High Risk HPV Cures

The human papillomavirus (HPV) is actually broken out into either low-risk or high-risk strains. And though any type of HPV can lead to the formation of abnormal cells, those considered high-risk are more likely to cause cancer than those differentiated as low-risk. This makes treatment of the virus essential not only to your health, but also in the prevention of cancer.

Observation

• Since there is no actual cure for HPV, most doctors recommend a period of "watchful waiting." Even if you've tested positive for a high-risk strain of HPV, your doctor will often monitor your condition through regularly scheduled Pap tests. As soon as a test indicates abnormal cell growth, a more detailed look at the genitals is usually performed to better determine the potential of cancer.

  Many times, the body's immune response can rid the system of the virus, so treatment may never be necessary for your particular case of HPV. At the time of this article, no tests were available to discern whether a man is infected with a high-risk strain of HPV, only that he has the virus.

Treatment

• When abnormal cells are detected in relation to HPV, treatment options rely on the removal of any "pre-malignant" lesions. This can be achieved through four methods. For some people, surgery is all that is necessary to remove those cells containing the human papillomavirus. You're given a general anesthetic before the procedure, and a cone biopsy or "conization" is performed around each lesion, where a cone-shaped piece of tissue is extracted from areas affected by the virus.

  Others are treated with a surgical procedure known as loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP). In this method of removal, an electrical current runs through a very thin wire guided around and under the lesion to essentially scoop it out of healthy tissue. Due the size of the wire and electrical current, you shouldn't feel any pain during extraction.

  Another option is cryotherapy, in which a cryoprobe emits liquid nitrogen (or liquid carbon dioxide) onto the lesion, freezing and killing the abnormal cells. With HPV, you may need a number of sessions before you see an improvement in your condition, but it's still an effective treatment.

  The last treatment is laser surgery, which essentially works the same way as conventional surgery. But instead of a scalpel, a laser is used to cut around the lesion and remove a cone-shaped piece of tissue containing the virus.

  The method of removal is determined by a number of factors, including your age, health, severity of infection, area of infection and size of lesions.