Facts About HPV
HPV, or human papillomavirus, is a sexually transmitted virus that infects the genital area in males and females. The infection can be asymptomatic, so some patients are unaware they have acquired the virus. The infection can be limited by using protection during sexual intercourse.
Other People Are Reading
-
Symptoms
-
Some patients do not show any signs of HPV. However, HPV presents symptoms in some patients through visible warts in the area of infection. For a minor percentage of females, HPV infections may lead to cervical cancer.
Infection
-
HPV is a sexually transmitted disease. It is normally passed to another person from anal or vaginal sexual contact. Even asymptomatic patients may pass HPV to their partner, and people who have not had sexual intercourse for a while may still transfer the disease if they are infected.
-
Causes of Warts and Cancer
-
HPV infects the cells in the lining of the genitals like the vagina. The infection causes DNA to mutate and form tumors. In most cases, the body's immune system successfully destroys and eliminates the virus and these side effects do not occur.
Statistics
-
According to the CDC, 20 million Americans are infected with HPV. Only 1 percent of these cases present genital wart symptoms.
Prevention
-
An HPV vaccine has been approved and is available to the public. The vaccination protects women against four types of HPV. For people who are not vaccinated, using protection during sexual intercourse is the best way to prevent HPV.
-
