About HPV virus, can someone explain this term to me?

Question

“Once in the body, the virus persists and moves to other mucosal sites via self-inoculation from the genitalia or oro-genital contact between sexual partners”

What is meant by self-inoculation? Does it mean that HPV can get transmitted to other places of the body without a sexual contact?

Answer 1

No, self-inoculation means through additional friction contact, the virus can spread itself around a local site.

Think of the site of infection as a dollop of frosting. Now imagine taking a butter knife and spreading that frosting around. The frosting didn't move by itself, it had to be smooshed around.

So if you start by shedding HPV from a small patch of your scrotum, and you engage in sexual contact while shedding the virus, you can transfer HPV from your scrotum to places like your anus, penis and even the inside of your thigh.