HPV infection
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HPV infection commonly causes skin or mucous membrane growths (warts). Certain types of HPV infection cause cervical cancers. More than 100 varieties of human papillomavirus (HPV) exist.
Different types of HPV infection cause warts on different parts of your body. For example, some types of HPV infection cause plantar warts on the feet, while others cause warts that mostly appear on the face or neck.
Most HPV infections don’t lead to cancer. But some types of genital HPV can cause cancer of the lower part of the uterus that connects to the vagina (cervix). Other types of cancers, including cancers of the anus, penis, vagina, vulva and back of the throat (oropharyngeal), have been linked to HPV infection.
Vaccines can help protect against the strains of genital HPV most likely to cause genital warts or cervical cancer.
Common warts can grow on your hands or fingers. They’re small, grainy bumps that are rough to the touch. They’re usually flesh-colored, white, pink or tan.
Plantar warts are caused by the same type of virus that causes warts on your hands and fingers. But, because of their location, they can be painful.
Flat warts are smaller and smoother than other warts. They generally occur on the face or legs and are more common in children and teens than in adults.
Genital warts are a common sexually transmitted infection. They can appear on the genitals, in the pubic area or in the anal canal. In women, genital warts can also grow inside the vagina.
Genital warts are a common sexually transmitted infection. They can appear on the genitals, in the pubic area or in the anal canal.
In most cases, your body’s immune system defeats an HPV infection before it creates warts. When warts do appear, they vary in appearance depending on which variety of HPV is involved:
Genital warts. These appear as flat lesions, small cauliflower-like bumps or tiny stem-like protrusions. In women, genital warts appear mostly on the vulva but can also occur near the anus, on the cervix or in the vagina.
In men, genital warts appear on the penis and scrotum or around the anus. Genital warts rarely cause discomfort or pain, though they may itch.
It’s important to remember that being vaccinated against HPV infection can protect you from cervical cancer. For those who aren’t vaccinated, most cases of cervical cancer are caused by HPV strains that usually don’t cause warts, so women often don’t realize they’ve been infected. Early stages of cervical cancer typically cause no signs or symptoms.
Over time, repeated infection of certain HPV strains can lead to precancerous lesions. If not treated, these lesions can become cancerous. That’s why it’s important for women to have regular Pap tests, which can detect precancerous changes in the cervix that might lead to cancer.
Current guidelines recommend that women ages 21 to 29 have a Pap test every three years. Women ages 30 to 65 are advised to continue having a Pap test every three years, or every five years if they also get the HPV DNA test at the same time.
Women over 65 can stop testing if they’ve had three normal Pap tests in a row, or two HPV DNA and Pap tests with no abnormal results.
If you or your child has warts of any kind that cause embarrassment, discomfort or pain, seek advice from your doctor.
HPV infection occurs when the virus enters your body, usually through a cut, abrasion or small tear in your skin. The virus is transferred primarily by skin-to-skin contact.
Genital HPV infections are contracted through sexual intercourse, anal sex and other skin-to-skin contact in the genital region. Some HPV infections that result in oral or upper respiratory lesions are contracted through oral sex.
If you’re pregnant and have an HPV infection with genital warts, the warts might enlarge and multiply during pregnancy. Treatment might have to wait until after delivery.
Large genital warts can block the birth canal, complicating vaginal delivery. The infection might be linked to a rare, noncancerous growth in the baby’s voice box (larynx).
Warts are contagious. They spread by contact with a wart or with something that touched the wart.
HPV infections are common. Risk factors for HPV infection include:
It’s difficult to prevent HPV infections that cause common warts. If you have a common wart, you can prevent the spread of the infection and formation of new warts by not picking at a wart and not biting your nails.
To reduce the risk of contracting HPV infections that cause plantar warts, wear shoes or sandals in public pools and locker rooms.
You can reduce your risk of developing genital warts and other HPV-related genital lesions by:
A vaccine called Gardasil 9 has been developed. Gardasil 9 has been shown to protect against cervical cancer and against genital warts.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends routine HPV vaccination for girls and boys ages 11 and 12, although it can be given as early as age 9. It’s ideal for girls and boys to receive the vaccine before they have sexual contact and are exposed to HPV. Research has shown that receiving the vaccine at a young age isn’t linked to an earlier start of sexual activity.
Once someone is infected with HPV, the vaccine might not be as effective or might not work at all. Also, response to the vaccine is better at younger ages than it is at older ages.
In October 2016, the CDC updated the HPV vaccine schedule to recommend that all 11- and 12-year-olds receive two doses of HPV vaccine at least six months apart, rather than the previously recommended three-dose schedule. Younger adolescents ages 9 and 10 and teens ages 13 and 14 are also able to receive vaccination on the updated two-dose schedule.
Teens and young adults who begin the vaccine series later, at ages 15 through 26, should continue to receive three doses of the vaccine.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved the use of Gardasil 9 for males and females ages 9 to 45.
Researchers are working on newer vaccines, some designed to treat HPV lesions, but they’re not yet available.
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HPV infection
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