 2021):

• Limiting the number of sexual partners.

• Practicing safe sex and using condoms or dental dams; be aware that wearing a condom does not provide 100% protection against infection as HPV may be present in areas not covered by a condom.

• Getting medical advice from your healthcare provider about getting the HPV vaccine (e.g., Gardasil 9).

Essentially, everyone is exposed to HPV, and there is no way to eliminate the risk of HPV transmission entirely. Most strains of HPV, including those that can cause cancer, typically resolve within 12 months and don’t usually become cancerous. 

The rate of oral HPV prevalence has been associated with a greater number of sexual (including oral sex) and open-mouthed kissing partners in both men and women. However, kissing alone is not necessarily considered a high-risk sexual behavior for HPV transmission and is not an activity that is considered high risk for oral cancers.

The CDC recommends that all people with cervixes 21–29 years old receive a pap smear every three years; and those with cervixes who are 30–65 years old should receive either a pap smear every three years, an HPV test every five years, or a pap smear plus an HPV test every five years (CDC, 2021).  

For biological males, while there is an anal swab test that healthcare providers can use, the CDC does not recommend routine testing for HPV in men. 

While HPV has an association with oral cancers, transmission through kissing is not usually one of the ways it’s passed on. But if you begin to experience any symptoms in the head or neck like abnormal lesions, a lasting sore throat or hoarseness, difficulty or pain while swallowing, a lump or mass, or a persistent earache, reach out to your healthcare provider, especially if you’ve had oral sex or engaged in open-mouth kissing with someone who is HPV positive (Moore, 2015).

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How we reviewed this article

Every article on Health Guide goes through rigorous fact-checking by our team of medical reviewers. Our reviewers are trained medical professionals who ensure each article contains the most up-to-date information, and that medical details have been correctly interpreted by the writer.

Current version

June 14, 2022

Written by

Health Guide Team

Fact checked by

Chimene Richa, MD

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About the medical reviewer

Chimene Richa, MD

Dr. Richa is a board-certified Ophthalmologist and medical writer for Ro.