Human papilloma virus infection

Human papilloma virus infection

The most important risk factor for cervical cancer is infection by the human papilloma virus (HPV). HPV is a group of more than 100 related viruses that can infect cells on the surface of the skin, genitals, anus, mouth and throat. These viruses are called papilloma viruses because some of them cause a type of growth called a papilloma, which are more
commonly known as warts. Doctors believe that women must have been infected by HPV before they will develop cervical cancer. Different types of HPV cause warts on different parts of the body. Some types cause common warts on the hands and feet. Other types tend to cause warts on the lips or tongue. Still other types of HPV may cause warts to appear on or around the genital organs and in the anal area. These warts may barely be visible or they may be several inches across. These are known as genital warts or condyloma acuminatum. HPV 6 and HPV 11 are the 2 types of HPV that cause most cases of genital warts. They are called low-risk types of HPV because they are seldom linked to cervical cancer.
Certain types of HPV are called high-risk types because they are strongly linked to cancers, including cancers of the cervix, vulva, and vagina in women, penile cancer in men, and anal and oral cancer in men and women. In fact, doctors believe that a woman
must be infected by HPV before she develops cervical cancer. The high-risk types include HPV 16, HPV 18, HPV 31, HPV 33, and HPV 45, as well as some others. About two-thirds of all cervical cancers are caused by HPV 16 and 18. Infection with HPV is common, and in most people the body is able to clear the infection
on its own. Sometimes, however, the infection does not go away and becomes chronic. Chronic infection, especially when it is with high-risk HPV types, can eventually cause certain cancers, such as cervical cancer.
Although HPV can be spread during sex -- including vaginal intercourse, anal intercourse, and oral sex - sex doesn't have to occur for the infection to spread. All that is needed to pass HPV from one person to another is skin-to-skin contact with an area of the
body infected with HPV. Infection with HPV seems to be able to be spread from one part
of the body to another -- for example, infection may start in the cervix and then spread to
the vagina. The only sure way to completely prevent anal and genital HPV infection is to
never allow another person to have contact with those areas of the body.

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