How Is HPV Transmitted?
Can It Spread From Pools or Turkish Baths?

Can HPV Be Transmitted From a Pool?

The HPV virus is not transmitted through pool water. The virus needs a living cell to survive. Chlorinated pool water and hard surfaces do not create a suitable environment for the virus to remain active.

For transmission to occur, direct contact with the living cells of an infected person is required. For this reason, HPV transmission from a pool, a toilet or shared-use areas is not an expected situation.

Can HPV Pass From a Turkish Bath or Shared Areas?

The transmission of HPV from hard surfaces has not been strongly proven scientifically. Although transmission via fomites (shared objects) is considered theoretically possible, in practice it is seen quite rarely.

Are There Non-Sexual Routes of HPV Transmission?

The non-sexual transmission routes of genital HPV are a controversial topic in the literature. Some studies conducted on young women with no sexual experience (Andersson-Ellström et al., 1994; Dillner et al., 1999) have shown that non-sexual transmission, though rare, may be possible.

Possible non-sexual routes include:

• Vertical transmission (from mother to baby)
• Fomites (shared objects)
• Skin contact

However, these transmission routes occur at quite low rates compared to sexual contact.

Can HPV Be Transmitted Through Waxing?

Transmission through waxing is theoretically possible but rare. During waxing, the living cells in which the virus is established can be detached from the skin, and when the same equipment is used, they can lead to transmission by coming into contact with another irritated skin area.

The basic requirement for HPV transmission is living-cell-to-living-cell contact. The virus cannot remain active for long in the air, in water or on inanimate surfaces.