HPV 16 as transmitted through the household. Ways of transmission of the papilloma virus. Indirect signs of the presence of the virus

A highly contagious virus and, according to statistics, 50 to 70% of the population are infected with it. However clinical manifestations infections are not so common, in about 1-2% of cases. A person does not even realize that he is a carrier of HPV until there is a decrease in immunity and activation of the virus. By knowing the main ways HPV is transmitted, you can protect yourself from unwanted symptoms. So, HPV - how is the disease transmitted? All will be discussed below. possible ways transmission.

Papilloma: how is it transmitted and what is it?

Currently, about 100 different varieties of the virus are known. Among them there are both harmless to humans and dangerous in terms of development. oncological diseases. The following facts can be encouraging: viruses, causing education warts and papillomas, belong to subtypes 6 and 11, which have a low carcinogenic risk. Oncogenic subtypes include 16 and 18 strains that provoke cell mutation and cancer cervical canal.

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 (common, flat, plantar);
papillomatosis of the mouth and larynx;
papillomas of internal organs.

The role of the virus in the development of cervical cancer in women and penis cancer in men has been proven, so it is important to know how papillomavirus is transmitted in order to prevent infection.

Human papillomavirus: ways of transmission

It is impossible to detect the presence of a virus in the body on its own if there are no characteristic growths on the skin or mucous membranes. Specialized medical tests will allow identifying a sleeping pathology. The absence of symptoms does not guarantee that a person is not dangerous to others.

How is papillomavirus (HPV) transmitted? Physicians distinguish several ways.

Contact household way

HPV is transmitted household way. It is worth noting that infrequently, but this option for obtaining papilloma viral infection(PVI), nevertheless, 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. Often infection occurs when visiting the pool, fitness center. The microscopic organism has such a high activity that HPV is transmitted through saliva, a kiss.

The risk of infection increases if the skin has abrasions, scratches, microcracks, and various wounds. Particularly contagious are people with characteristic manifestations of the disease - warts and papillomas.

A fairly common question: Will washing your hands regularly reduce the risk of infection? Of course, clean skin is more protected. However, hygiene measures do not protect against infection with papillomavirus.

Is papillomavirus (HPV) transmitted sexually?

One sexual contact is enough to infect a person. HPV transmission carried out during oral, vaginal and anal sex.

More often, the infection comes from a man, but the reverse situation is also possible, when the opposite is recorded. HPV infection- from woman to man.

Predisposing factors are:

early intimacy in young age;
frequent change of sexual partners, because do not forget that papillomavirus is sexually transmitted;
Availability genital warts on the genitals.

Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation: Papillomavirus is one of the most oncogenic viruses. Papilloma can become melanoma - skin cancer!

Papilloma is also transmitted sexually through homosexual relationships, during which minor injuries of the skin and mucous membranes of the anal region occur. This greatly increases the risk of infection, especially if one of the partners has external manifestations diseases - anogenital warts.

Is the human papillomavirus transmitted through protected sex? Unfortunately yes. HPV is transmitted through a condom, since warts invisible to the eye can be located in an unprotected product inguinal region. Using a condom greatly reduces the risk of infection, but does not provide a complete guarantee of safety. Despite this, the use of a condom is recommended for all people who have multiple sexual partners.

HPV is easily transmitted through oral sex. This increases the risk of developing tonsillar cancer, especially if a person has become 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 take place, and infection can occur both transplacentally (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 degree of 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 of the child, especially if the vocal cords are affected. Any infection, cold leads to swelling of the mucous membranes respiratory tract, and in the presence of concomitant papillomas, this ends with difficulty in inhaling and exhaling.

A logical question arises: is it possible to protect the baby from infection with a caesarean section? The operation is not a guarantee of the baby's health, since the papillomavirus is transmitted from mother to child in this case as well. You should not resort to caesarean section without special need, although this method is also used for multiple warts.

Members of the same family often have warts or papillomas on the body, but the hereditary factor has nothing to do with it. Can HPV be transmitted to a child through close contact between parents and children? The fact is that people living under the same roof become infected from each other. However, parents should be reassured: HPV is not inherited.

Self-infection (autoinoculation)

Is papillomavirus transmitted through self-infection? Definitely yes. Infection occurs during shaving, cutting nails, epilation. Toddlers often pick at warts, they can tear them off, scratch them. In this way, the HPV transmission process spreads to neighboring tissues and causes the virus to multiply in them.

Papillomavirus (transmission routes can be quite non-standard) can be transmitted by airborne droplets. But this is an extremely rare option. To date, only a few cases of infection of hospital medical staff during HPV surgery and while caring for patients have been recorded.

HPV: features of transmission depending on gender

HPV in women - how is the infection transmitted in this case? Most often in female body papillomavirus infection penetrates through sexual contact, including oral and anal sex. PVI, many ladies get already at the first sexual experience.

How is HPV transmitted to men? To belong to male gender in no way becomes a barrier to getting the disease: PVI in men is also diagnosed very often. The only difference is for a long time pathology proceeds in a latent form and hence the hidden carriage.

