General HPV Information That Everyone Should Know
Sexually transmitted diseases (STD’s) are nothing to laugh about because they can have serious, and lifelong, ramifications. Human papillomavirus, or HPV, is an infection of the skin or mucous membrane. There are nearly 200 identified types of the HPV virus and over 40 of them are transmitted via intimate contact. While some cause no symptoms, others can have severe consequences. Women and men should be aware of general HPV information so they can take preventative measures and identify whether they have been infected.
The majority of known types do not have any symptoms. Other types cause genital warts or may lead to cancer of the genitalia and anus in men or the vulva, cervix, anus, or vagina in women. It is possible to be persistently infected with high-risk types, which can lead to precancerous lesions or even invasive cancer. Nearly every case of cervical cancer is the result of the HPV virus in women. HPV information sheets reveal that the genital form of this disease is the most common sexually transmitted infection. The types that infect genital areas can also infect the throat and mouth.
In many cases, a person who is infected with this disease is not aware of it because he or she does not experience HPV symptoms. This disease is not the same as HIV or herpes, though HPV transmission can occur during sex. Different health problems and symptoms are associated with each of these diseases, so it is important to be aware of the nuances. HPV information states that in 90 percent of the cases, the immune system naturally clears the virus within two years. As a result, most people do not develop HPV symptoms or experience health problems.
Certain types can cause genital warts in both females and males. They may also cause warts to form in the throat, a condition referred to as recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP). Other forms of the virus may cause cervical cancer and may also cause less common cancers like those of the head, throat, or tonsils. It can take 15 to 20 years for precancerous lesions to develop into cervical cancer. This provides doctors with many opportunities for HPV treatment following identification. In nearly all cases, progression to an invasive cancer will be prevented using standard strategies. However, in the meantime, preventive surgeries may be required due to the lesions and many times, these procedures result in loss of fertility. This makes the HPV virus in women a life-changing disease.
The types that cause warts differ from those that may lead to cancer. Doctors currently have no way of determining which people infected with the virus will later develop health problems like cancer. Medical professionals are constantly seeking more HPV information through their research. What they do know is that people get the disease prenatally, through sharing contaminated objects, and through sexual contact. Condoms are not sufficient for protecting against the virus because these do not cover the areas surrounding the genitals, such as the inner thigh. However, they may lower the risk of developing the disease so they should be worn during sexual intercourse.
Anal and vaginal intercourse are the most common forms of genital contact that result in the virus. However, HPV information reveals that the disease may also be passed through genital-to-genital contact or oral sex. Same sex or straight partners can pass the virus even when the infected person has no symptoms or signs. One particularly scary fact is that a person can have the virus if years have passed since contact with an infected person. In addition, people can have more than one type of the virus.
HPV symptoms of genital warts or cancer result from the HPV virus causing normal cells present on infected skin to turn abnormal. In most cases, the individual will not feel or see these changes. When the body is able to naturally fight off the virus, these infected cells return to normal. It is only when the body cannot fight the virus that visible changes like warts or cancer appear. Genital warts look like a bump or bumps within the genital area. They may be large, small, flat, raise, or cauliflower-shaped.
A medical professional can make a diagnosis by examining the area. These warts may appear after weeks or months following sexual contact with an infected person. If they are not treated, they may stay unchanged, go away, or grow in size or number. Symptoms of cervical cancer are usually not present until cancer is in its advanced stages. This makes it important for women to have regular cervical cancer screenings. These enable doctors to identify early signs and treat problems before these develop into cancer. Other related cancers also may not have symptoms or signs until in their advanced stage.
HPV information contains some sobering statistics. In the U.S. alone, about 20 million people are infected with the virus. An additional six million get the disease each year. This disease is so common that half or more of sexually active women and men get it at one point. At any one time, genital warts affect about one percent of U.S. adults who are sexually active. Every year, approximately 12,000 U.S. women are diagnosed with cervical cancer. Other HPV related cancers are less common but still occur at alarming rates.
There is currently no HPV test, only tests designed to screen for cervical cancer. People can reduce their chances of getting the most common types of the virus by being vaccinated. The vaccine is given in three doses and is most effective when it is administered prior to the first sexual contact. Gardisil is available for both men and women and Cervarix is another vaccine for women. A woman with RRP should not deliver via cesarean because there is no data indicating that cesareans prevent RRP in babies. Individuals who need more HPV information including additional details about HPV treatment should visit government Web sites regarding the topic. There, they will find details about the vaccine and HPV symptoms as well as information about different types of cancer.