Human papillomavirus (HPV)
Your genitalia may be impacted by over 30 different types of the human papillomavirus (HPV). Among these are
innocuous HPV strains, such as those that result in genital warts. Because they can develop into cancer, only specific HPV strains are considered "high risk." To lower your risk, you can take preventive steps including obtaining regular checkups and the HPV vaccine.
Human papillomavirus: what is it? (HPV)
A prevalent virus that can impact several bodily areas is the human papillomavirus (HPV). There are more than 100 different kinds of HPV, including strains that can cause warts on your face, hands, and feet. Your genitals, including your vulva, vagina, cervix, penis, and scrotum, as well as your rectum and anus, can be impacted by approximately 30 HPV strains. This includes the HPV strain that causes warts on the genitalia.
In the US, HPV is the most prevalent virus that causes STI transmission. Every year, about 14 million people contract the infection. The majority of sexually active individuals who are not vaccinated against HPV will contract the virus at some time in their lives due to its high prevalence. Most people are unaware that they have it.
Cervical, vulvar, and vaginal cancers are among the high-risk HPV types that can cause these diseases. This may typically be avoided by treating precancerous cells and detecting them early (with a Pap smear or HPV screening).
What connection does HPV have to cervical cancer?
Cervical dysplasia is a disorder where certain strains of HPV, usually types 16 and 18, alter the cells of your cervix. Cervical dysplasia can occasionally progress to cervical cancer if treatment is not received.
The majority of HPV infections resolve on their own in those under 30. The frequency of follow-up testing can be determined by the presence of HPV during a Pap smear by the age of thirty. You can be at a higher risk and require more frequent testing if you test positive.
It's crucial to get Pap smears on a regular basis (typically starting at age 21) to check for cervical cancer. However, it's crucial to keep in mind that having cervical dysplasia or HPV does not guarantee that you will get cancer.
How much time does it take for HPV to cause cancer?
Cancer does not develop from the virus itself. However, precancerous cell alterations can be brought on by high-risk HPV infection strains. If left untreated, these cell alterations may eventually result in cancer. However, this process may take years or even decades to complete. Pap smears and other screenings can assist in identifying these precancerous cells before they develop into cancer.
Causes and Symptoms
What signs of HPV are present?
When HPV infects your genitalia, you typically don't experience any symptoms. Warts in your vaginal area are the most typical indication of the infection when symptoms do appear. Rough, cauliflower-like bumps that develop on your skin are called genital warts. They could also resemble skin tags. Weeks, months, or even years after contracting low-risk HPV, they might start to show. Like all types of HPV, genital warts are communicable. They can also be quite unpleasant and irritating.
High-risk HPV strains frequently don't show any signs until they've developed into cancer.
Are all warts caused by HPV?
Indeed. Additionally, this can be perplexing, particularly if you're attempting to distinguish between the HPV that causes genital or finger warts and the HPV that can cause cervical cancer.
Genital warts and other HPV strains that cause warts are bothersome. Nobody likes warts on their genitalia, least of all. However, these HPV strains are not harmful. Genital warts are most frequently caused by HPV strains 6 and 11. Warts on different areas of your body are caused by other forms of HPV. These warts are:
Flat warts
Plantar warts
Periungal and subungual warts
Although not all HPV strains or varieties create warts, HPV is the cause of all warts. Warts are not caused by the form of HPV that might develop into cancer.
How is HPV transmitted?
Genital HPV is transmitted by oral, anal, and intercourse-related skin-to-skin contact. Your genitals, including your rectum, anus, penis, scrotum, vulva, and vagina, can become infected if they come into contact with these same body parts on an infected partner.
Hand-to-genital contact, such as fingering and handjobs, can spread the virus. Compared to genital-to-genital contact, this mode of transmission is less common and has less information.
How simple is HPV transmission?
Because HPV is spread through skin-to-skin contact, it is extremely contagious. To get infected with the virus or infect someone else, you do not need to share bodily fluids. Even if no one ejaculates, you or your partner can still spread the infection.
Who is impacted by HPV?
Anyone who has sex or close skin-to-skin genital contact with a partner who has HPV can contract the virus. Additionally, during intercourse, oral sex, anal sex, or other close genital touch, anyone infected with the virus can transmit it to their partner.
Your immune system may struggle to combat HPV infections if you have HIV. High-risk HPV strains that can lead to cancer may be more likely to infect males who have intercourse with other guys. Your physician might suggest an anal Pap test in this situation. Anal Pap tests can detect cell alterations that could result in cancer, but they cannot detect HPV. Consult your physician about being tested.
Getting vaccinated and engaging in safer sex practices (regular and appropriate use of condoms or dental dams) are crucial ways to stop the spread of HPV, regardless of your reproductive anatomy.
HPV in women
Women are generally at the highest risk from HPV because, if left untreated, high-risk HPV can develop into cervical cancer. Cervical cancer can be avoided by using HPV tests and Pap smears to identify precancerous cell alterations early. In females, HPV can also result in genital warts.
HPV in men
Males are less at risk for HPV-related illnesses than females. Although most infections go away on their own, HPV can cause genital warts in men. Although they are uncommon, HPV can cause malignancies of the head, neck, anus, and penis. For this reason, Pap and HPV testing are typically not advised for guys.
Which HPV problems exist?
Cancer is the most dangerous side effect of HPV. The most prevalent kind of cancer linked to HPV is cervical cancer. Cancers of other kinds are far less common. Among them are:
Cancer of the anal region
Cancer of the penis
Cancer of the throat
Cancer of the vagina
Vulvar cancer
It's crucial to keep in mind that possessing HPV, even a high-risk strain, does not guarantee that you will get these types of cancer.