Risk factors

Even if a person is infected with papillomavirus, this does not necessarily mean that he has genital warts or warts. The virus is insidious in that it can long time to exist in the body without giving itself away. When they come favorable factors, namely - a decrease in immunity and others - the activation of virions begins. The factors provoking the awakening of the virus include:

Antiviral protection weakens in the presence of other infections with sexual transmission: chlamydia, ureplasmosis, erased form of gonorrhea, trichomoniasis. The knowledge that human papilloma (how the virus is most often transmitted was discussed in sufficient detail) is contagious, helps protect yourself and your loved ones from the "uninvited guest".

The following factors predispose to the disease:

childbirth at a young age;
deficit folic acid and antioxidants;
low economic standard of living;
social maladjustment.

As practice shows, women from dysfunctional families are less likely to seek help from a gynecologist, so cervical cancer in this population group is detected already at later dates. If women were informed about the dangers of HPV types 16 and 18 (many people know how the disease is transmitted), then they would be more careful in choosing a sexual partner.

Diagnosis and prevention of PVI

Usually, a doctor, knowing how the human papillomavirus is transmitted, can make a diagnosis already during the initial examination of the patient. However, the presence skin growths and genital warts require additional examination.

Is papilloma transmitted by household route? Yes, and this must be taken into account. That is why when you visit public baths, saunas and pools need to be extremely careful. In conditions high humidity the virus can exist for quite a long period of time.

Studies show that no matter how the infection occurred, there is a risk of developing oncology: low, but, nevertheless, you should not forget about it. To protect against infection will help the observance of the simplest rules:

use only personal hygiene items;
sex life With permanent partner;
varied diet and tempering treatments help maintain strong immune defenses.

It is also important to regularly visit a doctor, take tests, and do not forget to treat places skin lesions antiseptic solutions.

According to experts, about 70% of the inhabitants of our planet are infected with the human papillomavirus (HPV). But the clinical manifestations of the disease in the form of papillomas on the skin of the body or genital warts on the mucous membranes of the genital organs are much less common, only approximately 2% of cases after infection. To prevent infection in the body, it is necessary to know how HPV is transmitted. It may also be useful information on how to behave correctly in case it is confirmed that you are a carrier of a malicious virus.

Over 100 different strains are known today. dangerous virus. Some types of microorganisms do not pose a threat to human health, but there are those that can lead to cell degeneration, which can trigger the development of cancer. Therefore, the question of how the human papillomavirus is transmitted is very relevant.

Features of HPV

Most microorganisms of this species are not dangerous. Many strains of viruses with weak protective reactions can provoke the appearance of unaesthetic benign growths on the skin.

But there are also dangerous oncogenic types of viruses that can cause the development of cancer in humans. In women, for example, dangerous microorganisms often cause oncology of the female organs.

Papillomaviruses multiply in the basal layer of the skin and this explains how HPV can be contracted. Namely, with any skin damage, infection can occur by contact.

Papillomaviruses are unstable, therefore, they cannot exist outside the cells of the human body. Oncogenic microorganisms are conditionally divided into the following types:

Safe, in terms of the risk of developing malignant tumors. In this case, the disease is asymptomatic.
Low risk when, after infection, genital formations occur, in which mutational changes can very rarely occur.

high risk when increased activity microorganisms leads to malignant transformation of cells. As a rule, such oncogenic lead to cervical cancer, and in men, cancer of the penis is possible.

Papillomavirus with reduced immunity manifests itself with the following symptoms:

Various warts all over the body.
Genital warts on the mucous membranes of the genital organs.
Papillomatosis of the mouth and larynx.
Papillomas on internal organs.

Methods of infection

The danger is that when strong immunity a person does not even suspect that he is a carrier of papillomavirus infection. The ways of infection are so diverse that the virus can quietly enter the body of any person. There are two mechanisms of HPV infection:

Contact.
Vertical, in progress labor activity from mother to child.

You can get HPV by contact:

Through a kiss and a handshake.
When using others hygiene products, in particular, washcloths, towels or cosmetics.
When visiting public baths, saunas and pools.

Ways of transmission of the virus in the household are almost always associated with non-compliance with the rules of hygiene. But, despite this, it is difficult to protect 100% from them. After all, the virus can be transmitted randomly.

For example, when there is a crack on a child's lip, it is likely that a harmful microorganism can pass from parents to children with a simple kiss. Although, of course, such methods of infection are very rare and cannot be ruled out.

sexually transmitted infection

When asked if HPV is sexually transmitted, the answer is yes. Moreover, it has been proven that dangerous oncogenic microorganisms are transmitted in this way. People who are promiscuous in sexual partners are more likely to become infected.

Representatives of sexual minorities are often interested in the question of whether HPV is transmitted through homosexual relationships. In the process of unconventional sex, mucous membranes are often injured, which means that papillomaviruses can easily enter the body.

You should know that you can get infected even through a condom. Of course, when using a protective agent, the risks of infection are reduced. But in this case there is no 100% guarantee, so infection through a condom is fixed very often, as well as through saliva during oral sex.

