Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a very common disease that is not preventable in both children and adults.This infection is easy to catch because its cells are all around us and can survive for long periods of time without a vector.
Furthermore, it can settle in the human body unnoticed until a certain point becomes apparent.All the time, the infected person is a carrier of the disease, which is why HPV is spread not only to the people around him, but also to his family members.
Papillomaviruses – Drivers of Advances in Oncology
Almost one-third of people develop tiny growths that initially appear harmless and harmless.When such a tumor is detected, a patient's first reaction is to tear it off or remove it using traditional methods.
In fact, this behavior often causes irreversible harm to health, since improper removal of papillomas causes active proliferation of epithelial tissue.This causes HPV to spread rapidly through the body, and in some cases even causes skin cells to mutate and subsequently degenerate into cancerous tumors.
To date, scientists have classified all types of papillomaviruses into three categories:
- safe;
- Low tumorigenicity;
- Highly carcinogenic.
These groups include certain types of diseases that have their own level of likelihood of growing into cancerous tumors.Viruses with low and high carcinogenicity, when entering the human body, will penetrate the genome of epithelial cells, change their structure and lead to the emergence of malignant tumors.In this case, the patient needs immediate professional treatment, because if the problem is ignored, everything can end in death.It is not worth fighting this disease alone, since there is still no way to cure it without the help of experts.
Important!In medical practice, there are precedents in which patients were diagnosed with safe forms of the papilloma virus, but the papillomas still degenerated into tumors under the influence of external factors, more often due to mechanical damage to the growth.
How is human papillomavirus spread?
All types of diseases, whether cancerous or harmless, are spread in the same way.HPV can be spread in one of three ways:
- Having sex with an infected person;
- Mother-to-child transmission of infections during pregnancy (vertical method);
- Home Transmission.
The presence of lesions on the skin increases the likelihood of contracting the disease.Through a small abrasion or scratch, viral cells quickly penetrate deep into the skin and begin to spread throughout the body.In addition, the following factors can increase the chance of infection:
- Reduced body protective function (seasonal or postoperative);
- There is dysbiosis of intestinal flora or disturbance of the normal vaginal microflora;
- Vitamin deficiency;
- alcohol addiction;
- Sexually transmitted diseases, especially gonorrhea, syphilis, and trichomoniasis
- any type of diabetes;
- Exacerbation of any chronic disease;
- Any stage of pregnancy;
- Often in stressful situations.
Additionally, those most susceptible to papillomavirus infection are experienced smokers and women taking combined contraceptive pills.
Sexual transmission of HPV
If you have a weakened immune system, having sex with someone who is sick is 100% the way to get HPV.Because the risk of transmitting the disease's pathogen is so high, doctors insist on abstaining from promiscuity and recommend intimacy only with trusted sexual partners.
Research into the nature of the papillomavirus helped determine that in nearly 75 percent of cases, the source of infection was a male.However, this does not mean that most infected women are not HPV transmitters.The presence of an external symptom of the disease - genital warts, located on the mucous membranes of internal organs - increases the chance of transmitting human papillomavirus from women to men.Additionally, even a strong immune system is not always able to prevent this type of HPV infection.
There is a belief that the disease can only be contracted through normal sexual intercourse (penis inserted into vagina).But this is not the case.Doctors say the virus cells are spread regardless of the type of sexual contact with a carrier.It may be:
- oral sex;
- touching genitals with hands;
- anal sex;
- Sexual intercourse without penetration.
Additionally, the virus is present in saliva, so you can contract HPV from even a simple kiss.
Can condoms prevent disease?
Manufacturers of barrier birth control pills say condoms are 99% effective in preventing infection from any sexually transmitted disease.This raises a perfectly logical question: Does it work against papillomaviruses?
HPV is a unique infection and there is no absolute protection.Therefore, even condoms are not a complete guarantee that the infection will not be transmitted from a carrier to a healthy person during sexual intercourse.This is because there are virus cells on the skin of the infected object. If you wear a condom, the papillomavirus will not enter the body through contact with the genitals, but through contact with other parts of the body.
Of course, this doesn't mean condoms are a useless method of birth control.While it does not prevent HPV, it does prevent the spread of other, more serious diseases and may prevent unwanted pregnancies.
Important!If you have a strong immune system, the chance of contracting HPV during sex is almost zero, but doctors recommend not ruling out the possibility and taking extra precautions, such as taking immune-modulating medications regularly.
Vertical infection mode
The virus is transmitted vertically through infection during a child's development in the womb or through the birth canal.
The infection continues until about the sixth week of pregnancy, before the baby's bronchioles and alveoli have formed.At this time, the fetus begins to develop respiratory papillomatosis.If a baby is diagnosed at birth with difficulty breathing due to growths in the airways, doctors may perform surgical procedures.Medication is useless in this case.
If an expectant mother is infected with papillomavirus after 6 weeks of pregnancy, the virus can be spread during delivery.The baby loses the protection of the placenta and passes through the birth canal, where infection develops.
Treatment of HPV in Pregnant Women
If human papillomavirus is detected in the absence of external symptoms, the doctor will recommend that the woman take immune-stimulating drugs.If an expectant mother has genital warts on her vaginal wall or cervix, they must be removed.You can do this using:
- laser treatment;
- electrocoagulation;
- Radio wave damage.
In particularly severe cases, patients may need surgery.This method is only used if the tumor is larger than 5 centimeters or if cancer is suspected.
Pregnant women will undergo a caesarean section after a pre-diagnosis of papillomavirus.This is the only way to protect children from infection.
Many times, papillomavirus appears after pregnancy.The reason is a temporary decrease in the body's protective functions.If there are no growths on the walls of the vagina or cervix, no treatment is needed.Usually, the external symptoms of HPV go away on their own after the baby is born.
Family spread of virus
When a person is diagnosed with papillomavirus, we can say with 90% confidence that the virus has been transmitted to all other members of his family.You can get HPV at home:
- While wearing the patient's shoes or clothing;
- When sharing towels, washcloths and other personal hygiene items;
- through saliva when using utensils or toothbrushes;
- After using a razor (the greatest risk of infection is when you cut the skin).
Other ways of spreading infection
In addition to all of the listed routes of papillomavirus transmission, it is possible to find the causative agent of the disease:
- in a bath, sauna or swimming pool;
- In public transportation (the main places where virus cells gather are handrails, seats, and doors);
- when shaking hands with patients;
- When using elevators and escalators;
- In nail salons (when instruments are not adequately sterilized).
Not long ago, it was reported that nearly 20% of papillomavirus infection cases occur through blood transfusions from blood donors.Additionally, hospital and clinic staff are at greatest risk of infection because they may inhale disease cells during contact with patients.In this case, medical masks are a weak method of protection.
Vaccination – Safe against HPV?
Many people have heard about the benefits of vaccination against human papillomavirus, but few know that even this method does not guarantee complete protection from infection.
There are two types of preventive medicine available today.It is a mistake to think that they protect against all existing types of papillomavirus.Their ingredients help protect you against just a few types of HPV, which are classified as cancer risk types - 6, 11, 16, 18.