An HPV carrier may not be aware that they are infected. Symptoms do not appear immediately and only in the form of papillomas of different localization:
- Vulgar. Appears in the form of a small hard bump about 1 cm in diameter, most commonly on the hands.
- threadlike. Small seals in the form of yellow cones often change and grow.
- Plantar warts. Often confused with calluses.
- Even. Itching before the manifestation, similar to the manifestation of an allergy. Then they become round, light.
- pointed warts. They are located in intimate places on the mucous membrane.
In women with formations on the genitals, concomitant symptoms may appear:
- high temperature;
- Itching;
- violation of the cycle;
- Pain, blood at the sites of neoplasms.
In men, HPV rarely manifests itself in the form of genital warts, they act as transmitters of the disease.
Blood test for papillomavirus type 18 (16)
A human papillomavirus blood test is used in developed countries for mass detection of carriers and sick people. The diagnostic certainty of cytology is up to 95%. A DNA test is carried out in the USA for the following indications:
- In women over 30 as a screening test;
- To identify questionable research results;
- In the absence of screening programs;
- For control after removal of cervical cancer.
The list of diagnostic procedures for detecting the papilloma virus:
- Cytological examination in combination with the Digene test allows you to determine the clinically significant concentration of the virus in the blood;
- Urological, gynecological examination - to detect genital warts, genital warts;
- Histological examination of a piece of tissue taken after a gynecological or urological examination.
The main task of papillomavirus diagnostics is the detection of precancerous lesions. Colposcopy and cytology are the most common and inexpensive methods of diagnosing the disease.
transmission methods
The mechanisms under the influence of which you can become infected include:
- Contact;
- vertical (from mother to child during labour).
The implementation of the contact mechanism occurs through the sexual and contact-household pathways. Therefore, HPV can be transmitted by:
- handshake and kiss;
- the use of other people's hygiene products, including razors, washcloths, soap, towels and cosmetics;
- wearing clothing belonging to the carrier of the infection;
- Visiting public baths, saunas and swimming pools.
Oncogenic types of the virus are sexually transmitted. The risk of infection increases several times in people who are promiscuous in partners. The more often they change, the higher the chance of contagion, and even with a condom, you cannot be sure of your safety.
You can also get infected with homosexual relationships, since they are characterized by violations of the epithelium and mucous membrane. And a condom doesn't really help in this case either. The presence of warts on the body of a sexual partner also signals the possibility of acquiring HPV through microtrauma on the body.
Pregnant women who are HPV carriers should be aware of the possibility of infecting an infant during its passage through the birth canal.
Infection occurs only in the presence of characteristic growths in the genital area and cervix. At the same time, papillomavirus infection in a child manifests itself in the form of growths in the larynx, which are especially dangerous. It will be difficult for the baby to breathe and eat, maybe even choke.
First of all, it is worth noting that the papilloma is transmitted through the epidermis and saliva. At the same time, the infection may not make itself felt for some time and will only manifest itself with a decrease in immunity in the formation of genital warts and papillomas. If we talk about how the papillomavirus is transmitted, then if there are damage, scratches and abrasions on the skin, then the likelihood of infection is significantly increased.
Attention! Many people are interested in whether papilloma is inherited. The answer is no. It is precisely when one of the family members is infected that the papilloma virus is transmitted from mother to baby at home or during childbirth.
There is an opinion that the human papillomavirus is most often transmitted through sexual contact. That's true, but there are other routes of infection. The incubation period for human papillomavirus can be up to 10 years. Papillomas on the body can form from a simple touch or from someone else's saliva.
There are more than a hundred strains of HPV, most of which are transmitted through various types of close contact.
sexually
HPV is sexually transmitted. This reason is considered the most common and insidious, since girls and men are often unaware that there is an infection in the blood. Current protection methods do not offer 100% protection against the virus, especially if it is not a barrier method.
A condom provides little protection against HPV. It all depends on the type of infection and the person's immune system.
HPV can affect the skin anywhere on the body. Papilloma is often sexually transmitted.