Adherents of promiscuous sexual relationships, in order not to get infected through a condom, can be advised to choose high-quality protective equipment and avoid rough sex, which can violate the integrity of the product.

Quite natural is the question of whether the human papillomavirus is transmitted from a man during intercourse. On the other hand, there is a similar question, whether it is possible to get infected from a woman.

According to statistics, cases are most often recorded when an infected man is a source of infection. But the reverse situation is also quite possible, when the papillomavirus is transmitted to a partner from a woman. Factors that may contribute to sexual transmission include the following:

Early experience of sexual life, when local immunity on the mucous membrane of the genital organs is in the process of formation.
Inconstancy in sexual preferences, which causes frequent changes of partners.
The presence of genital warts in one of the partners on the mucous membranes of the genital organs.

Infection of the child from the mother

Very often there is a question about how infants become infected? The thing is that if a pregnant woman is infected, then there is big risk child infection. Moreover, the ways of transmission of infection can be different:

A viral microorganism can be transmitted transplacentally, that is, infection of the baby will occur at any time prenatal development for any reason. This type of infection is rare.
Infection can occur directly during childbirth, when the baby becomes infected while passing through the birth canal. In this case, there is high probability infections.

In newborns, after infection, due to weak immunity, a harmful microorganism quickly penetrates into the mucous membranes and provokes the appearance of growths. Most often, papillomatosis of the larynx, trachea and bronchi develops, which can cause suffocation of the child.

Women with the presence of genital warts on the genitals are recommended to undergo a course of treatment before conceiving a child. It is important to get rid of the clinical manifestations of a viral infection. The absence of obvious symptoms means that the disease has passed into a latent form and the threats to the unborn child are minimized.

It is important to keep your immune system in good condition during pregnancy. After all, clinical manifestations in the form of growths on the skin occur only with a decrease in protective reactions in the body. They are dangerous, as they indicate that the human papillomavirus infection begins to spread throughout the body.

Prerequisites for infection

Carriers do not always have obvious symptoms of the disease: warts or papillomas. Papillomaviruses are very insidious in nature. They are able to stay in the human body for a long time and their clinical manifestations can occur only after a decrease in the natural protective reactions of the body. Is the person who carries the infection contagious?

It is believed that the probability of infection in everyday life from the carrier in the absence of obvious symptoms is minimal. Viruses transmitted from the carrier of the infection can enter the body through wounds or cuts, and in the absence of skin lesions, the possibility of infection can be completely excluded.

But, on the other hand, papillomaviruses transmitted during sexual intercourse can always be infected, regardless of whether the symptoms of the disease are present on the skin or mucous membranes.

In any case, the probability of infection increases with the spread of infection in the human body, which is manifested by an increase in the number various kinds growths. This is due to a decrease in immunity, which can occur for various reasons, namely:

With the development of dysbacteriosis or other intestinal diseases infectious nature.
With exacerbation of any chronic diseases.
After hypothermia and colds.
because of harmful conditions labor that force a person to work for wear and tear and harm health in general.
With HIV infection.
During the period acute stages infectious and non-communicable diseases.
Against the backdrop of stress.
At the wrong way life, passion for addictions and unbalanced nutrition.

To prevent infection with papillomavirus infection, it is necessary to immediately treat all lesions on the skin. antiseptic preparations. transmitted different ways the disease is very dangerous, therefore, in order to exclude infection, you should remain faithful to one partner whom you completely trust. And of course, it is necessary to constantly maintain immunity in good condition, which will become a reliable barrier to viruses.

The World Health Organization studied HPV - the human papillomavirus is called so briefly, and found that more than 60% of the people of the Earth are infected with it. Moreover, some of them are only carriers, while in others it manifests itself in the form of papillomatosis of the skin, mucous membranes, but in some cases the human papillomavirus causes cell degeneration and cancer.

Such a high prevalence and oncogenicity of this virus caused a special interest of doctors and scientists in it. A vaccine against the human papillomavirus has been under development for a long time. It is not possible to completely destroy HPV, although there are already ways to detect it, and even a vaccine. Difficulties in the fight against the virus arise due to the peculiarities of its distribution and the lack of medications, for complete cure. That this is the human papillomavirus, how not to get infected, the symptoms of the disease, what the treatment consists of, the features of its course in women and men, as well as preventive measures - we will consider such issues below.

How is the human papillomavirus transmitted?

Many are interested in how you can get infected with the human papillomavirus? Surprisingly, you can get infected in different ways, which contributes to the spread of the virus around the globe. The virus is transmitted from one person to another by household contact, that is, it is impossible to avoid infection due to the fact that a person cannot live outside society and not use household items.

The worst thing is that even a newborn baby can get this virus from the mother during childbirth, when it goes through birth canal. In many cases, this is detected already in the first years of life, when the baby has papillomas in the mouth and on the skin.

How is the human papillomavirus transmitted and spread? Most often you can get infected in the following cases.

Of course, there are HPVs that affect certain organs and tissues, but their high prevalence in the population often causes disease. But what about those 40% of the population in whom the virus is not detected? The fact is that the virus cannot always survive in strong body, there are factors that contribute to its survival.

