According to the National Cancer Institute, there are over 100 different human papillomaviruses (HPVs). Certain types of HPV cause papillomas, or warts, on the skin, and other varieties cause warts on the genitalia or in the throat. HPV is a sexually transmitted infection that can go undetected and can disappear without treatment; however, there are some HPV strains that can cause serious illness, such as cervical cancer.
Development
Genital human papillomavirus is the most common sexually transmitted infection, and is a different type of virus than herpes or HIV. Transmitted through vaginal, anal or oral sex, genital HPV comes in over 40 different strains and can cause wart development on the genitals or anus of men and women, or in the throat. After sexual exposure, warts can appear weeks to months to years after the encounter with an infected partner, or they may never appear at all. Flat abnormal growths can also develop on the vagina or cervix, but do not cause any symptoms if located on the cervix. HPV can cause abnormal cell growth on the cervix, therefore causing cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Signs and Symptoms
Most persons with HPV will not know it. The virus will not show any signs or symptoms. In some individuals, warts will grow on the genitalia, around the anus or in the throat. HPV infections can also cause cancer of the cervix, and in rare instances, cancer of the vagina, penis, anus, vulva or throat, according to the CDC.
Testing
There is a test that detects HPV, but it is only used to screen for cervical cancer. There is no test to monitor the HPV status of men and women. Approximately 90 percent of infected persons will not present with any HPV symptoms, and the body naturally rids itself of the virus within two years; therefore, constant monitoring is not thought necessary, according to the CDC.
Treatment
For the HPV strains that cause genital warts, treatment includes medication to remove the warts. Physicians can also remove the warts, but it is common to wait for the warts to disappear on their own without treatment. Warts located in the throat are treated with medications and surgery to remove the warts, but repeated surgery and medication is typically required to rid the throat region of the growths. Cervical cancer caused by HPV is treated best when detected early. The best practice to follow is prevention; undergo an annual Pap smear to detect abnormalities in cell growth before the development of cancer, notes the CDC.
Prevention
To prevent HPV and cervical cancer, there are vaccines that are recommended for girls and boys around the age of 11 or 12, before they are sexually active and potentially infected with HPV. Given in three shots, the vaccine prevents HPV infection, genital warts and cervical cancer. Abstinence, condoms and monogamy also lessen the chance of HPV infection, according to the CDC.