Infection can even occur through a condom. This is because the virus lives on superficial tissues and easily colonizes mucous membranes.
With micro-abrasion, the virus enters the bloodstream and begins its destructive work. As a result of infection, genital warts or neoplasms similar to cauliflower appear on the mucous membranes of the genital organs.
Often men infect their partners during intimate relationships. They have stronger immune systems and rarely show visible signs of infection. If there is a lot of sexual relations with unknown women, they can be in the role of virus carriers for some time. The papilloma virus can be transmitted from women to men if the sexual partner has a weak immune system.
A person who is naturally immune to this virus can touch warts, have sex with a sick person, and stay healthy. There are cases where one partner has tested positive for HPV and the other negative, even though they have been living together for a long time.
Other routes of infection
The method of contagion through household funds is widespread, as is the possibility of becoming infected during sexual intercourse.
The virus can be transmitted when swimming in contaminated water, in outdoor or indoor pools. You may see strange growths on the body some time after going to a bath or sauna visited by an infected person.
HPV is transmitted intranatally or transplacentically. With any method, there is some risk of infection.
Research suggests that giving birth by caesarean section increases the likelihood of human papillomavirus infection. The risk of infection does not change during a natural birth or an artificial delivery in women.
The recurrent course of respiratory papillomatosis is provoked by the presence of several types of pathogens - 68, 59, 56, 52, 51, 45, 39, 35, 33, 31, 18, 16. Differences in oncogenicity of serotypes lie in abilityof each type to determine the number of divisions intracellularly.
HPV transmission through sexual contact
HPV is transmitted as a sexually transmitted infection through sexual intercourse. After contact of the blood of a carrier or an infected person with the blood of a donor (due to erosion, cracks in the genital organs), the virion enters the bloodstream. Clinical symptoms are formed according to the serotype of the virus:
- Vulgar plantar warts are caused by HPV 63, 1, 4, 2 types;
- Flat warts - 75, 41, 28, 49, 10, 3;
- Epidermodysplasia verruciformis is observed in patients with papillomatosis due to serotype 11 or 6.
According to scientists, there are many papillomaviruses that have not yet been studied. Mankind has carefully studied oncogenic representatives, which made it possible to create effective protection against cervical cancer in women.
The mechanism of infection with the papillomavirus at home
Human papillomavirus is a highly contagious virus and according to statistics, 50 to 70% of the population is infected with it. However, clinical manifestations of infection are not so common, in about 1-2% of cases. A person does not even realize they are an HPV carrier until immunity and activation of the virus decrease. By knowing the main modes of transmission of HPV, you can protect yourself from unwanted symptoms. So, HPV - how is the disease transmitted? All possible routes of transmission are discussed below.
Papilloma: how is it transmitted and what is it?
About 100 different variants of the virus are currently known. Among them there are both harmless to humans and dangerous in terms of the development of cancer.
The following facts may be encouraging: viruses that cause the formation of warts and papillomas belong to 6 and 11 subtypes that have a low risk of cancer. Oncogenic subtypes include strains 16 and 18, which cause cell mutations and cervical cancer.
The papilloma virus multiplies exclusively in the cells of the skin and mucous membranes, causing their uncontrolled division. As a result, a person has the following clinical manifestations:
- various warts (ordinary, flat, plantar);
- genital warts;
- papillomatosis of the mouth and larynx;
- Papillomas of the internal organs.
The role of the virus in causing cervical cancer in women and penile cancer in men has been established, so understanding how papillomavirus is transmitted is important to prevent infection.
Human papillomavirus: routes of transmission
Without characteristic growths on the skin or mucous membranes, it is impossible to prove the presence of a virus in the body on its own. Special medical tests allow to identify a sleep pathology. The absence of symptoms does not guarantee that a person is not dangerous to others.
How is the papillomavirus (HPV) transmitted? Doctors distinguish several possibilities.
Contact housekeeping
HPV is transmitted through the home. It is worth noting that this rarely happens, but this possibility of getting infected with the human papillomavirus (PVI) still has the right to exist.
