HPV
HPV is a sexually-transmitted virus which causes genital and anal warts. Warts are unsightly and annoying, but are not themselves an immediately life-threatening problem. Not everyone who has HPV has warts, so many people do not know they have this disease. However, whether the warts are apparent or not, a person with HPV has it for life and it is extremely contagious through sexual contact.
HPV is the cause of cervical cancer and anal cancer. The cervix is the point at which the womb (uterus) joins the vagina, as shown in the below picture.
Both males and females can have HPV. Cervical cancer is much more common than anal cancer, and since men do not have a cervix, and anal cancer is rare, HPV does not usually cause life-threatening problems in men.
symptoms
Sexually-transmitted warts are usually tiny but can spread into groups of warts. In women warts occur on the outside and inside of the vagina, on the opening cervix or womb. In men they usually appear near the hole of the penis, but sometimes also on other parts of the genitals. Rarely, genital warts appear in the mouth of a person who has had oral sex with an infected person, or any other place of contact.
In many people, the warts are not visible, but they still are there under the skin and they shed the virus. Almost all people who have HPV do not know that they have HPV because their symptoms are mild, but these people can still give HPV to others, even when they do not have visible warts.
A pregnant mother is unlikely to pass HPV to her baby during childbirth.
spread
The warts spread when another part of the body, either one's own body or someone else's, by touching thin skin or membrane.
HPV is extremely easy to spread, and because it lasts for life, a lot of people have it. In most people, the warts only appear one time after infection if they ever appear at all. However, the warts usually appear 3 months to 1 year after infection, and may only last 2 weeks.
Incidence of herpes infection varies by region, but in America half of the people who are fifty years old have HPV.
Persons with HPV are at greatly increased risk for both contracting and spreading HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. Having any other STD greatly increases the risk of contracting HPV.
treatment
There is no cure for HPV. HPV is a nuisance disease - it is not fatal, and even at its worst it itself usually just causes warts which go away on their on after a while. Even if the warts do not go away, a doctor can remove them.
HPV does lead to certain cancers, especially cervical cancer. A medical test called a "pap smear" detects HPV and cervical cancer, and women should be aware of this test.
There is a vaccine for HPV. It must be administered before a person gets HPV and it is almost entirely effective. Costing $400, the vaccine is quite expensive so it is not available to everyone.
Having one STD, such as HPV, increases the likelihood of getting another. One of the best ways to prevent the spread of HIV beyond understanding and using safer sex practices is to get the HPV vaccine. A person who does not get HPV is less likely than a person with HPV to contract HIV.
