How to Treat HPV

By eHow Health Editor

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Human papilloma virus, or HPV as it is called, is the only proven cause of cervical cancer. On average, over six million new cases of HPV are reported each year in the United States alone. Most of these are in women age 16 to 24. While it is easy to detect the 30 strains of HPV, you will find that it is not so clear-cut to treat the virus.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Treat the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV)

Step1

Speak with your doctor about the risks involved with HPV. Since most people who are infected have no symptoms of the virus, only a doctor can properly diagnose you. He will also be able to develop a treatment plan that works for you.

Step2

Treat the symptoms that can be seen first if you do not test for "high risk" HPV. Since genital warts are sometimes an indication of HPV, and are highly contagious, you will need to take care of the warts first. Depending on the size and location of the warts, your doctor will decide how best to treat them.

Step3

Remain vigilant about checking for warts and having routine pap smears. After being diagnosed with HPV, you will need to have pap tests about once every six months to check for abnormal cervical cells. Since there is no definite treatment for HPV, you will need to continue to work closely with your doctor.

Step4

Get a second opinion if your doctor suggests surgery, especially a radical one such as hysterectomy. HPV only leads to cervical cancer in a very small percentage of women, and most cases of cervical cancers (if caught early) can be cleared up with minor outpatient procedures. A simple test can tell you if you have "high risk" HPV.

Step5

Practice safe sex, with a condom, until you doctor clears you of having HPV. The only way to truly prevent the virus from reoccurring is to avoid sexual contact with an infected person. In essence, you and your partner could pass HPV back and forth without even realizing it.

Tips & Warnings

The only way to avoid contracting HPV is to avoid contact with an infected person. Even Gardasil, the first HPV immunization available, only prevents four of the more than 100 types of HPV known, and it does not work as a treatment.
Genital warts are an outward sign of some types of HPV, although not everyone with genital warts has HPV, and not everyone with HPV develops the warts.