You can get infected by shaking hands, using common household items - towels, slippers, wearing someone else's clothes, especially underwear. Infection often occurs when visiting the pool or fitness center.
The microscopic organism has such high activity that HPV is transmitted through saliva, a kiss.
The risk of infection increases when there are abrasions, scratches, microcracks and various wounds on the skin. Especially contagious are people with characteristic manifestations of the disease - warts and papillomas.
A fairly common question: Does regular hand washing reduce the risk of infection? Clean skin is naturally better protected. However, hygiene measures do not protect against infection with papillomaviruses.
Is papillomavirus (HPV) sexually transmitted?
One sexual contact is enough to infect a person. HPV is transmitted through oral, vaginal, and anal sex.
More often the infection comes from a man, but the opposite situation is also possible when reverse HPV infection is recorded - from a woman to a man.
Predisposing factors are:
- early intimacy at a young age;
- frequent change of sexual partners, because do not forget that the papillomavirus is sexually transmitted;
- the presence of genital warts on the genitals.
Papilloma is also sexually transmitted through homosexual relationships, during which there are minor injuries to the skin and mucous membranes of the anal area. This significantly increases the risk of infection, especially if one of the partners has external manifestations of the disease - anogenital warts.
Is human papillomavirus transmitted through protected sex? Unfortunately yes. HPV is transmitted through a condom because warts that are invisible to the eye can be found in the groin area unprotected by the product.
Using a condom greatly reduces the risk of infection, but it does not offer a complete guarantee of safety. Despite this, the use of a condom is recommended for anyone who has multiple sexual partners.
HPV is easily transmitted through oral sex. This increases the risk of developing tonsil cancer, especially if a person has been infected with oncogenic strains.
Papillomavirus: transmission from mother to child (vertical method)
Many pregnant women worry - is HPV transmitted from mother to child? Unfortunately, such a route of infection does exist, and infection can occur both transplacentically (in the prenatal period) and during childbirth.
If the first option is an incredible rarity, then when a baby passes through an infected birth canal, a child can get papillomavirus with a high probability.
Possible infection of the larynx, bronchi and trachea in a newborn. The virus is introduced into the mucous membranes and stimulates the formation of growths. Laryngeal papillomatosis can lead to stenosis and suffocation in the child, especially if the vocal cords are affected. Any infection, a cold leads to swelling of the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract, and with the simultaneous presence of papillomas, this ends with difficulty breathing in and out.
Papillomavirus infection (PVI) belongs to the group of anthroponotic pathogens (transmission occurs exclusively from person to person). When we talk about how to get infected with the papillomavirus (HPV), then mainly through sexual contact with an infected partner. In addition, the virus can remain active in dead skin cells for a certain period of time (relatively short), therefore, in certain situations, infection with the human papillomavirus is carried out using household funds. Now a little more about how you get HPV and what are the methods of transmission.
Contagious papillomatosis
First of all, it is worth answering the question: "Is papilloma contagious? "Undoubtedly. And the appearance of warts requires complex treatment, which includes not only the removal of formations, but also the administration of the necessary drugs.
Is latent HPV contagious? Another frequently asked question from patients. The answer to this will also be positive. It is important to realize that even engaging in safe sex is not a complete guarantee against contagion. The virus can be found in the groin and surface of the genitals that are not protected by a condom.
Human papillomavirus: sexually transmitted infection
The main way of transmission of papilloma is sexual intercourse with an infected partner. This mode of transmission is typical for most types of viruses with high oncogenic activity.
The risk of contracting the disease is especially high in men and women who are promiscuous in choosing a sexual partner. People with homosexual tendencies should also be included in the risk group. The practice of anal sex is accompanied by trauma to the skin and mucous membranes, which greatly facilitates the process of introducing HPV DNA into the human body.
A person often considers growths on the skin harmless and treats them with folk methods. This mistake can have dangerous consequences - abnormal growth of epithelial tissue aggravates the spread of the papillomavirus throughout the body, and some of its strains provoke cell mutations with the formation of various types of cancer.
