All women dream to look attractive. But sometimes the skin is able to slightly upset the fair sex. It is especially unpleasant when warts or unaesthetic papillomas appear on it. Of course, such a defect young women most often perceive exclusively as external. But these formations cause an unpleasant, and sometimes dangerous, HPV infection in women. What it is? How does infection get into the body? What methods to deal with it? Let's get it right.
HPV infection in women - what is it?
HPV in Latin stands for the name of the virus family: Human Papillomavirus. The abbreviation is often used in medicine. For example, it can be found in analyzes.
So, if HPV infection is detected in women, what is this pathology? Translated from Latin, this is the human papillomavirus (HPV). This is a large family of microorganisms. HPV combines over 70 varieties of viruses. They are able to become sources of development of various diseases in the body. Some HPV viruses cause skin diseases. Others - provoke the appearance of genital warts. Today, doctors have fully established the relationship between the presence in the body of a woman of certain types of HPV and oncology.
This infection is quite dangerous for the body. It is characterized by mild symptoms and at the same time has an impressive incubation period. Therefore, HPV can be in the body for a long time without giving itself away. Especially when it comes to women. The vaginal microflora is a favorable environment for the virus.
The main features of HPV are:
- latency of manifestations;
- long incubation period (sometimes dragging on for several years);
- mild clinical symptoms;
- ability to quickly transform from papilloma to dysplasia.
Since warts, condylomas can not cause a woman discomfort for a long period, the pathology can go unnoticed for several years. But you have to understand, if HPV infection is detected in women, what it is. Indeed, in some cases, if treatment for HPV is not started in a timely manner, cancer develops in the body.
According to statistics, about 70% of the world's inhabitants are infected with one or another type of HPV.
Transmission ways
There are only 2 methods for HPV infection:
- sexual (most common);
- domestic.
HPV infection in women can be triggered by the following reasons:
- Sexual contact with an infected person. And even a condom does not always become a sufficient means of protection. During oral caresses, the risk of HPV infection is high.
- Procedures in the beauty salon. Unfortunately, in the second place is precisely this way of infection with the virus. Infection occurs through insufficiently disinfected tools. Most often, HPV enters the body after the procedure of permanent makeup or epilation of the bikini area. To protect yourself from the risk of infection, you may be asked to sanitize the instruments with you or require the use of exclusively disposable items.
- Non-observance of personal hygiene. If funds for an individual toilet are used by other family members, then the risk of infection is high. Everyone should have their own personal hygiene items. This applies to all items: washcloths, towels, pumice stones, tweezers, nail scissors.
Main reasons
Thus, HPV infection in women most often penetrates through sexual contact. However, the risk of infection through friendly kisses, handshakes, and even household items cannot be ruled out. Through minor damage to the skin or mucous membrane, the pathogen easily enters the body.
And to identify pathology in the early stages is almost impossible. After all, the virus can be available for a long time, but in a hidden form. In some cases, the incubation period reaches even up to three months.
There are several factors against which HPV infection most often develops in women. The reasons for the infection are given by doctors as follows:
- frequent change of sexual partners;
- constant stress;
- smoking;
- vitamin deficiency, a significant decrease in immunity;
- alcoholism;
- early onset of sexual regular life;
- disturbed flow of metabolic processes;
- gastrointestinal diseases (gastritis);
- gynecological ailments (ureaplasmosis, thrush, cervical erosion, gonorrhea, trichomoniasis, chlamydia);
- frequent visits to places with a high risk of infection (baths, saunas, pools);
- changes in the hormonal background as a result of the use of contraceptives.
Types of virus
The HPV family includes many varieties of viruses. It depends on the type of microorganism how HPV infection will manifest itself in women.
Types of virus are classified as follows:
- HPV underlying the appearance of warts. Types 1 through 4 lead to the formation of plantar warts. They resemble corn. Thanks to the 3, 10, 28 and 49th type, flat warts appear. And the emergence of ordinary formations leads to the 27th type.
- HPV affecting the respiratory tract, genitals. The 6, 11, 13, 16, 18, 31, 33, 35th types are guilty of the defeat of these organs.
- HPV, which provokes a precancerous condition. These are types with high oncogenic risk. This category includes 30, 39, 40, 42, 43, 55, 57, 61, 62, 64, 67, 69, 70th.
Manifestations of the virus
Of course, the type can only be determined using laboratory research methods. But at the same time, even in appearance, one can suspect that there is an HPV infection in women. The photo in the article shows what external manifestations an infected person may encounter.
So, papillomavirus infection can occur as follows:
- Genital warts. Such formations most often provoke viruses with low oncogenic risk. Genital warts can be focal or single. They appear in those areas that are injured during intercourse. The size of these formations is from 1 mm to several centimeters. They are located on a narrow "leg". In appearance they may resemble “cauliflower” or “cockscomb”. Most often, they are discovered by chance, during personal hygiene, as a roughness of the mucosa. Sometimes women can injure condyloma. In this case, it bleeds, causes discomfort during intercourse or childbirth.