Causes of infection

In what cases a person becomes infected with HPV or becomes its carrier is easy to determine. Our immune system fights against any foreign elements that enter the skin or body.

When a small amount of the virus enters healthy body, with good immunity, then immune cells destroy it and infection does not occur. But if a person is weakened, he has metabolic disorders.

The virus is infected if there is:

Why is the human papillomavirus dangerous, if it is so difficult to avoid infection with it?

Types of strains and the diseases they cause

Several strains of HPV have been identified, each of which is adapted to live in certain human cells. Many strains, for example, 2, 4, 26, 29, 57 cause the development of common warts on the skin. Others can cause the development of genital warts (6, 42, 11, 54), but at the same time, strains 6 and 11 can be detected in the respiratory tract or in lung, neck, and head cancers.

The ability of a virus to increase the likelihood of developing a tumor by changing the cells of the human body is called oncogenicity. Therefore, among human papillomaviruses, strains are distinguished that do not have such an ability, and when infected, a person develops warts, papillomas on the skin and mucous membranes. They can also be dangerous, but are fairly easy to treat with surgery. After their removal, they rarely recur and therefore are classified as benign neoplasms.

Human papillomavirus of a particularly high oncogenic type most often affects the reproductive organs of women. The strains that cause it are human papillomavirus types 16 and 18. To causing oncology, you can also include 31, 39, 35, 33 and many other strains. Therefore, they are trying to identify them in women during an examination for HPV.

The presence of such strains in a woman's body can lead to serious oncological diseases, such as a malignant tumor of the cervix or squamous cell carcinoma.

Symptoms of the disease

Signs of diseases that are caused by the human papillomavirus are different. It depends on the strain that the person has contracted. When infected with a strain that causes the development of papillomas and warts, they appear on the skin and mucous membranes, but this is not the only sign. How else does the human papillomavirus manifest itself? One of the brightest manifestations of HPV are genital warts. These are mastoid formations Pink colour, more often they are lighter than the mucosa, but sometimes they have more bright color. Gathering in a group of several pieces, they look like a rooster's comb or a cauliflower inflorescence. Their detection indicates that the patient has HPV that needs to be treated.

Symptoms of the human papillomavirus in men may differ from the symptoms found in females. Of course, this is due to the different structure of their reproductive organs. The mucous membrane of the vagina, cervix, is more favorable for the virus. It is there that genital warts arise, and they can be reborn, malignant. Their appearance, as well as changes in the skin, mucous oral cavity- obvious symptoms of the human papillomavirus.

Signs of human papillomavirus infection in women

The human papillomavirus in women affects the mucous membrane of the reproductive organs, the cervix. Sometimes polyps, the development of which is also associated with HPV, can also form in the uterine cavity, which in young women can cause bleeding and infertility. But also great danger represents the ability of the virus to affect the cells of the mucosa and change them.

Some highly oncogenic types of human papillomavirus in women are capable of changing mucosal cells on the cervix, which causes dysplasia, aplasia. This is uncontrolled reproduction, which in more than half of the cases leads to the development malignant tumor. Most often, an oncological tumor on the cervix is caused by human papillomaviruses type 16 or 18.

Also, type 6 and 11 viruses are often found, which contribute to the formation of genital and flat condylomas - they are considered a precancerous disease, as they often precede dysplasia. Treatment consists in their mandatory removal, followed by a histological examination of tissues under a microscope.

The danger is the human papillomavirus and during pregnancy. Although the virus does not enter the amniotic fluid and thus cannot infect the baby, there is a high chance of infection if a woman has genital warts in her vagina. Then the child can become infected during childbirth, which leads to the development of papillomatosis of the oral cavity and pharynx.

Treatment against the papillomavirus is not carried out during pregnancy, since medications may have adverse effects on the fetus. Only in the third trimester can prescribe some antiviral drugs. Therefore, if you are planning to become pregnant, then you need to undergo an examination in advance and take tests for various infections so that it does not harm your baby.

papillomavirus infection in men

The human papillomavirus in men is also common, but due to differences in the structure of the genital organs, it usually affects the skin around anus and rectal mucosa.

It is in these areas that the development of genital warts is observed, and they often lead to squamous cell carcinoma of the rectum.

Methods for detecting human papillomavirus

The high oncogenicity of some HPV strains requires their timely detection. For this, several tests have been developed that allow the virus to be detected if its concentration in the tissues is increased and can cause their degeneration. There is, of course, a cell cytology test (PAP test), which is included in a number of preventive measures when examining women, but a cytological study can show already changed cells, and this analysis is not specific for HPV.

A laboratory test for human papillomavirus is called an HPV test. It differs from the PAP test in that it is carried out by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). It allows you to isolate and study the DNA of viruses of a certain type and their concentration in the collected material.

How is a human papillomavirus test usually taken in women? Usually, this is done by scraping from the cervix, less often from the urethra or cervical canal. This test is very specific and allows you to identify not only the type of virus, but also its concentration in tissues. The test is shown:

upon detection of genital warts in the genital area and anus;
if as a result of the PAP test, cell degeneration (dysplasia) is detected;
during a preventive examination.

