Individuals who are sexually active have a 50 percent chance of becoming infected with the human papillomavirus, also called HPV. It is the most common sexually transmitted disease, affecting approximately 6.2 million Americans annually. Most people don't know they have it and can pass it on to someone else unintentionally.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 40 different strains of HPV can infect the human reproductive and digestive systems.
Reproductive System
Some types of HPV cause warts in the genital area of either males or females. Warts can be small or large, raised or flat, or cauliflower-shaped. They may take weeks or months to appear and the infected partner may have had no sign of them. Warts caused by HPV do not turn into cancer.
Other types of HPV are considered high-risk and may lead to cancer of the cervix, vulva, vagina or penis. Infection with any type of HPV can result in a female having an abnormal Pap test.
Approximately 10 types of HPV can lead to cervical cancer. The Illinois Department of Health states that research shows most cervical HPV infection becomes undetectable in 90 percent of women within two years, but persistent infection is the main risk factor for cervical cancer.
Digestive System
The strains of HPV that cause genital warts can also cause warts in the throat or anal areas. If warts occur in the throat, they can interfere with breathing or cause hoarseness.
Treatment
There is no treatment for HPV, but treatments exist for diseases caused by HPV. Genital warts and warts in the throat can be treated with medication or surgically removed. Since all cancers are most treatable when diagnosed early, most doctors recommend that women get an annual Pap smear to detect cervical cancer.
Prevention of HPV and Cervical Cancer
No test can determine if you are infected with HPV. Because most people have no signs of the infection, the only sure way to prevent it is to never have sex. If you have sex, your chances of contracting HPV may be reduced if you are in a mutually monogamous relationship.
HPV infection can occur in areas not covered by condoms, so they won't necessarily protect you from exposure. However, the Illinois Department of Health advises that use of condoms is linked to lower rates of cervical cancer.
As of September 2010, two vaccines for some HPV types are on the market. According to Planned Parenthood, the vaccines protect against two types of HPV which cause seven out of 10 cases of cervical cancer, and against two types which cause nine out of 10 cases of genital warts. The vaccine consists of three shots given over six months and protects females against the four types of HPV for at least five years. One vaccine also protects males against HPV-caused warts.