- Papillomas. These are wart formations. Viral papillomas, unlike tumor ones, can occur, then disappear. The appearance of these formations depends on the strength of the immune system at the present time. Viral papillomas can grow anywhere. In color, they practically do not differ from the normal skin tone.
- Flat condylomas of the cervix. They signal the presence of a chronic infection in the body. In this case, a change in the cervical epithelium at the cellular level may be observed. Such violations cause serious concern for the doctor. After all, it is these changes that often lead to the development of oncology. However, the presence of a virus in the body is not a 100% chance of developing cancer. Oncology appears only if there are additional factors that contribute to the degeneration of benign cells into malignant.
Characteristic symptoms
What are some signs of HPV infection in women?
Symptoms that you should definitely pay attention to:
- the appearance of itching, an unpleasant burning sensation in the genital area;
- the presence of persistent secretions (white, yellow-green, alternate);
- a slight increase in lymph nodes;
- multiple formations (papillomas, warts) in different parts of the body.
If there are even several symptoms, be sure to consult a gynecologist for an examination.
What does the virus lead to?
This infection is extremely dangerous with the consequences that it can provoke without adequate treatment.
In some cases, the following complications may develop:
- head cancer;
- hyperplasia of the oral mucosa;
- neck cancer
- airway papillomatosis;
- oncology of the lungs.
If we are talking about the genitals, then the virus can lead to the development of:
- oncology of the cervix;
- dysplasia;
- anus cancer;
- oncology of the vagina or external organs.
Diagnosis of the disease
Now let's look at how HPV infection in women is determined.
Diagnostics implies an integrated approach and includes such measures:
- Examination by a gynecologist. Women should see a doctor regularly. Even a routine examination can help identify HPV.
- Colposcopy. Such a study is carried out using a special microscope. A colposcope many times enlarges female organs. This allows you to perfectly examine condylomas. The use of additional substances helps to ascertain HPV.
- Cytological smear. Scraping allows a detailed study of tissue under a microscope. The study makes it possible to determine the initial stages of cancer. This examination is mandatory for dysplasia. It is called the Pap test.
- Biopsy. A small piece of uterine tissue is studied under high magnification. A biopsy is strictly contraindicated in pregnant women.
- Histological examination. Allows you to study the structure of cells and the location of the layers. A tissue sample is initially specially trained and only then carefully analyzed.
- PCR The analysis gives an idea of ​​the type of virus and allows you to determine its oncogenicity.
Treatment methods
There is no single program for the treatment of HPV. For each specific case, its own therapy is selected. At the same time, even complex treatment is not able to completely save the patient from this ailment.
Genital warts therapy
The main method of struggle is mechanical removal. What methods are most effective if diagnosed with HPV infection in women? The description of the procedure provided for each method will help to understand the essence of this intervention.
So, for the treatment of genital warts:
- Laser Therapy Defects are removed under local anesthesia. The procedure is performed by a laser.
- Cryodestruction. Unpleasant defects are removed using liquid nitrogen. The procedure is completely painless and leaves no scars.
- Electrocoagulation Therapy is performed using electric current. The method is quite painful.
- Radio wave coagulation. The procedure has an excellent therapeutic result, performed under local anesthesia. Condylomas are removed with a radio wave knife.
- Surgical removal. An extremely rare treatment. It is used only for malignant tissues.
Antiviral therapy for papillomavirus infection
No special treatment has been developed. Therefore, the patient is prescribed antiviral agents that stimulate the immune system:
- Medications that block the reproduction of the virus and activate the immune system. Effective drugs are Isoprinosine, Inosiplex.
- Interferons. Medicines provide antiviral effects, increase immunity. In addition, they have an antitumor effect. Such medicines are Intron-A, Alpha Interferon, Genferon.
- Drugs that activate the body's production of their own interferons. The medicines “Cycloferon”, “Amiksin” may be recommended.
- Medicines that prevent the reproduction of cells infected with the virus. Excellent drugs are Podophyllinum, Condilinum, Podophyllotoxinum.
However, none of the above drugs can completely cure infection.
Prevention of human papillomavirus infection
This topic is extremely relevant today. Do not forget that it is the HPV infection in women that can lead to cervical cancer.
Prevention methods include:
- non-specific methods;
- specific.
In the first case, we are talking about the sexual education of the younger generation. It is very important to explain how to protect the body and in what ways HPV infection is transmitted in women.
Specific prevention is vaccination aimed at protecting against the most oncogenic types of the virus. The strong immunity formed after vaccination protects a woman from cancer. A similar vaccination is recommended for girls before sexual activity.
The most effective and globally recognized HPV vaccines are:
These vaccinations are also given if a woman already has a sex life. However, before vaccination, she must undergo a doctor-prescribed examination to exclude the likelihood of the presence of HPV in the body.