Sexual Health STIs Prevention Can You Get HPV From Fingering or Fisting? By Elizabeth Boskey, PhD Elizabeth Boskey, PhD Facebook LinkedIn Twitter Elizabeth Boskey, PhD, MPH, CHES, is a social worker, adjunct lecturer, and expert writer in the field of sexually transmitted diseases. Learn about our editorial process Updated on August 24, 2022 Medically reviewed by Lauren Schlanger, MD Medically reviewed by Lauren Schlanger, MD LinkedIn Lauren Schlanger, MD, is a board-certified primary care physician. She is an assistant professor at the Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Learn about our Medical Expert Board Print While it isn't a common mode of transmission, you can get human papillomavirus (HPV) through hand contact, such as by fisting or fingering. HPV is a sexually transmitted infection (STI). It is a highly contagious virus that spreads from skin to skin. This infection can lead to cervical cancer, anal cancer, penile cancer, and certain types of oral and throat cancers. In addition, some types of HPV can cause genital warts or warts elsewhere on the skin. KATERYNA KON / SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Getty Images There are three vaccines—Gardasil 9, Gardasil, and Cervarix—that can reduce the risk of HPV transmission. However, many people will be exposed to one or more HPV variants at some point during their sexual lives. That's why it's important to understand the various modes of transmission of these viruses. Causes and Risk Factors of HPV The Risk From Fingering Is Low Studies have shown it is possible to reduce the risk of HPV transmission during oral sex and intercourse by using condoms or other barriers. However, people often wonder if other forms of sexual activity may also carry a risk of HPV transmission. Can fingering or fisting without a glove might put someone at risk of HPV infection? For practical reasons, it is difficult to conduct a study to determine the risk of HPV transmission from fisting and fingering. Still, evidence suggests you can get HPV from fingering. More specifically, research has shown that it is possible to transmit HPV from the fingers to the genitals. In 2010, scientists from the University of Washington found that HPV could be found on the fingertips of a reasonable fraction of women. In addition, the HPV found there was frequently the same type that they were infected with genitally. This suggests that HPV went from their fingers to their genitals or vice versa. Repeat positive fingertip tests were rare. Therefore, the scientists concluded that fingers were unlikely to be a major source of HPV transmission. However, other studies have linked receiving fingering to an increased risk of HPV infection in men who have sex with men. These studies have indicated that having warts on your fingers or hands is associated with an increased risk of genital and rectal HPV infections. The risk may not be as high as through other types of transmission. Still, it does seem that fingering can transmit HPV. If you are concerned about HPV exposure, it may be worth using gloves while engaging in sexual activities that involve fingering or fisting. That can protect your hands from exposure to genital HPV and vice versa. If you have long nails, gloves are still an option. Just pad your nails with cotton balls under the gloves. That reduces the likelihood of your nails puncturing the gloves. Gloves are generally considered a good idea for these activities for a number of other reasons as well. They don't just protect against HPV. They also reduce the transmission of other bacteria and viruses that can live under the fingernails. It is worth noting that HPV infections are more likely to progress and to progress quickly if you have an immune disease, like HIV. Frequently Asked Questions Is a wart on my hand HPV? All warts are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). There are more than 150 different strains of the virus. However, the HPV strains that cause genital warts are not the same strains of HPV that cause warts on the hands. Can the sexually transmitted infection HPV live on your hands? Yes, certain strains of HPV that cause genital warts can live on fingers. Research shows women who had genital HPV were also likely to have the same strain of HPV on their fingertips. Can you get genital HPV from hands? Possibly, but the research is mixed. One study in women found it is unlikely to transmit HPV from the hands to the genitals. But another study in men found it is possible to transmit HPV from the hands to the penis, scrotum, and rectum. How can you prevent HPV from spreading from hands to genitals? While the risk of HPV transmission from hands to genitals is low, it is still wise to use protection. You can prevent spreading HPV from your hands to your partner's genitals by wearing a clean latex glove every time you have contact. Can You Get an STD From Masturbating? 4 Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. National Institutes of Health. National Cancer Institute. HPV and cancer. October 8, 2019 Lam JU, Rebolj M, Dugué PA, Bonde J, Von euler-chelpin M, Lynge E. Condom use in prevention of human papillomavirus infections and cervical neoplasia: systematic review of longitudinal studies. J Med Screen. 2014;21(1):38-50. doi:10.1177/0969141314522454 Winer RL, Hughes JP, Feng Q, et al. Detection of genital HPV types in fingertip samples from newly sexually active female university students. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2010 Jul;19(7):1682-5. doi:10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-10-0226 Hernandez BY, Shvetsov YB, Goodman MT, et al. Genital and extra-genital warts increase the risk of asymptomatic genital human papillomavirus infection in men. Sex Transm Infect. 2011 Aug;87(5):391-5. doi:10.1136/sti.2010.048876. Additional Reading Gormley RH, Groft CM, Miller CJ, Kovarik CL. Digital squamous cell carcinoma and association with diverse high-risk human papillomavirus types. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2011 May;64(5):981-5. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2009.10.044. Poynten IM, Waterboer T, Jin F, Templeton DJ, Prestage G, Donovan B, Pawlita M, Fairley CK, Garland SM, Grulich AE. Human papillomavirus types 6 and 11 seropositivity: risk factors and association with ano-genital warts among homosexual men. J Infect. 2013 Jun;66(6):503-11. doi:10.1016/j.jinf.2013.03.005. Koliopoulos G, Valari O, Karakitsos P, Paraskevaidis E. Predictors and clinical implications of HPV reservoire districts for genital tract disease. Curr Pharm Des. 2013;19(8):1395-400. By Elizabeth Boskey, PhD Elizabeth Boskey, PhD, MPH, CHES, is a social worker, adjunct lecturer, and expert writer in the field of sexually transmitted diseases. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Medical Expert Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Other Helpful Report an Error Submit