Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a very common disease that neither children nor adults are immune to.It is relatively easy to contract this infection, because its cells are around us and remain viable without a carrier for a long time.
In addition, it can reside in the human body without realizing it and will not manifest until a certain moment.All this time, the infected object is a carrier of the disease, which is why HPV is spread to people close to him and to his family members.
Papillomavirus – provocateur of oncological development
Almost every third person experiences a small growth on their body, which at first seems harmless and harmless.When such a tumor is detected, the patient's first reaction is to tear it apart or remove it using traditional methods.
In fact, such actions often cause irreparable harm to health, because improper removal of papillomas can trigger active proliferation of epithelial tissue.This is what contributes to the rapid spread of HPV in the body, and in some cases even causes the mutation of skin cells with subsequent degeneration into cancerous tumors.
Until now, scientists have divided all types of papillomavirus into three categories:
- safe;
- low-tumorigenic;
- highly oncogenic.
This group includes certain types of diseases, which have their own level of probability to transform the growth into a cancerous tumor.Viruses with low and high oncogenicity, when they enter the body, penetrate the genome of epithelial cells, which changes their structure and causes the appearance of malignant tumors.In this case, the patient needs immediate professional treatment, because if this problem is neglected, it can all end in death.It is not worth fighting the disease yourself, because it is still not possible to cure it without the help of a specialist.
Important!In medical practice, there are precedents when patients are diagnosed with a safe form of papillomavirus, but under the influence of external factors, more often caused by mechanical damage to the growth, the papilloma still degenerates into oncology.
How is human papillomavirus transmitted?
All types of diseases, oncogenic and harmless, spread in the same way.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 delivery.
The presence of lesions on the skin increases the possibility of contracting this disease.Through abrasions or small scratches, viral cells quickly penetrate deep into the skin and begin to spread throughout the body.In addition, the following factors can increase the likelihood of infection:
- weakening of the body's protective functions (seasonal or postoperative);
- the presence of intestinal dysbiosis or disruption of the normal microflora in the vagina;
- avitaminosis;
- alcohol addiction;
- sexually transmitted diseases, especially gonorrhea, syphilis, trichomoniasis
- any type of diabetes;
- exacerbation of any chronic disease;
- pregnancy at any stage;
- often exposed to stressful situations.
In addition, those who are most vulnerable to papillomavirus infection are experienced smokers, as well as women who take combined contraceptive pills.
Sexual transmission of HPV
If you have a weak immune system, having sex with a sick person is a 100% way to contract human papillomavirus infection.Due to the high risk of spreading the causative agent of this disease, doctors insist on abandoning promiscuity and recommend having intimate relationships only with trusted sexual partners.
Research on the nature of the papillomavirus has helped to prove that in almost 75% of cases the source of infection is men.However, this does not mean that the majority of representatives of the fair sex who are infected are not spreading HPV.The presence of external symptoms of the disease - condylomas, which are located on the mucous membranes of internal organs - can increase the chance of transmitting the human papillomavirus from a woman to a man.Moreover, even a strong immune system cannot always protect against this type of human papillomavirus infection.
There is an opinion that you can catch this disease only through normal sexual 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 can be:
- oral sex;
- touching the genitals with your hands;
- anal sex;
- sexual intercourse without penetration.
In addition, the virus is contained in saliva, so you can be infected with HPV even through a simple kiss.
Do condoms protect against disease?
Manufacturers of barrier contraceptives say that condoms are 99% capable of preventing infection with any sexually transmitted disease.This raises a completely logical question: is it effective against papillomavirus?
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 sex.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 condoms are a useless contraceptive method.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 chances of getting infected with HPV during sexual intercourse are 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 mode of vertical transmission of the virus is infection of children during intrauterine development or during its passage through the birth canal.
Infection occurs until about the sixth week of pregnancy, when the baby's bronchioles and alveoli have not yet formed.At this point, the fetus begins to develop respiratory papillomatosis.If during the birth of the baby he is diagnosed with difficulty breathing due to growth in the airways, then the doctor performs a surgical operation.Drug therapy in this case is useless.
If a pregnant mother is infected with papillomavirus after 6 weeks of pregnancy, the virus can be transmitted during childbirth.The baby loses the protection of the placenta and passes through the birth canal, where the infection occurs.
HPV treatment in pregnant women
If the human papillomavirus is detected without external signs, the doctor prescribes the woman to take immunostimulating drugs.If the expectant mother has a condyloma on the wall of the vagina or cervix, it must be removed.You can do this using:
- laser therapy;
- electrocoagulation;
- radio wave destruction.
In very severe cases, patients are prescribed surgery.This method is only used when the tumor exceeds 5 cm or there is a suspicion of cancer.
With the established diagnosis of papillomavirus, a pregnant woman undergoes a cesarean section.This is the only way to protect children from infection.
Most often, papillomavirus appears after pregnancy.The reason is a temporary decrease in the protective functions of the body.If there are no tumors on the vaginal wall or cervix, no treatment is prescribed.Usually, after the baby is born, the external signs of HPV disappear on their own.
Transmission of viruses in the home
When diagnosing papillomavirus in one person, we can say with 90% confidence that it has been transmitted to all other family members.You can get infected with HPV at home:
- when wearing sick shoes or clothes;
- when sharing towels, washcloths and other personal hygiene items;
- through saliva when using dishes or toothbrushes;
- after using a razor (the greatest risk of infection is when the skin is cut).
Another way of spreading the infection
In addition to all the routes of transmission of papillomavirus listed, it is quite possible to take the causative agent of this disease:
- in a bathhouse, sauna or swimming pool;
- in public transport (the main places where virus cells accumulate are handrails, seats, doors);
- when shaking hands with sick people;
- when using elevators, escalators;
- in the nail salon (if instrument sterilization is not sufficient).
Not long ago, information was published that almost 20% of papillomavirus infection cases occur through donor blood transfusions.In addition, hospital and clinic staff are at high risk of infection, as they can inhale disease cells when in contact with patients.In this case, a medical mask is a poor 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 protection from infection.
Today there are two types of preventive medicine.It is a mistake to assume that they protect against all existing types of papillomavirus.Their composition helps to protect yourself from only a few types of HPV, which are classified as dangerous types of cancer - 6, 11, 16, 18.