More than 80% of the world's population are carriers of human papillomavirus, regardless of age and race.
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a very common disease against which neither children nor adults are protected. Getting infected with this infection is quite easy because its cells are around us and retain their viability for a long time without a carrier.
In addition, it can imperceptibly settle in the human body and will not manifest itself until a certain point. All this time, the infected object is a carrier of the disease, which is why HPV is transmitted both to people who happen to be around him, and to his family members.
Papillomavirus - a provocateur of the development of oncology
Almost one in three have small growths on the body that at first seem harmless and harmless. When such neoplasms are found, the patient's first reaction is to tear them off or remove them using folk methods.
In fact, such measures often cause irreparable damage to health, since improper removal of the papilloma can provoke active proliferation of epithelial tissue. This contributes to the rapid spread of HPV in the body and in some cases even causes mutation of skin cells with subsequent degeneration into a cancerous tumor.
To date, scientists have divided all types of papillomavirus into three categories:
- secure;
- little oncogenic;
- strongly oncogenic.
One of the characteristics of HPV is that it is not a sexually transmitted disease in the usual sense. The sexual route is only one of several routes of infection and by no means the main route. That is why condoms cannot always protect against the human papillomavirus.
We offer to find out which transmission routes of the virus exist, how contagion occurs and whether it can be avoided.
Altogether about 130 types of human papillomaviruses are known to medicine. Only about 40 of them involve the genitals. For most of these 40 species, sexual transmission is the main route of transmission, but studies show it is not the only one.
HPV Prevention
There are a number of preventive measures due to which there is a high probability that human papillomavirus infection does not enter the body.
- all skin damage should be treated with antiseptics;
- use only personal care products;
- rubber slippers must be used in public saunas, baths and swimming pools;
- any disease must be treated in a timely manner;
- loyalty to a sexual partner who can be trusted;
- Use a condom every time you have sex. Although this does not guarantee safety, the papillomavirus is less likely to enter the body of women than men through a condom;
- regular exercise;
- hardening of the body;
- Compliance with sleep and diet.
Such precautions should be taken not only to avoid infection with HPV, but also with other sexually transmitted infections. The condom provides a guarantee against infection with many diseases that cause activation of the HPV virus.
In the case of the presence of a virus in the body of pregnant women and its manifestations in the genital area, a full examination and removal of such neoplasms is required. If there are papillomas on the genitals, a woman is recommended to have a cesarean section to prevent infection of the child during its passage through the birth canal.
There is a special vaccine against viruses of highly oncogenic strains, which is especially recommended for women under the age of 26 and adolescents. Also, on condition that the HPV carrier is vaccinated himself, his immunity improves significantly, and the virus goes into an inactive phase.
At the same time, it must be borne in mind that the virus does not go away from the body and, accordingly, the person remains a carrier of the infection. For safety reasons, he must use a condom during intercourse and only use personal hygiene products.
We found out how the human papillomavirus is transmitted (women, men and children), now it is necessary to consider preventive measures. It should be said straight away that the most effective way to avoid infection is preventive vaccination.
To date, two types of vaccines against this infection are known. They protect against the most dangerous oncogenic strains of viral infection.
However, the high effectiveness of such protection is observed only with vaccination at an early age, before sexual activity or before infection with any of the HPV strains.
In order not to get infected with the human papillomavirus, you need to follow a few simple rules that will help you avoid other, more serious health problems:
- Be careful when choosing sexual partners - avoid casual contacts.
- observe the rules of personal hygiene - wash your hands more often, especially after visiting public places;
- strengthen immunity - if possible, avoid stress and overwork;
- get vaccinated - the vaccine appeared relatively recently, in 2006.
Even if you have studied the ways of transmission of the human papillomavirus and followed all the rules of prevention, it is impossible to completely protect yourself from HPV infection. If you have been in contact with a sick person and are concerned that the virus could be transmitted, you can do a blood test for PCR. This will give you a reliable answer. However, it should be noted that HPV does not require treatment if you do not have characteristic clinical manifestations.