Detection of the virus during the HPV test does not always indicate cancer. So, in the absence of dysplasia, the woman remains under observation and the test is repeated after 6 months. Re-detection of HPV, especially its highly oncogenic strains 16 and 18, indicates the risk of developing oncological tumor in the cervix and the need for treatment. Antiviral and immunomodulatory drugs are used for treatment. The test needs to be repeated because high concentration of these strains suggests that the patient is at risk.

Positive HPV test with grade 2 cervical dysplasia, requires surgical intervention, namely the removal of the uterus, the operation is called extirpation. Not only the affected tissues of the uterus are removed, but in some cases it is required to remove the fallopian tubes and ovaries. This is necessary if there is a suspicion of tumor metastasis. Computer, magnetic resonance imaging, PET-CT helps to identify early metastasis.

Human papillomavirus treatment

When human papillomavirus is detected in women, treatment is most often surgical. Pointed papillomas are removed by excision, sometimes cauterization is used with a laser, electrocoagulator, or cryotherapy. A tissue study for histology should be done to exclude degeneration into cancerous tumor. Therefore, the method of cryotherapy for genital warts is not always indicated, since the cells are damaged more during such removal, which can lead to erroneous analysis.

With flat warts, which are more often found on the cervix or vaginal mucosa, a biopsy is done. That is, a piece of tissue is taken for analysis, and if there is no dysplasia, then condyloma is cut out along with a piece of adjacent tissue. When cell degeneration is detected, a more radical operation is required, and in some cases extirpation.

How else can the human papillomavirus be treated? When there is no cell dysplasia, antiviral drugs are prescribed. Before prescribing, you need to determine the type of virus, since the prescription regimens and the medicines that are used with them are different for different types of virus. There is no point in taking antiviral drugs without a doctor's prescription, as many of them are ineffective for some types of HPV. At the same time, you need to use non-specific treatment, which is aimed at increasing overall immunity.

Can the human papillomavirus be cured? Unfortunately, it is impossible to completely get rid of it. Having become infected once, a person remains a carrier for life. You can only reduce its activity, and for this it is necessary to remove papillomas, condylomas in a timely manner, take antiviral drugs that the doctor will prescribe, and, most importantly, help the body to overcome the virus itself. A healthy lifestyle is not easy words, a person who monitors his health, eats right, plays sports, thereby increases his immunity. BUT good immunity can prevent infection and prevent the virus from quietly developing in the body causing disease.

Will folk treatment help

If a human papillomavirus is detected in a woman, then treatment with folk remedies cannot be carried out!

Folk remedies do a good job with papillomas on the skin or warts, so many try to cure warts in the same way. This is dangerous and in some cases causes reverse effect increasing uterine dysplasia. Removal should be done in medical clinics to be sure to conduct a histological examination of the material for dysplasia.

From folk remedies, those that help increase overall immunity may be useful. Many of them can also be used in children to avoid infection with the virus in everyday life.

Specific and non-specific prophylaxis

As regards the methods specific prevention, this, of course, is the observance of hygiene, the rules of conduct in public places ah, increased general immunity and the need to avoid promiscuity.

Specific prophylaxis methods are vaccines that have been in development for more than 30 years. Currently, there is a vaccine "Gardasil", which is used to vaccinate children and young girls before the onset of sexual activity. The vaccine can be used from the age of 9. In adults, the result of vaccination has no effect, since the vaccine does not work when the infection has already occurred. The Gardasil vaccine targets the 4 most common strains of the human papillomavirus, namely 16, 18 and 6, 11. And if you are already infected with any of these types of virus, then vaccination will help to avoid infection with the rest.

The human papillomavirus, especially some of its highly oncogenic types, often lead to the development of a malignant tumor, so you need to consult a doctor in a timely manner if infection is suspected and undergo regular preventive examinations. In no case should you self-medicate, since there are many observations when self-treatment increased cell dysplasia, which significantly changed the prognosis of the disease and could lead to metastasis.

An HPV carrier may not be aware that they are infected. Symptoms do not appear immediately and only in the form of papillomas different localization:

Vulgar. Appear in the form of a small hard bump with a diameter of about 1 cm, most often on the hands.
Filiform. small seals in the form of cones yellow color often change and expand.
Plantar warts. Often confused with calluses.
Flat. Itching before the manifestation, similar to the manifestation of an allergy. Then they become round shape, light.
Pointed warts. Found on intimate places, on the mucosa.

In women, in the presence of formations on the genitals, they may manifest concomitant signs:

heat;
violation of the cycle;
pain, blood at the sites of neoplasms.

In men, HPV manifests itself in the form of genital warts rarely, they act as carriers of the disease.

Modern methods of diagnosing papillomavirus

In order to detect the presence of such a serious disease as HPV, today several enough effective ways diagnostics, namely:

PCR diagnosis.
Colposcopy.
Biopsy of tissues of the cervix, vagina.
Cytology.

PCR diagnosis is enough modern method polymerase chain reaction, with which you can detect the DNA virus in the human body. In order to spend this procedure, it is necessary to take a microscopic scraping from the cells using a special device in the form of a probe.

