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What Are the Causes of Human Papillomavirus?

Human papilloma virus is an extremely common sexually transmitted virus. It affects the cells that live on the skin and in the vagina, anus and mouth. There are many ways to contract the virus, and it affects 24 million Americans, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association (medicalnewstoday.com). It can affect men and women, though women are at particular risk as it may cause cervical cancer. Men often do not present symptoms but sometimes will experience genital warts as a result of HPV. There are ways to protect against the virus, including a vaccine.

  1. What is it?

    • Human papilloma virus (HPV) is a virus of the epithelial cells found on the skin and also the vagina, vulva, anus, penis, mouth and throat. The word papilloma refers to the warts that may develop as a result of the virus. HPV is mainly spread through sexual intercourse, although there are other ways to get it. There are around 40 types of HPV, and they range in severity. Some are without symptoms or health risk, and others lead to genital warts and even cervical cancer.

    Sexual transmission

    • There are several ways of getting HPV through sexual contact, and it does not have to be passed through direct sexual intercourse. However, sexual intercourse is the most common way of getting HPV. Because HPV can affect the skin that is not covered by a condom, it is easy to pass the virus through intercourse. Also, HPV-infected cells can live in the mouth, so it is possible to spread the disease through oral sex. The virus can also be passed through bodily fluids and mucous membranes.

    Close contact

    • Mucous membranes do not only include genitals, and also refer to mouth, nose and throat. Therefore, there are ways of spreading the virus through the contact of these areas, and not necessarily only by sexual behavior. Kissing, sharing drinks and toothbrushes, and close contact to an infected person's face can all contribute to the spreading of HPV. Also, because many times the virus does not present symptoms, many people do not realize they have it and therefore are less careful about the risks of spreading it.

    Treatment

    • The actual HPV virus cannot be treated, but many of the symptoms can be. If you are a woman with HPV, one of the primary concerns is that it can lead to cells forming into cancer, so a doctor will closely watch the cells around the cervix and may suggest annual Pap smear tests. If you suffer from HPV warts, they tend to grow for around six months and then stabilize. A doctor will indicate when is the best time to treat the warts and will likely prescribe podofilox or imiquimod creams. There is also the option of surgically removing the warts.

    Prevention

    • There are ways to prevent against HPV. Caution in sexual intercourse is important, in terms of using a condom, knowing your partner and communicating. There is also a vaccine available to protect against HPV. The vaccine is called Gardasil and is recommended for sexually active women over the age of 14. To learn more about Gardasil, consult a physician and visit the Gardasil website at hpvinfo.com.

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