HPV Virus
HPV or the human papillomavirus is a condition that survives and thrives on ignorance. Most people with HPV don’t develop symptoms but certain conditions are known to develop. Some types of HPV virus cause genital warts in men and women. In women HPV virus can lead to cancers of the vulva, vagina, anus and cervix. In men, it can lead to cancers of the anus and penis.
The genital HPV virus is passed on through genital contact usually during vaginal or anal sex. Even though someone has not had sex in several years they may still have the HPV virus and can pass it on. They might not appear to be sick in any way, but if they are infected it’s possible for them to pass the virus to their sex partner. In very rare incidences a pregnant woman with the genital HPV virus will pass the condition on to her baby during a vaginal delivery.
According to the Center for Disease Control’s website approximately 20 million Americans are infected with the HPV virus while another 6.2 million people become infected each year. Roughly, 50% of sexually active men and woman acquire some form or HPV virus infection at some point in their lives.
The only HPV test on the market is really only used as part of a normal cervical cancer screening. There is no real test for men or women to check HPV virus status. The good news is that the HPV virus usually goes away on its own without causing health problems. This means that an infection found today probably won’t be there if another test were taken in a year from now.
There’s no reason if you feel healthy and have no sign of HPV virus to get the test. However, it’s very important to get tested for the signs of the disease that HPV can cause such as cervical cancer. Even when you are in good health a PAP test should be taken routinely as part of a yearly medical examination.
There is no treatment for the HPV virus itself, and a healthy immune system will usually fight the virus off naturally. There are treatments for the various conditions that HPV can cause.