What Are The Causes Of Hpv

HPV, or human papillomavirus, is a common medical condition that can cause genital warts, infertility, cervical cancer and death. Although the condition is highly contagious, HPV is also easily treated if you get a proper diagnosis and immediate treatment.

Significance

There are over 100 variations of HPV, and the condition affects nearly two million people in the United States alone. Although some variations of the virus are harmless, other forms may cause cancer of the cervix or death One third of all HPV patients received the virus through sexual contact, though newly developed vaccinations help to reduce the risk of sexual transmission of the virus.

Symptoms

Patients afflicted with HPV may not experience any symptoms, though those who do commonly experience warts on the genitals and mouth. These warts are generally very painful and may be red or ooze pus. In addition, HPV can cause cell abnormalities that may result in cervical cancer in female patients.

Skin-to-Skin Contact

Human papillomavirus is easily transmitted by skin-to-skin contact, and of the one hundred variations that exist, over sixty are transmitted by this method. Because the condition is extremely contagious, the virus may be transmitted without any sexual contact. Unsanitary conditions, including unclean toilet seats or shared clothing, may harbor the virus and cause transmission from patient to patient.

Sexual Contact

The virus is also easily transmitted through sexual contact, including sexual intercourse and oral sex. While some patients suffer from the characteristic warts on the genitals and mouth, others may not suffer from any noticeable symptoms, making the condition harder to diagnosis in sexual partners. To ensure the virus is not transmitted, patients should be sure to wear condoms during any sexual contact.

Diagnosis

Generally, female patients are tested for HPV using a pap smear test, which is generally performed on a woman annually by her physician. The pap smear test takes cells from the woman's cervix, and these cells are tested for abnormalities that may indicate cervical cancer. Although some cases of HPV go away with time, certain variations result in cervical cancer, which may be fatal if not treated immediately.

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