Using this method, you can determine 12 different types diseases that may cause cancer cells.

What is interesting is that this method is highly sensitive and shows the result in real time. This means that it is possible to determine the most accurate amount of DNA that is affected by HPV. The efficiency of this diagnostic method is approximately 98%.

Colposcopy is performed using a special microscope called a colposcope. With it, you can study very carefully appearance woman's cervix.

It increases the surface this body to such an extent that small papillae with a capillary inside become visible. In order to determine the presence of HPV, it is necessary to treat the surface with a solution acetic acid (3%).

As a result of this, capillary spasm will occur, and condylomas will still have White color. Before acid enters the cervix, it looks like pink spot, after exposure to acid, you can notice all the pathologies that are associated with papillomavirus.

For this type of diagnosis, Lugol's solution can also be used. Thus, it is possible to more clearly define the boundaries of the spread of the virus, because this solution can only stain cervical cells, but not dangerous neoplasms.

The cytological diagnostic method implies a thorough examination of cells, during which even minimal changes in them can be noticed. For this study, you need to take cells from the cervix, as well as from the cervical canal.

The cytological method is used only for early stage development of a disease or in order to exclude the presence of diseases that can cause cancer. Therefore, as a rule, for many women, specialists can prescribe a cytological examination at least once a year.

During the examination, the doctor, using special tools, takes several cells and then they are examined for the presence of any specific changes in them.

During a biopsy, not cells are taken for study, but a small piece of tissue. In this case, not only the study of the structure of the cells takes place, but it is also established whether the layers of the tissue are correctly located, which plays a very important role. important role in the diagnosis of oncology.

The process is quite complicated, but it will allow you to learn not only about the presence of HPV but also about other diseases, if any. Diagnostic accuracy in this case is almost 100%.

Absolutely all experts recommend people who lead sexual life or are over the age of 19, once a year to conduct a cytological examination. Many factors (not necessarily sexual intercourse) can cause the appearance of HPV, and later oncology.

As practice shows, only one diagnostic method is practically not used. If there is at least minimal suspicion of HPV or another pathology, then several different methods examinations and many tests that will later help cure the disease.

Symptoms of HPV Infection

As a rule, papillomavirus can be transmitted sexually. It does not matter what type of sex you practice: oral, anal or regular genital. More often you can meet situations when a man infects a woman, but as practice shows recent years, the reverse cases have become no less rare.

There is an opinion that most often the human papillomavirus is transmitted through sexual contact. This is true, but there are other routes of infection as well. The incubation period for human papillomavirus can be up to 10 years. Papillomas on the body can form through a simple touch or through the saliva of another person.

There are more than a hundred strains of HPV, most of which are transmitted through various types of close contact.

sexually

HPV is transmitted sexually. This reason is considered the most common and insidious, because often girls and guys are not aware of the presence of an infection in the blood. Popular protection methods do not provide 100% security against the virus, especially if it is not a barrier method.

A condom gives a person little protection against HPV. It all depends on the type of infection and immune system person.

The human papillomavirus is a highly contagious virus and, according to statistics, from 50 to 70% of the population are infected with it. However, clinical manifestations of infection are not so common, in about 1-2% of cases. A person does not even realize that he is a carrier of HPV until there is a decrease in immunity and activation of the virus. By knowing the main ways HPV is transmitted, you can protect yourself from unwanted symptoms. So, HPV - how is the disease transmitted? All possible transmission routes will be discussed below.

Papilloma: how is it transmitted and what is it?

Currently, about 100 different varieties of the virus are known. Among them, there are both harmless to humans and dangerous in terms of the development of cancer.

The following facts can be encouraging: viruses that cause the formation of warts and papillomas belong to 6 and 11 subtypes that have a low carcinogenic risk. Oncogenic subtypes include strains 16 and 18, which provoke cell mutation 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 (common, flat, plantar);
genital warts;
papillomatosis of the mouth and larynx;
papillomas of internal organs.

Human papillomavirus: ways of transmission

How is papillomavirus (HPV) transmitted? Physicians distinguish several ways.

Contact household way

HPV is transmitted through the household. It is worth noting that infrequently, but this option for obtaining human papillomavirus infection (PVI), nevertheless, 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. Often infection occurs when visiting the pool, fitness center.

The microscopic organism has such a high activity that HPV is transmitted through saliva, a kiss.

Is papillomavirus (HPV) transmitted sexually?

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 infection of HPV 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 papillomavirus is sexually transmitted;
the presence of genital warts on the genitals.

Papilloma is also transmitted sexually through homosexual relationships, during which minor injuries of the skin and mucous membranes of the anal region occur. This significantly increases the risk of infection, especially if one of the partners has external manifestations of the disease - anogenital warts.

Is the human papillomavirus transmitted through protected sex? Unfortunately yes. HPV is transmitted through a condom, since warts invisible to the eye can be located in the inguinal region unprotected by the product.

Using a condom greatly reduces the risk of infection, but does not provide a complete guarantee of safety. Despite this, the use of a condom is recommended for all people who have multiple sexual partners.

