WWhat is HPV (Human Papilloma Virus)?
HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI). HPV is a virus other than HIV and HSV (herpes). HPV is so common that almost all sexually active men and women get it at some point in their lives.
What are the symptoms of HPV?
Most men or women who get HPV never have symptoms, and the infection usually goes away on its own. However, if HPV does not go away, it can cause genital warts / condylomas or certain types of cancer.
STRAINS / POPULATION
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) considers that HPV types 36,18,31,33,35,39,45,51,52,56,58,59,68 and 82 are of high oncological risk, being the 16 and 18 the most frequent.
How is HPV transmitted in men or women?
WAnyone can get HPV by having unprotected oral, vaginal, or anal sex with someone who has the virus. Direct contact (skin to skin) is the most effective form of transmission of HPV, which is not transmitted by fluids such as blood or semen.
Most of the time, HPV infection does not produce any symptoms or discomfort, and the person is not aware that they have this infection. However, you can pass it on to other people. You can also get HPV by having sex with just one person, and symptoms may appear years after the relationship with the infected person.
Keep in mind that the risk of becoming infected increases if:
Sexual intercourse begins at an early age (before the age of seventeen).
They have had sex with several people.
A partner member has had multiple sexual partners.
The condom is not used systematically during sexual intercourse
Premalignant lesions and cancer of the penis may appear in men. In addition, gay men have also been shown to be involved in the development of anal cancer. Logically, it can also cause viral warts or condylomata acuminata, just like in women.
What treatment does the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) have?
We must stimulate the immune system that is responsible for generating a cellular response and the production of antibodies at levels of the genital mucosa that are responsible for clearing up the virus infection. "Only tissue injuries caused by the virus are treated (conization of the cervix) or surgical treatment is applied to cancer of the neck, vagina or vulva"
Can I get HPV again?
"The patient believes he has HPV again, and yet it is a different type.
It is believed that when the immune system is depressed, the virus can be reactivated.
The immunity created by the first infection is not perennial and can be acquired in
various occasions. It is also possible to get another type of HPV virus
(remember that there are more than 150).
Will I have Cancer?
Only some of them also have the potential to develop cancer in certain locations, such as the cervix or the anorectal area, fundamentally. HPV causes 99.9% of cervical cancer cases. It also causes cancer of the anus, head of neck (oropharyngeal cavity). But high-risk cancer viruses are far fewer than low-risk viruses and, therefore, less frequent. Specifically, the most studied are types 16 and 18.
Given these facts, it seems logical to think that in addition to promoting sexual education in adolescents, preventive methods such as condoms, latex oral barriers and vaccines, it is advisable to promote and strengthen the immune system and the protection of cells from mucous membranes and skin to fight infection, without forgetting to follow the therapeutic guidelines indicated by our medical practitioner.