There is no known cure for HPV. However, HPV does have different levels of virulency. These are:

1. Active HPV Infection - When you have symptoms of HPV, like warts or an abnormal pap smear. This is the time period where the virus is most contagious.

2. Subclinical HPV Infection - Your body has cleared up the symptoms, but the virus is still in your skin since there is no cure for it. Experts have differing opinions about how contagious subclinical HPV is, but my conclusion is that it is still quite contagious, because otherwise so many people wouldn't be infected with the virus and not know they have it.

3. Latent HPV Infection - HPV becomes latent if your body has not shown symptoms in a long time (years) and as such, has had a chance to greatly reduce viral levels. Latent HPV infection is not thought to be nearly as contagious as active or subclinical HPV infection - perhaps it is not contagious at all in this stage. However, it is possible for latent HPV to re-activate, and as such, a latent infection can become contagious again. Also, just because you haven't had symptoms in a while, you should not assume that your viral levels have become latent and as such you are no longer contagious, because there's no way to tell when exactly this happens.

4. Immune Suppression - Eventually the immune system does repress HPV. At the point of natural suppression, it would be unlikely, if not impossible, for a person to transmit the virus. Researchers don't know whether it is actually ever fully eliminated from the body, but personally I believe that it can be, and at any rate it quits being contagious after a while. The time it takes to get to this point varies from person to person, according to their immune system. Some people may never repress the virus at all, and others may do it relatively quickly - it all depends on how healthy your body is. This is why it's so very important to give your body healthy things to work with! The longer you have gone without having symptoms, the more likely it is that your body is reducing the viral levels.

What we do know is that HPV does not tend to be persistent in most cases, and most people who have contracted it are not thought to be permanently contagious.

Sources: The American Social Health Association and my new book, "What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About HPV and abnormal pap smears" by Joel Palevsky, MD.