HPV is easily transmitted through oral sex. This increases the risk of developing tonsillar cancer, especially if a person has become infected with oncogenic strains.

Papillomavirus: transmission from mother to child (vertical method)

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 degree of 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 of 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 in the presence of concomitant papillomas, this ends with difficulty in inhaling and exhaling.

Papillomavirus infection (PVI) is included in the group of anthroponotic pathogens (transmission is carried out exclusively from person to person). If we talk about how you can get infected with papillomavirus (HPV), then mainly through sexual contact with an infected partner. In addition, the virus can remain in the environment for a certain time period (relatively short). active state in dead skin cells, therefore, in certain situations, infection with the human papillomavirus is carried out by household means. Now a little more about how to get HPV and what methods of infection exist.

Contagious papillomatosis

First of all, it is worth answering the question: “Is papilloma contagious?” Undoubtedly. And the appearance of warts requires complex treatment, including not only the removal of formations, but also the intake of necessary medications.

Is latent HPV contagious? Another frequently asked question asked by patients. The answer to it will also be positive. It is worth knowing that even the practice of protected sex is not a full guarantee against infection. The virus can be based in the groin and the surface of the genitals, not protected by a condom.

Human papillomavirus: sexually transmitted infection

The main mode of transmission of papilloma is sexual intercourse with an infected partner. This type of transmission is typical for most varieties of the virus with high oncogenic activity.

The risk of getting the disease is especially high in men and women who are promiscuous when choosing a sexual partner. People with homosexual inclinations 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.

Should both partners be treated?

To date, many experts note the fact that susceptibility to such a disease as the papillomavirus has increased several times in humans. Cases are becoming more common. Wherein incubation period HPV development can be either one or five months. It is worth noting that a partner can become infected with this problem in almost 70% of all cases.

Therefore, if one of the partners is sick with HPV, then, as in cases with other sexually transmitted diseases, both should be examined.

Remember that a condom cannot protect against papillomavirus, and therefore you need to be extremely careful.

HPV is very serious illness, which not only has an extremely negative impact on human health, but also on his life in general. In addition, this disease greatly increases the risk of developing cancer, especially for women.

Therefore, do not have promiscuity, eat right, use personal hygiene products. Compliance with simple rules will help you avoid such a common disease as the papillomavirus.

In order to prevent the disease from starting in case of infection, regularly check with a doctor and take tests. At the first manifestations of symptoms, treatment should be started immediately if the disease has not been detected earlier.

Risk factors

So, to the factors that can provoke further development diseases of the human papillomavirus and the direct manifestation of all symptoms, the following can be attributed:

weak immunity after a person has had an inflammatory or infectious disease;
too much long period taking hormonal contraceptives;
a person suffers from urogenital infections that contribute to more rapid development HPV;
varying degrees of beriberi, especially lack of vitamin A;
smoking;
drinking alcohol in large quantities and very often;
permanent stressful situations or excitement.

An interesting fact is that there is a very high risk of contracting HPV, because about half of the entire sexual population has this disease varying degrees development.

A person often takes growths on the skin as harmless, and treats folk methods. This error may have dangerous consequences- abnormal growth epithelial tissue aggravates the spread of papillomavirus throughout the body, and some of its strains provoke cell mutation with the formation of various types of cancer.

More than 80% of the world's population are carriers of the human papillomavirus, regardless of age and race.

At sharp decline immunity, a previously dormant disease makes itself felt by the appearance of a large number of genital warts on the skin.

How the human papillomavirus is transmitted - the microorganism enters the human body through the mucous membranes or skin. With a benign course of the disease, it does not manifest itself in any way: the epithelium retains its shape unchanged.

If the virus integrates into the cell genome, then doctors diagnose a malignant form of pathology, which is considered to be a precancerous condition.

The more scratches, abrasions and other minor injuries on the skin, the easier it is for the papillomavirus to penetrate into any cell system. Here are some factors that increase the likelihood of infection several times over:

Antiviral protection of the body can not cope with the load with a sharp decrease in immunity. Such a condition in a person can be common sore throat or a cold;
the virus begins to actively multiply in cells with intestinal or vaginal dysbacteriosis - these diseases are accompanied by death beneficial microflora;
pointed papillomas are easy to get infected if the body is already present venereal diseases: gonorrhea, trichomoniasis, syphilis and others;
recurrence of any chronic disease will become a favorable condition for the transmission of the human papillomavirus;
stressful situations and depressions reduce the antiviral protection of a person, so the pathogenic microorganism can easily penetrate into the cell.

The risk of contracting the papillomavirus is increased in smokers and women taking combination drugs. contraceptives.

HPV types 16 and 18: transmission routes

Separately, it is worth noting these two types as the most dangerous. The appearance of genital warts on a woman's genitals should be a signal to see a doctor.

It is this symptomatology that is characteristic of a precancerous condition that is caused by human papilloma viruses type 16 and 18.

Getting on the mucous membranes or skin, they provoke a malignant cellular mutation that increases the likelihood of cervical cancer by 50 times.

