The human papillomavirus in women, or HPV, is a DNA virus that causes rapid cell division in the human body. As a result, an anorectal zone forms on the skin, covered with genital warts, warts or papillomas. Today, experts isolate more than 100 species of this virus, which differ from each other in different degrees of oncogenicity.
The most dangerous disease is considered to be in the case of development in the female body, because in a short time it can provoke the appearance of a malignant tumor in the vulva, cervix or anus. It is very important to diagnose in time and choose the right treatment in order to avoid the development of cancer, which leads to the human papillomavirus in women.
Causes of the appearance of pathology
The causative agent of the disease is the papilloma DNA virus. It can easily penetrate not only into the mucous membranes, but also deeper layers of the skin. Specialists identify a number of factors that can provoke infection with this infection. The main factors include the following:
- Congenital or acquired immunodeficiency. Many women become infected during the first year after the end of pregnancy, because the hormonal background changes greatly, and the birth process acts as a stressful situation for the body.
- Sexual relations at an early age.
- Change of sexual partners without the use of contraception.
- HIV AIDS.
- Infections of viral origin.
- Diabetes.
- Bad habits such as alcoholism and drug addiction.
- The passage of immunosuppressive therapy.
- Frequent abortions.
- The presence of sexually transmitted diseases.
- The use of oral contraceptives over time and more.
How can a virus be transmitted?
Specialists identify several ways of transmitting the human papillomavirus in women:
- during the birth process from mother to her baby;
- during sexual intercourse without the use of contraception;
- contact method of infection;
- contact household.
Most often, the cause of the development of pathology is unsafe sexual contact. It is worth noting that a woman can become infected not only during vaginal or anal sex, but even during its non-standard types.
If before pregnancy, the human papillomavirus in a woman was present in the body, then condylomas and papillomas will appear on the walls of the vagina or labia. In this case, during childbirth there is a high risk of infection of the baby. HPV can be transmitted through handshakes, the sharing of personal hygiene items, while swimming in the pool or while visiting the sauna.
Why is HPV dangerous for women?
If the body has a sufficiently strong immune system, then there is no need to treat the human papillomavirus in a woman, since in almost all cases it disappears on its own. In the same case, if there are favorable conditions listed above, the risk of developing cancer is quite large.
As practice shows, in those women who had cervical cancer, in about 70% of all cases, doctors found HPV in the blood belonging to the third group. It is worth noting that the most dangerous types of virus are considered to be 16 and 18.
If neoplasms appeared on the cervix, then a full examination should be immediately taken. After that, the treatment of the human papillomavirus in women is prescribed. If this is not done, then dysplasia will begin to develop, and only then oncology itself will begin to develop. In addition, women who have HPV are at risk of contracting other infections of a sexual nature, even if contraceptives are used.
Symptoms of HPV type 16 in women
This type of papilloma virus is considered the most common. Its presence is established in patients in more than half of all known cases. It is worth noting that type 16 has the highest rate of oncogenicity. Symptoms of the human papillomavirus in women of this species are described below.
After infection, the causative agent of the disease begins to actively penetrate the genome of cells, which does not allow them to activate the natural defense against the formation of tumors. Because of this, soon warts and warts begin to form on the skin.
After infection with HPV type 16, spots of different sizes, which have a gray or brown, slightly rough surface, gradually begin to form on the skin in the genital area and anorectal zone. These rashes are commonly referred to as bauvenoid papulosis.
The second symptom of the human papillomavirus in women of type 16 is the appearance of directly genital warts. They can begin to form not only on the genital thighs, but also in the neck, eyelids, armpits or thighs. The most dangerous symptom, experts call intraepithelial neoplasia, which occurs in the mucous membrane of the uterus and is considered a precancerous condition.
Symptoms of HPV type 18
After infection, this type also begins to actively integrate into the DNA of human body cells, which leads to an almost complete blockage of the immune system. Because of this, benign tumors may begin to form soon after infection. It is worth noting, neoplasms can be prone to malignancy.
It is strongly recommended that a timely analysis of the human papillomavirus in women be taken, since the 18th type of the disease can also provoke the development of oncology in the female body, especially cervical cancer. Scientists who conducted research in recent years have established the presence of this type of HPV in approximately 70% of patients with cervical cancer.
The following symptoms can be attributed to the main symptoms.
- In the anus and on the skin of the genitals, genital warts begin to appear. As a result of injury, neoplasms often bleed. These condylomas are considered to be the most prone to malignancy.
- Soon papillomas of different sizes may appear. Neoplasms of this type have a rounded shape and do not differ in color from the skin, but they will noticeably rise above it. In most cases, after infection, papillomas appear in the armpits, on the genitals. If the case is very neglected, then neoplasms may begin to spread to some other parts of the body. To prevent this, it is urgent to take an analysis for the human papillomavirus in women and consult a specialist.
- HPV of this type is characterized by the appearance of warts, which are rashes of a rounded nature. They significantly rise above the level of the skin, and will have a bright red or dark enough color.
Type 31 virus: symptoms
This type of virus is also considered very dangerous, but also quite insidious. It becomes the cause of the development of oncology, but at the same time it can develop in the body for a long time without any signs of its presence.
