Why Does HPV Cause Cervical Cancer?
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What is HPV?
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There are more than 100 strands of the human papilloma virus (HPV), and not all of them cause cancer. Strands of this virus are broken up into "high risk" and "low risk." Low-risk HPV causes issues including genital warts, or even regular warts. It's also possible that low-risk HPV will be completely asymptomatic. Though warts can be very inconvenient and bothersome, they're also treatable and usually pose no great risk. However, high-risk HPV--which the National Cancer Institute identifies as strands 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59, 66, 68, and 73--are often asymptomatic and can lead to diseases including cervical cancer, among others. It's usually transmitted via intercourse or oral sex and can live on the genitals, as well as in the larynx of the oral cavity. From there it can be transmitted to others' genitals through oral sex.
Detection of HPV
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There is no standard protocol for testing for HPV. Although it's standard practice for some doctors to test for the virus on pap smears, many doctors don't. HPV is most commonly detected after an abnormal pap smear. If a pap smear shows abnormal cells on the cervix, your gynecologist will contact you. If you're nervous about having HPV, you can ask your doctor to test you for it. Remember that HPV is only a danger when it causes cells to become abnormal on a pap smear. If you go for your gynecological exams regularly, your doctor will likely detect the HPV before it causes cancer.
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HPV and Cervical Cancer
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HPV is the only known cause of cervical cancer. According to the Mayo Clinic, most women's immune systems can eliminate the virus in its early stages. However, in some women the virus survives and infects the cervix, causing abnormal cells to produce and duplicate. According to the American Cancer Society, cancer is simply abnormal cells that duplicate out of control without apoptosis, or cell death. If left untreated, the abnormal cells caused by HPV will mutate until they become cancerous cells.
Preventing HPV and Cervical Cancer
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If you've never been sexually active or have never tested positive for HPV, it's worth considering the Gardasil vaccine. This prevents against four high-risk strands of HPV (as well as four low-risk strands of HPV). This can significantly reduce your risk of contracting HPV, but it's still important to get annual pap smears. The vaccine doesn't prevent against all strands of the virus, and there may be other unknown causes of cervical cancer.
If your doctor has told you that you have HPV, this doesn't mean you'll develop cervical cancer or die of it. Young women can build immunity to the virus and it can go away altogether, leaving you with normal pap smears. Until this happens, you should get regular pap smears at least every 6 months.
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