Another HPV consequence is genital warts. Genital warts can disrupt your everyday routine and cause itching and discomfort. In addition to such symptoms, genital warts are not very harmful.
Testing and Diagnosis
Which tests are available to identify an HPV infection?
Genital warts and other body warts can usually be identified by a medical professional simply by looking. Since high-risk HPV strains don't show any symptoms, a standard Pap smear or HPV test is probably how you'll find out you have an infection.
Pap smear: This test looks for precancerous cells that could develop into cancer if treatment is not received, as well as cervical cancer. High-risk HPV is nearly invariably the cause of cervical cancer.
HPV test: HPV tests are able to identify high-risk virus strains that, if untreated, can cause cervical cancer.
Additional methods for identifying aberrant cells most likely brought on by an HPV infection include:
Colposcopy: If you tested positive for HPV or your Pap smear reveals abnormal cells, your doctor may prescribe a colposcopy. During this surgery, your cervix is magnified by a lit device called a colposcope, which makes aberrant cells visible. Your doctor might remove the cells and perform a biopsy to check for precancerous or cancerous growths.
When providing care in places where Pap smears and HPV tests are not available, providers may employ visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA). Your doctor applies a vinegar-based solution to your cervix when using VIA. To make aberrant cells easier to spot, the solution makes them white.
Handling and Therapy
What is the HPV treatment?
The virus cannot be removed from your body by treatments. They can remove abnormal cells in your cervix and any obvious warts on your genitalia or other body regions. Among the possible treatments are:
Cryosurgery: Using liquid nitrogen to freeze warts or kill aberrant cells.
The loop electrosurgical excision treatment (LEEP) involves removing warts or abnormal cells from your cervix using a particular wire loop.
Using an electrical current to burn away warts is known as electrocautery.
Using a powerful light to eradicate warts or other aberrant cells is known as laser treatment.
Cone-shaped cervical tissue with aberrant cells is removed during a cold knife cone biopsy.
Prescription cream: To eradicate your warts, apply a medicinal cream directly to them. These creams might contain podofilox (Condylox®) and imiquimod (Aldara®).
Applying a chemical therapy that burns off warts is known as trichloroacetic acid (TCA).
Very few individuals with high-risk HPV will develop abnormal cervical cells that need to be treated to stop them from turning into cancer.
If I have HPV, what can I anticipate?
In general, HPV has a very bright future. The type of HPV you have and your body's capacity to combat the infection will determine this. Your body will probably get rid of the infection in 12 to 24 months if you have a lower-risk strain of HPV and are in excellent health.
Cancer is more likely to develop from some strains. Your doctor will keep an eye on these strains and suggest additional examinations or therapies. Cervical cancer can be avoided with HPV by detecting high-risk strains early and conducting follow-up screenings, such as regular Pap tests.
Can HPV be cured?
No. HPV has no known treatment. Nevertheless, your immune system is very effective at eliminating the infection for you. About 90% of HPV infections resolve after a year or two.
Is HPV a lifelong infection?
Not always. Regardless of whether you exhibit symptoms or not, you are infectious as long as you carry the virus. For instance, if the HPV that caused your genital warts is still present in your body, you can still spread the virus long after they have gone away.
Is it possible to avoid HPV?
Avoiding intercourse is the only method to prevent HPV. Reducing the risk of HPV infection and preventing cervical cancer while maintaining a healthy sexual life are more achievable objectives for many people.
Your risk can be decreased if you:
Obtain an HPV vaccination. Getting the HPV vaccine before engaging in sexual activity (around age 11 or 12) maximizes its effectiveness. Even once you start having sexual relations, it might shield you from HPV strains to which you have not yet been exposed. Discuss your alternatives with your provider.
Regularly get checked and screened. Cervical cancer is prevented by early diagnosis of HPV and aberrant cells. At age 21, you should start receiving routine Pap smears. Discuss the screening schedule that works best for you with your provider.
Have safer sexual encounters. Dental dams and condoms are less efficient at preventing HPV than they are at preventing STIs that are carried by vaginal fluid or semen. However, you can lower your risk of contracting HPV by using them appropriately each time you have sex.
Keep your lover or partners safe. If you have HPV, let your partner know so they can also get tested. While receiving treatment for high-risk HPV infections or genital warts, you might need to cease having intercourse. Discuss the precautions you should take in the event of an HPV infection with your healthcare physician.
What time should I visit my doctor?
If any of the following apply to you, get in touch with your healthcare provider:
Genital warts. These warts, which resemble cauliflower, can develop on your mouth, anus, or vagina.
Pap smear results are abnormal. A Pap test with abnormal findings could mean you need more HPV testing.
Additionally, you should inquire with your healthcare provider about the frequency of tests, such as Pap smears, that could reveal an HPV infection. Talk to your doctor about any worries you may have regarding HPV, particularly if you suffer from an illness that compromises your immune system. Your body may find it more difficult to combat the infection as a result.
What inquiries ought I to make of my healthcare provider?
It's normal to have some concerns regarding HPV. You might wish to inquire:
Do I require HPV treatment?
Is this strain of HPV considered high-risk?
Should I have more frequent HPV screenings?
Can I infect other people with HPV?
If I have HPV, should my partner be concerned?
HPV is widespread. Nearly all people have experienced or will experience HPV at some point in their lives. Because your body battles the virus, the majority of HPV infections go away on their own.
Since HPV symptoms can take years to manifest (if you exhibit any at all), it is difficult to determine if your partner contracted the virus from you or another person. The best course of action is to communicate your medical history with your partner and take the initiative to get frequent screenings.
Is the HPV vaccine available to me?
Post a Comment