Shadowing your HPV happiness

A highly infectious virus HPV it is possible to protect it with different methods including vaccination from the beginning. ART Medical Center Women's Hospital and Obstetrician Op. Dr. Senai AKSOY answered the most curious questions about the HPV virus.

What is HPV (Human Papilloma Virus)?

HPV is a virus that can infect someone with skin contact. There are more than 100 types of HPV. About 30 of them lead to genital tract infections in males and females.

How common is HPV?

HPV is a very common virus. Some research suggests that at least 3 out of every 4 people with sexual experiences will get genital HPV infection at some point in their life.

How does HPV infection spread?

HPV is most commonly spread by vaginal, anal and oral intercourse, but it is not necessary for sexual intercourse to occur. HPV spreads and spreads through skin contact. Regardless of gender, having sex with an infected person is the most common form of transmission of virus. Genital HPV infection, like many other sexually transmitted diseases, does not often cause symptoms.

What diseases does HPV infection cause?

About 20 types of HPV cause genital warts. These warts appear inside or outside the vagina and on the penis. It can also penetrate the skin near these areas. Genital warts can also occur on the head, on the vulva, or on the cervix. About 15 types of HPV are associated with anus, cervix, vulva, vagina and penis cancers. The head and neck region (tonsils, back of the tongue) also cause cancer. These are known as high-risk types of HPV.

How does HPV cause cervical cancer?

The cervix is ​​covered with a thin tissue layer of cervical cells. HPV can enter these cells. Infected cells begin to grow differently, becoming abnormal cells or damaged. The changes in these cells may progress to a change known as pre-cancer. Changes in the thin tissue covering the uterine mouth are called dysplasia or cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN). Most women's immune system destroys the virus before it turns into cancer. But in some women the HPV is not destroyed by the immune system and remains in the body. In this case, HPV can lead to cancer or more commonly pre-cancerous formations.

Do you have screening tests for cervical cancer?

It usually takes years for cancer of the cervix to form. During this time, HPV infection causes cells in the cervix or its periphery to become abnormal cells. The smear test (Pap smear or cervical cytology scan) allows abnormal cell changes to be detected at an early stage and treated without conversion to cancer. HPV staging is also performed in women aged 30 years or older who have abnormal or suspicious smear results. This test can detect more than 13 high risk groups of HPV.

Can HPV infection be prevented?

Some types of HPV infection can be prevented by HPV vaccination.

Apart from this, the following measures can be taken to reduce the risk of HPV infection:

- To be single

Using a condom during a sexual relationship

However, condoms do not provide 100% protection against HPV infection. It can be transmitted by contact with the infected areas (genital or anal) not covered by the condom.