Women and men can be infected with papillomaviruses of any type by one of the following ways:

Sexually: during genital, anal, oral sex.
Domestic way: through touch.
Possible self-infection when shaving or epilating.

Highly oncogenic viruses are found not only in women - types 16 and 18 of papillomavirus can provoke the development of cancer in men Bladder and/or penis.

Sexual way

In order for a dangerous virus to be transmitted, one sexual contact is often enough: vaginal, oral, anal.

With a probability of 70-80%, the source of infection is a man, but a woman can also become a spreader of the disease, especially if genital warts have formed on her genitals, oral mucosa or lips.

If this epithelial formation is damaged during sexual contact or through a kiss, the probability of transmitting the virus is 90%.

For those who practice unprotected anal sex, benign or malignant formations formed in the anal region. This way of spreading papillomavirus is very common: damaged mucous membranes and minor skin injuries serve easy ways for infection to enter. Moreover, if one of the partners has formed anogenital warts, then even a condom does not guarantee protection.

Predisposing factors for the penetration of pathogenic microorganisms into the body are:

Too much early start sexual relations.
Frequent change of sexual partners, promiscuity in relationships.
The partner has obvious signs of the disease: condylomas and warts.

Through oral sex, the virus can be transmitted with various deformations skin women and men. Moreover, the risk of infection with oncogenic types 16 and 18 is most likely in this way. After the multiplication of microorganisms in the mucous membranes of the oral cavity, in women and men, it can provoke throat cancer.

Unlike most sexually transmitted infections, condom use does not always protect against HPV infection. For the simple reason that the virus can be transmitted through contact with the skin of a partner if there are microtraumas on it.

The danger lies in the area of localization of genital warts and warts - they often form throughout the groin, where the condom is not used. This is not to mention the foreplay.

Despite too little protection against this disease, men cannot refuse to use a condom: anal, genital or oral sex with a condom reduces the risk of spreading papilloma pathogens by 70-80%.

And, of course, the virus is extremely small, but it cannot penetrate the condom, this is a myth.

If partners do not have external signs pathology, the likelihood of infection orally or vaginally is small. Even if one of them is a carrier of the disease in a latent form.

Vertical mode of infection

Of course, the disease has nothing to do with human genes, and is not “inherited” in the usual sense of the word, but transmission of the virus to a child is possible.

During pregnancy, transmission of viruses from mother to child is unlikely, although medical literature such cases are described. This can happen if the placenta is damaged or pathological changes its structures.

The fetus does not have bronchioles and alveoli (the lungs open at the first breath), so infection occurs during transplacental transmission, and respiratory papillomatosis begins to form in the fetus.

If, when a child is born, he is diagnosed with respiratory disorders, then after an examination for the presence of the human papillomavirus, it becomes necessary drug treatment. Unfortunately, the effectiveness of such therapy is extremely low, so doctors resort to surgical intervention.

It is very important for women when planning a pregnancy to take tests to detect the virus and carry out appropriate treatment.

High chance of infection pathogen child during childbirth. As a result of infection, the baby develops genital warts and anogenital warts on the oral mucosa and larynx. Breathing problems and a persistent decrease in immunity may occur.

If epithelial neoplasms are found on the genitals of the expectant mother, gynecologists try to minimize the risk of infection of the child in the process natural childbirth. In this case, a caesarean section is recommended for the woman. The probability of transmission exists even with such a birth of a baby, but it is much lower.

Breast-feeding is one of the ways of transmission of the human papillomavirus from mother to child and the development of respiratory papillomatosis in him.

Household way of transmission of the virus

When diagnosing the papilloma virus in a person, it is possible with a probability of 85-90% to assert that the disease was transmitted by household means to all members of his family. How infection occurs at home:

in the presence of damage to the skin, pathology occurs with the general use of towels, bed linen, cosmetics, soap, washcloth;
through saliva, you can become infected using the same dishes or a toothbrush with a carrier of the disease;
wearing the clothes of a sick person increases the risk of transmitting the virus. If you put on the underwear of an infected person, then the possibility of infection increases dramatically;
self-infection often occurs when shaving or epilating the bikini area. By accidentally damaging a genital wart or wart, a person provokes the development of several epithelial neoplasms in the neighboring area.

How can you get the virus in public places:

when visiting a bath, sauna, swimming pool, it is quite difficult to become infected with a virus, because. physical contact is required. But such an option cannot be ruled out;
frequent handshakes provoke the transmission of viruses in cases of top layer microfissure epithelium.

What other ways of transmission of the virus exist:

The medical literature describes cases of human papillomavirus infection during transfusion donated blood.
During an operation to remove genital warts, doctors and nurses can inhale viral particles that begin to actively multiply on the nasal mucosa.
Poor sterilization manicure tools in beauty salons can cause infection of clients.

In order for the papillomavirus to not be able to enter the body, it is necessary to take precautions when visiting public places, be faithful to one partner and lead healthy lifestyle life.

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All information is presented for educational purposes. Do not self-medicate, it is dangerous! Accurate Diagnosis can only be given by a doctor.