Cervical HPV Symptoms
Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is a virus with many strains. Each strain causes different infections and some are sexually transmitted. Sexually transmitted HPV strains cause either genital warts or cervical cancer. However, genital warts do not cause cervical cancer although it is possible to be infected with multiple strains of HPV. There is no cure for HPV but treatment is available for genital warts and precancerous cells.
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Significance
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HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 20 million Americans are currently infected with HPV with 6.2 million people newly infected each year.
High Risk or Low Risk
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Sexually transmitted HPV is divided into low risk strains that cause genital warts and high risk strains that can lead to cervical cancer. Genital warts are not harmful. Most healthy people will be able to fight off the infection eventually. In fact, many people will never know they had HPV and will experience no symptoms before clearing out the infection. There is no test for HPV for men, and the test for women is not commonly used unless a woman is over 30 or has had an abnormal Pap Test.
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Genital Wart Symptoms
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Genital warts can appear anywhere on the genitals including the penis, scrotum, vagina, vulva, cervix, anus, or rectum. The warts are flesh colored and may appear in groups, resembling cauliflower. Genital warts are not painful but some people may experience itching. Someone may have a single outbreak of warts or multiple outbreaks over their lifetime. Warts can be removed by a doctor.
Cervical Cancer Symptoms
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There are no obvious symptoms of high risk HPV or cervical cancer. A Pap test is needed to detect changes in cervical cells that may lead to cancer. These cells can be treated by several methods that can prevent them from becoming cancerous. If cervical cancer progresses, bleeding, pain and vaginal discharge may be present, particularly during or after intercourse.
Vaccine
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There is a vaccine available in the United States that prevents sexually transmitted HPV in women. The vaccine protects against four strains of HPV: two low risk strains and two high risk strains. The vaccine is most effective before exposure to HPV, so it is recommended for girls from 11 to 12 years of age. The vaccine can be administered to women up to the age of 26 because even with prior HPV infection the vaccine protects against the HPV strains not encountered.
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