Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a very common disease, from which neither children nor adults are protected.It is very easy to get infected with this infection because its cells are around us and remain viable without a carrier for a long time.
In addition, it can settle in the human body unnoticed and will not manifest itself until a certain moment.All this time, the infected subject is a carrier of the disease, which is why HPV is transmitted both to people who are close to him and to members of his family.
Papillomavirus - a provocateur of the development of oncology
Almost one in three people develop small growths on their body that initially seem harmless and harmless.When such tumors are found, the patient's first reaction is to tear them out or remove them with traditional methods.
In fact, such actions often cause irreparable harm to health, since improper removal of the papilloma can provoke active proliferation of epithelial tissue.This contributes to the rapid spread of HPV in the body and in some cases even causes mutation of skin cells with subsequent degeneration into a cancerous tumor.
To date, scientists have divided all types of papillomavirus into three categories:
- safe;
- low tumorigenic;
- highly oncogenic.
These groups include certain types of diseases that have their own level of probability of transforming the growth into a cancerous tumor.A virus with low and high oncogenicity, when it enters the body, penetrates the genome of epithelial cells, which changes their structure and causes the appearance of a malignant tumor.In this case, the patient needs immediate professional treatment, because if this problem is neglected, everything can end in death.It is not worth fighting the disease on your own, because it will still not be possible to cure it without the help of a specialist.
important!In medical practice, there are precedents when a patient is diagnosed with a safe form of papilloma virus, but under the influence of external factors, more often due to mechanical damage to growth, papillomas still degenerate into oncology.
How is human papillomavirus transmitted?
All types of diseases, oncogenic and harmless, spread in the same ways.HPV can be transmitted in one of three ways:
- sexual contact with an infected person;
- transmission of infection from mother to child during pregnancy (vertical method);
- household transmission.
The presence of lesions on the skin increases the likelihood of contracting the disease.Through small abrasions or scratches, viral cells quickly penetrate deep into the skin and begin to spread throughout the body.In addition, the following factors can increase the chances of infection:
- weakening of the protective functions of the body (seasonal or postoperative);
- presence of intestinal dysbiosis or disorders of the normal microflora in the vagina;
- avitaminosis;
- alcohol dependence;
- sexually transmitted diseases, in particular gonorrhea, syphilis, trichomoniasis
- diabetes of any kind;
- exacerbation of any chronic disease;
- pregnancy at any stage;
- frequent exposure to stressful situations.
In addition, the most susceptible to infection with the papilloma virus are experienced smokers, as well as women taking combined contraceptive pills.
Sexual transmission of HPV
If you have a weakened immune system, having sex with a sick person is a 100% way to get infected with human papillomavirus.Because of such a high risk of transmission of the causative agent of the disease, doctors insist on abandoning promiscuity and recommend entering into intimate relations only with a trusted sexual partner.
Research into the nature of the papillomavirus has helped to establish that in almost 75% of cases, the source of infection is a man.However, this does not mean that the majority of infected representatives of the fairer sex are not spreaders of HPV.The presence of external symptoms of the disease - warts that are located on the mucous membranes of internal organs - can increase the chances of transmission of the human papillomavirus from a woman to a man.In addition, even a strong immune system is not always able to protect itself from this type of human papillomavirus infection.
There is an opinion that you can catch the disease only through normal intercourse (penetration of the penis into the vagina).But in reality this is not the case.Doctors say that viral cells spread regardless of the method of sexual contact with the carrier.It could be:
- oral sex;
- touching the genitals with hands;
- anal sex;
- sexual contact without penetration.
In addition, the virus is contained in saliva, so you can get infected with HPV even through a simple kiss.
Will a condom protect against disease?
Manufacturers of barrier contraceptives say that the condom is 99% capable of preventing infection with any sexually transmitted diseases.This raises a completely logical question: does it work against the papilloma virus?
HPV is a unique infection against which there is no absolute protection.Therefore, even a condom will not provide a complete guarantee that the infection will not be transmitted from a carrier to a healthy person during sexual intercourse.This is explained by the fact that the infected object has virus cells all over the skin, and if you wear a condom, the papillomavirus will enter the body not through contact with the genitals, but through contact with other parts of the body.
Of course, this does not mean that the condom is a useless method of contraception.Although it does not protect against HPV, it prevents the transmission of other more serious diseases and also protects against unplanned pregnancy.
important!If you have a strong immune system, the probability of getting infected with HPV during sexual intercourse is almost zero, but doctors recommend not to exclude this possibility and take additional precautions, for example, regularly taking immunomodulatory drugs.
Vertical method of infection
The vertical mode of transmission of the virus is the infection of a child during intrauterine development or during its passage through the birth canal.
The infection occurs until about the sixth week of pregnancy, at a time when the baby's bronchioles and alveoli have not yet formed.At this point, the fetus begins to develop respiratory papillomatosis.If at birth the baby is diagnosed with difficulty breathing due to growths in the respiratory tract, then doctors perform a surgical operation.Drug therapy in this case is useless.
If the expectant mother becomes infected with papillomavirus after 6 weeks of pregnancy, the virus can be transmitted during delivery.The baby is deprived of the protection of the placenta and passes through the birth canal, where the infection occurs.
Treatment of HPV in pregnant women
If the human papilloma virus is detected without external signs, doctors prescribe the woman to take immunostimulating drugs.If the expectant mother has warts on the walls of the vagina or cervix, they must be removed.You can do this using:
- laser therapy;
- electrocoagulation;
- destruction of radio waves.
In a particularly severe case, the patient is prescribed an operation.This method is used only when the tumor exceeds 5 cm or cancer is suspected.
With a previously established diagnosis of papilloma virus, a pregnant woman undergoes a cesarean section.This is the only way to protect the child from infection.
Very often the papillomavirus manifests itself after pregnancy.The reason for this is a temporary decrease in the protective functions of the body.If there are no growths on the walls of the vagina or cervix, no treatment is prescribed.Usually, after the baby is born, the external signs of HPV disappear on their own.
Domestic transmission of the virus
When we diagnose papillomavirus in one person, we can say with 90% confidence that it has already been transmitted to all other members of his family.You can get HPV at home:
- when wearing shoes or clothes of a sick person;
- when sharing towels, washcloths and other personal hygiene items;
- through saliva when using dishes or a toothbrush;
- after using a razor (the greatest risk of infection is when the skin is cut).
Other ways of spreading the infection
In addition to all the listed ways of transmission of the papillomavirus, it is quite possible to catch the causative agent of the disease:
- in a bath, sauna or swimming pool;
- in public transport (the main places where virus cells accumulate are railings, seats, doors);
- when shaking hands with a sick person;
- when using elevators, escalators;
- in a nail salon (in case of insufficient sterilization of instruments).
Information was recently published that almost 20% of cases of papillomavirus infection occur through donor blood transfusion.In addition, hospital and clinic staff are at the greatest risk of infection because they can inhale disease cells when in contact with a patient.In this case, the medical mask is a weak method of protection.
Vaccination - guaranteed safety against HPV?
Many people have heard about the benefits of vaccination against human papillomavirus, but few know that even this method does not guarantee complete safety from infection.
There are two types of preventive medicine available today.It is a mistake to assume that they protect against all existing types of papillomavirus.Their composition helps protect against only a few types of HPV, which are classified as cancer-threatening types - 6, 11, 16, 18.