HPV (Human Papillomavirus): Causes, Symptoms, Transmission, Treatment and Prevention

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection. It can cause certain types of cancer and/or genital warts. Approximately 80% of sexually active men and women will be infected with HPV at some point in their lives, and most new infections occur in people in their teens and early 20s.

Most people will have no symptoms and may never know they are carriers of the virus, but they can spread the virus during this time. Although most infections go away on their own within a few years, untreated HPV infections can lead to cancer.

To date, over 100 forms of HPV have been identified, 40 of which can lead to conditions in the genital area.

Mode of transmission

Transmission can occur either through skin-to-skin or genital-to-genital contact with an infected person (including from mother to fetus during childbirth), or through sexual contact with a carrier.

There are more than 200 types of human papillomavirus (HPV). Approximately 40 types can infect the genital area – the vulva, vagina, cervix, rectum, anus, penis, and scrotum – as well as the mouth and throat. These types of HPV are spread during sexual contact.

Approximately 90% (9 out of 10) of HPV infections go away on their own within two years, according to the CDC. However, because the virus is still in an infected person's body, they can transmit HPV without knowing it.

Thus, those infected with HPV can transmit the disease despite the lack of symptoms and even years after recovery.

Symptoms

When the virus does not go away on its own, it can cause serious health problems. These include genital warts and warts in the throat (known as recurrent respiratory papillomatosis).

HPV can also cause cervical cancer and other types of cancer in the genitals, head, and neck.

The types of HPV that cause warts are different from the types that cause cancer. Therefore, having genital warts caused by HPV does not mean you will develop cancer.

Cancers caused by HPV often show no symptoms until the cancer is in advanced stages of growth. Regular screenings can help diagnose HPV-related health problems earlier. This can improve the outlook and increase survival chances.

Many men who contract an HPV infection have no symptoms, although some may develop genital warts.

Some strains of HPV can cause penile, anal, and throat cancer in men. Some men may be at higher risk of developing HPV-related cancers, including men who have anal sex and men with weakened immune systems.

It is estimated that 80% of women will contract at least one type of HPV during their lifetime. As with men, many women who become infected with HPV have no symptoms, and the infection goes away without causing health problems.

Some women may notice they have genital warts, which can appear inside the vagina, inside or around the anus, and on the cervix or vulva.

Some strains of HPV can cause cervical cancer or cancers of the vagina, anus, or throat.

In the case of an oral HPV infection, the most common symptoms include:

• headache,
• sore throat and pain when swallowing,
• weight loss,
• swollen lymph nodes.

Diagnosis

HPV testing is done through cervical screening. There is no blood test for HPV.

During cervical screening, a small sample of cells is taken from the cervix and tested for HPV.

Investigations help protect those infected against cervical cancer. Basic tests for detecting HPV infection include:

• Pap smear (PAP) – the test detects abnormal cells in the cervix before they develop into cancer cells. The test is recommended for all women who have become sexually active.
• Specific HPV testing
• Colposcopy
• Cervical biopsy

Treatment

Most of the time, an HPV infection will go away on its own in about 2 years.

There is no treatment for the virus itself. However, there are treatments for some of the health problems caused by HPV, such as genital warts and certain types of cancer.

Prevention

Vaccination against HPV infection is the safest way to prevent health problems associated with this infection, as well as cervical cancer. It is recommended that vaccination be done for both girls and boys around the age of 12, before they become sexually active and are exposed to the HPV virus.

To protect against cancers caused by HPV, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends two doses of the HPV vaccine for people receiving the first dose before their 15th birthday. The second dose should be given 6–12 months after the first dose.

For men and women up to age 26 who have not been vaccinated, three doses are recommended for those who start the vaccination series after age 15 and for those with a weakened immune system (at 0, 1-2, and 6 months). The HPV vaccine can be given starting at age 9.

In Romania, the Ministry of Health has expanded the age group for free anti-HPV vaccination to include girls aged 14 to 18, in accordance with the recommendations of the Epidemiology and Oncology commissions within the Ministry of Health, as well as experts from the National Institute of Public Health.

References
https://www.nfid.org/infectious-diseases/hpv/
https://www.reginamaria.ro/utile/dictionar-de-afectiuni/infectia-cu-virusul-papiloma-uman-hpv
https://www.healthline.com/health/human-papillomavirus-infection#symptoms
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/human-papilloma-virus-hpv/
https://www.nativia.ro/articole/articole-medicale/virusul-hpv/
https://www.ms.ro/2021/10/29/precizari-cu-privire-la-derularea-campaniei-de-vaccinare-anti-hpv-campania-de-vaccinare-anti-hpv-fara-discontinuitate%CB%AE/
https://www.reginamaria.ro/utile/dictionar-de-afectiuni/testul-babes-papanicolau-pap