Causes and Risk Factors of HPV

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a common group of viruses, many of which are transmitted via sexual contact, such as genital HPV. Although most people pass the viruses through their systems without symptoms, genital HPV can cause genital warts, and other types of HPV can cause cancer if left untreated.

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Inside HPV

• Genital HPV infects the skin and mucous membranes of the genitalia, including the penis, vulva and the linings of the vagina by making normal cells abnormal. If left untreated, genital warts can occur. Although genital HPV does not cause cancer, cases of cervical cancer caused by other types of HPV have prompted many high-profile public health campaigns.

Causes of HPV

• Genital HPV is transmitted through sexual contact with the genitals during sex. Infectionive contact can include vaginal or anal sex, and to a lesser extent, oral sex.

Symptoms of Genital HPV

• Most cases of genital HPV pass through the human body without any symptoms, or lie dormant for years without any physical tell-tale signs of its appearance. However, in some cases, infected cells in the genital area turn abnormal and manifest into small bumps or groups of bumps called genital warts.

Cancer-Causing HPV

• Higher-risk forms of HPV can cause cancer cells to form on a woman's cervix if left dormant and untreated. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 10 percent of women with high-risk HPV develop long-term infections that may lead to cancer.

Prevention of HPV

• Currently, there is no HPV vaccine for men, but there is a vaccine that can protect women from the types of HPV that cause genital warts and cervical cancer. The only sure way to prevent HPV is to avoid all sexual contact, but condoms can protect against infection for those areas covered by the condom.