What you need to know about papillomaviruses

More than 60% of the population are carriers of the human papilloma virus, but most do not even know that they are infected. HPV can be considered the most misunderstood of STDs in the world, and around it are always a lot of rumors and misconceptions. Heroine decided to look into what help there regular inspections of whether to be vaccinated after the onset of sexual activity and how to reduce the risk of cancer.

What is HPV?

Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) - the name of a group of viruses that infect the skin. They are transferred upon contact skin-to-skin contact during vaginal, anal or oral sex but not spread by the blood or body fluids. In this case, condoms do not provide complete protection, and the symptoms are absolutely obvious.

Some types of HPV can cause genital warts, while other types are associated with abnormal cell changes in the cervix that can lead to cancer. Fortunately, this can be prevented through regular screenings.

HPV has many

Human papillomavirus is the most common among the population. Scientists say if you did not have childhood vaccinations, most likely, in a certain period of time you have this virus will appear. Someone jokingly calls it cold genitalia: there may be several in different moments of life, and yet for the most part they do not bring much harm.

HPV strains are divided into

When it comes to papillomaviruses, it is necessary to consider that this category includes more than 150 different strains. Of these, only 12 are considered to be hazardous to health, that is, can lead to cancer of the cervix, vagina, vulva, penis, anus, throat, tongue or tonsils. The most dangerous of them - HPV-16 and HPV-18.

They usually have no symptoms of HPV

HPV is hard to notice, because it shows no particular symptoms. This is especially true of men who do not have much wet mucous membranes of the body as in women. In addition, people can absolutely not to notice the warts are small, because some of them are hidden deep in the body. That is why it is important to be screened regularly even if you do not bother.

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screenings help detect cancer cells

In women with normal immunity, cervical cancer can develop for 15-20 years. However, in disorders of the immune system, for example, in women with HIV infection, this process can take as little as 5-10 years.

The main risk factors:

• immunity disorders;
• concomitant infections, sexually transmitted;
• the number of parity and early childbearing.

Since the HPV strains that provoke cancer usually do not cause any symptoms, it is important to be screened regularly. Women need to take swabs and samples of cervical cells. Now doctors recommend doing it once every three years if you are under 30 years, and every five years if you are already over 30. Men get tested for HPV can not yet.

It is important to understand that the way to check the cells, causing cancer of the throat, there are no - the disease can be detected only oncologists and dentists where there are other symptoms.

HPV - it's not forever

There is a myth that says absolutely HPV is incurable and will remain with you until the end of life. On the one hand, this can be considered true - a cure for HPV does not exist yet, but on the other hand, your body's own immune system can completely destroy and prevent the emergence of cancer cells. HPV infection is usually disappear within a few months without any treatment was.

According to some, stress, alcohol, drugs and smoking can hinder the body's purification. A study conducted in 2016 by specialists from the University of California, for several years, tracked 333 women. It showed that women who were exposed to stress and substance abuse are more likely to have an active HPV infection than those who tried to lead a healthy lifestyle.

HPV testing is not all strains of

Chlamydia, syphilis and gonorrhea diagnosed simply, so that the tests for these diseases are quite common. But to carry out tests on all 150 strains of HPV is not yet possible, especially since most of them have no effect on health.

In some situations, your doctor may recommend that you get tested for HPV-16 and HPV-18, to confirm that your risk of getting cancer is minimal.

vaccine used to protect against HPV

There is a vaccine from the most dangerous strains of

• HPV-16 and HPV-18, which cause cervical cancer;
• HPV-6 and HPV-11, which cause genital warts;
• HPV-31, -33, -45, -52 and -58, which cause other types of cancer.

Previously, they recommended to do only those who have not yet had sexual life, but now studies show that they can be quite effective at any age. Clinical and post marketing studies show that HPV vaccines have a high safety and, therefore, can not harm your immunity and immunity of the child.

The HPV vaccine does not eliminate the existing infection, but it can help to prevent infection with a new strain, and thus can protect and those that potentially cause cancer. In Russia, vaccination can only be done in private, although in some regions there are vaccination program, details of which should look on the websites of medical institutions.

How do you go regularly for checks to a gynecologist?