What Are the Treatments for Human Papillomavirus?

You may develop a human papillomavirus (HPV) infection as the result of contracting one of more than 100 related HPVs. Every individual HPV has the ability to cause an abnormality within your body. These types of abnormalities can result in warts, such as plantar warts of the feet, common warts of the hands and genital warts; cancer; or lesions of the mouth or respiratory system. Millions of people are infected with HPV, with the most common signs being warts. However, many people may not even know they have HPV, because signs are not always present. There is no cure for HPV, but there are various treatments to help with symptoms.

Genital Warts

• Treatments for genital warts can include the prescription medications Aldara and Condylox. Both are medicated creams. Aldara helps your immune system fight the HPV infection, while Condylox helps to destroy the genital wart tissue. You can also have the genital warts removed either surgically or with a laser. Freezing the warts with liquid nitrogen is the most common form of treatment. Trichloroacetic acid can be used in a doctor's office, to burn off the warts. Keep in mind that even if the genital warts have been removed, your body still contains the virus, which means the disease can still be spread to any sexual partner.

Premalignant Lesions

• In most instances, premalignant genital lesions may not even be treated. In women, such lesions have a tendency to disappear on their own. However, as a precaution, it is important to receive regular Pap smears in order to make sure the lesions have resolved. If they do not go away on their own, the premalignant lesions can become cancerous. Treatments to remove premalignant lesions include surgery, laser surgery, cryotherapy (freezing the lesions) and electrocautery (burning them off).

Other Warts

• Treatment for other warts, such as plantar or common warts, will vary. Salicylic acid can be used to remove a wart. However, it only removes the wart a layer at a time. Aldara, the medicated cream, can also be used. Other treatments can include cryotherapy, surgery and laser removal. At times, the warts may go away on their own.

Seeking Help

• Many HPV infections will not develop into cancer. It is still important, though, to seek medical attention if vaginal infections become an issue or if you begin to experience changes in your menstrual cycle, such as heavy bleeding, or bleeding between periods. These symptoms are associated with cervical cancer. If you notice genital warts, or lesions on the nose, tongue or the inside of the mouth, seek medical attention. Warts can also appear on the hands, fingers, feet, face, neck, elbows, wrists and knees.

Causes and Risks

• Getting a HPV infection can only occur through genital or oral contact, or when the virus enters through exposed skin (such as cuts and scrapes). In some instances, a mother who is infected with the virus can pass the disease to her child when the infant is delivered. The more sexually active you are, the higher your chances of getting HPV. Having a compromised immune system, such as occurs with HIV/AIDS, can also increase your risk. Some research suggests that young women are biologically more vulnerable to the virus than other groups. In fact, sexually active women under the age of 25 are the group most commonly diagnosed with the disease.

Prevention

• Women can decrease their chances of getting HPV by getting a vaccine known as Gardasil. It is best to receive the vaccination prior to becoming sexually active, and Gardasil protects only against HPV types that a woman has not come into contact with already. By protecting against HPV infection, Gardasil can also help prevent cervical cancer. If you are already sexually active, use a latex condom to reduce your chances of becoming exposed to sexually transmitted diseases, including HPV.

  If you have common warts on your hands or elsewhere, do not pick them, as this can make the infection spread. You can keep plantar warts (warts on the feet) in check by keeping your feet clean, and wearing shoes in public places such as pools.