HPV, or Human Papillomavirus, is a disease that spreads from one person to another through oral, vaginal, or anal sex. More than 50% of all sexual people are prone to experience HPV at a certain point in time, but most people fail to realise it. It is mostly because HPV shows no symptoms and might just heal by itself. But in certain instances, untreated and undiagnosed HPV might cause genital warts or might also trigger cancer.
In this article, you will get a clear insight into what HPV actually is, how it spreads from one person to another, and the faint symptoms that it triggers. This way, you will be able to realise the intensity of HPV infection in your body and seek a doctor’s help at the earliest. Read along this article till the end to be educated about the same.
What are the Different Types of HPV?
HPV types are categorised into two different types, which include:
Low-Risk HPV
This is the type of HPV that doesn’t trigger cancer symptoms, but this leads to the formation of benign growths, also known as genital warts. All of these warts appear over the anus or genital areas or sometimes inside of the mouth. Some of the other low-risk HPV infections might trigger the risk of hands, chest, feet, or arms.
High-Risk HPV
High-risk HPV infections do not develop the symptoms and often resolve within a couple of years. However, some of the high-risk HPV infections will persist for an extended period of time, which will potentially trigger cervical cancer. But, if the infections last longer, it will increase the risk of cancer formation in areas such as the penis, vagina, anus, throat cancer, or mouth.
What are the Common HPV Symptoms?
HPV infections are usually asymptomatic, which leaves a lot of people unaware of the infection. But still, it is important for you to know what are the symptoms of HPV in females and males, associated with the health adversities it triggers, to be able to seek immediate treatments.
In most instances, the immune system clears out the HPV virus from your body within a couple of years. But during some instances, the immune system of your body might just fail to control the spread of the infection. As a result, this might lead to serious health disorders.
In women, HPV has been reported to last for more than two years after they have been in a sexual relationship with an infected individual. Irrespective of whether your immunity strength is capable enough to withstand the HPV infection, you must still be able to get a doctor’s help at the earliest. Therefore, some of the symptoms of HPV are as follows:
Genital Warts
This is the symptom that’s mostly observed when you are suffering from low-risk HPV infection. These warts appear just like small bumps, which might occur as one or in groups around the genital region. These bumps can be raised or flat, large or small, and might also resemble the structure of a cauliflower. Such warts aren’t an indication of any form of cancer in most cases.
Cancer
Cancer is the outcome of high-risk HPV infection, which might affect the anus, throat, vagina, tonsils, and tongue. Cervical cancer is one of the most common repercussions of HPV infection and needs immediate treatment. To help you realise the need for a medical checkup, high-risk infection will trigger HPV cancer symptoms such as:
- Bleeding, followed by vaginal intercourse.
- Bleeding after pelvic examination
- Heavy menstrual periods
- Bleeding post-menopause
- Unusual pain during intercourse
How is HPV Diagnosed in Patients?
If you see lesions or warts visible on your genitals, you must contact your doctor right away. They will do a visual examination to analyse the risk of it being the symptom of HPV. There will be other tests prescribed for validating the presence of the virus.
Some of the tests that are conducted for diagnosing the HPV condition in patients include:
- Pap smear- Pap smear, also known as cervical smear, allows you to collect or test the cells from the surface of the vagina or cervix. It will reveal almost all forms of cellular abnormalities that might lead to cancer.
- Biopsy- Biopsy is the process where doctors take a skin sample from the affected area, and tests will be executed in the laboratory to find any unusual cell changes.
- DNA test- DNA test is responsible for helping you identify the high-risk HPV possibility. A doctor might recommend this test alongside a Pap smear.
As of now, there are no specific routine screening tests available for identifying HPV in males, and the options for diagnosing the condition in them are limited. But, there are definite tests to determine the existence of HPV infection in women. As per medical experts, it is advised for women between the ages of 30 and 65 to get their HPV test done.
For determining what causes HPV in females, it is advised that all the ladies who got abnormal Pap smear results are requested to take up complete HPV tests. It is mostly recommended because HPV infections do not cause complications in this age group and often clear up without treatment.
What are the Available Treatment Options for HPV Infections?
There are no treatments available for recovering from HPV infections, but there are definitely some prevention methods. To reduce the risk of you encountering HPV, you can do a few things such as:
- Get your HPV vaccination
- Use some barrier protection while having sex
- Limit the count of sexual partners
- Avoid having sex while genital warts are noticed
Beyond this, you must also keep in mind to prevent the warts from spreading the infection, and there are some prevention tips for that as well, which include:
- Do not touch the infected area unnecessarily.
- Wash your hands every time you touch the wart.
- Do not shave over the wart area.
- Cover or treat the wart until it goes away.
- Do not share your personal items, such as towels.
When to Consider Taking the HPV Vaccination?
Doctors recommend children between 11 and 12 years old take this vaccination to reduce their risk of experiencing cervical or any other form of cancer due to HPV. This type of vaccination will be injected in two stages, which will be around 6 months or a year apart. As of today, there are three types of HPV vaccine options that you can adopt for your children:
- Cervarix
- Gardasil 9
- Gardasil
above 26 years old and haven’t received any vaccines so far should be asking their doctors about what they can do at the moment. People who are aged between 27 and 45 years are eligible to take Gardasil 9 as their vaccination.
You must talk to your doctor about whether the vaccination is appropriate for you or not. Everyone who is pregnant should wait for the baby to be born before taking the vaccination.
Also Read: How Do People Get HIV and AIDs? Check Out the Symptoms And Treatments
Conclusion
As per the statistics by WHO, it is said that around 69,400 men and 625,600 women are affected by HPV-related cancer every year. Cervical cancer was referred to as the fourth most common cause of cancer or related deaths in women for the year 2020. This is definitely an alarming statistic, but the good news is you can still prevent its occurrence.
Take the vaccination, and stay in touch with your doctor to discuss your sexual problems at periodic intervals. The earlier you adopt the right sexual practices and HPV prevention tips, the better your chances of never encountering this infection. Agilus diagnostics is one of the best clinics that offers you the right advice, consultation, and medication to prevent or treat HPV infections.
Book your appointment today, and let us know the symptoms you experience. Our doctors will attend to you on your selected date to take the treatment further.
Agilus Diagnostics, a subsidiary of Fortis Healthcare Limited