When a favorable soil appears in the female body, the first symptoms may begin to appear. As a rule, the virus manifests itself during periods of weakening of the immune system due to hormonal failure or hypothermia, as a result of acute infections and sexually transmitted diseases. It is worth noting that 31 types of HPV are very dangerous not only for women, but also for men.
The main manifestations of the disease will be the appearance of papillomas and genital warts on the genitals and in the anorectal region. At the same time, women have an unpleasant odor and vaginal discharge, strong pain may occur during intercourse, and then constant discomfort in the genital area and directly into the vagina. Therefore, the human papillomavirus in women and gynecology are related things.
Symptoms of HPV type 33
33 type of human papillomavirus in women is also among the most dangerous papillomaviruses. It is he who can cause the development of a carcinogenic process in the body of a woman.
As a rule, the formation of warts of different sizes in the genital area is considered the main sign of the development of this type of disease. The incubation period of the pathology can range from 12 to 16 weeks. After this time, genital warts, which have a fairly wide leg, begin to actively form on the walls of the vagina, cervix, and labia. The main feature of genital warts that occur after infection with HPV type 33 is that they do not have a flat surface and relatively clear boundaries.
This type of pathology quite often becomes the cause of the development of a precancerous condition or introepithelial neoplasia of the cervix. Therefore, the treatment of human papilloma in women should be immediate.
35 type
The main signs of the development of the female papilloma virus type 35 in the female body include the following:
- Small warts appear, which are most often characteristic of girls.
- Genital warts appear in the anorectal region, as well as on the genitals. Neoplasms grow very quickly, which leads to the appearance of large spots.
- Very rarely in this case, flat condylomas may appear. But do not forget that they are considered the most dangerous, because in most cases, over time, they develop into cancerous tumors.
In addition to neoplasms on the skin, the symptoms of human papilloma in women of this type are severe itching, discomfort and pain. In some cases, there is a symptomatology characteristic of intoxication of the body. In this situation, chills and fever occur, sweating intensifies, general weakness is present.
39 type: symptoms in women
HPV type 39 is one of the viruses that have a high risk of oncogenicity. As a rule, a more dangerous disease is considered directly for women. Men, in turn, in almost all cases act exclusively as carriers of such an unpleasant infection.
After infection, women begin to appear papillomas, condylomas and warts, which over time can degenerate into malignant tumors. As a rule, neoplasms appear in the cervical region and on the walls of the vagina. The disease is very serious, so an analysis of the human papilloma in women must be passed immediately after suspicion of the development of the disease.
Symptoms of HPV type 51
This type of disease is characterized in that the first symptoms become noticeable even during the incubation period, the duration of which can be several years. In this case, a woman gradually develops a rash from genital warts. Not only genital warts may also appear, but also flat. As a rule, the place of localization is the genitals, namely the cervix, the labia and the walls of the vagina. In some more advanced cases, neoplasms occur in the inguinal and axillary regions, on the eyelids. You can see photos of human papillomas in women in this article.
Diagnosis of infection
A photo of the human papilloma virus in women will allow you to approximately determine the presence of this disease in your body. If you suspect the development of this infection, you must promptly seek help from a medical institution. Initially, the gynecologist conducts an external, and then an internal examination. It will help to easily determine the presence of various kinds of rashes on the skin: warts, warts, etc. The doctor will tell you how to get an analysis of the human papillomavirus for a woman, and what to do next.
Quite often, during the diagnosis of this disease, it is customary to use a procedure such as coloscopy. A doctor examines the cervix by using a special device called a coloscope. With its help, you can easily enlarge the image several times and, in addition, display it even on a computer monitor.
But the most reliable and fastest way to determine the presence of the papilloma virus is considered to be a virus test. It must be carried out using a polymerase chain reaction, abbreviated PCR. This procedure is used not only to confirm or deny the presence of the virus in the body, but also to determine its type as accurately as possible, which will allow you to find out how to treat a woman's papilloma in a particular case.
In order to determine how much viral bodies are in the body, the Digene test is used, which many experts call the "Gold Standard" in the diagnosis of HPV. If the doctor establishes at least an approximate number of viruses, then this will determine the most accurately the degree of risk of developing cancer, cervical cancer.
In addition, if there is a suspicion of the presence of the papilloma virus in the body, then a cytological examination will be mandatory. This is the only way to determine how to treat a woman’s human papillomavirus individually.
Treatment for HPV infection with medication
To date, experts have not yet come up with special antiviral drugs that could help get rid of the papilloma virus and completely cure such an unpleasant disease.
With the help of interferons (such drugs as Reaferon and Cycloferon can be attributed to them) and interferonogens (Prodigiosan and Poludan preparations), you can only slightly reduce the size of those neoplasms that have already appeared. At the same time, even regular use of these drugs will not affect the frequency of the appearance of new papillomas and warts. That is why specialists in most cases remove condylomas and other manifestations of this disease using chemical or surgical solutions. In gynecology, the treatment of human papillomavirus in women is carried out only by such methods.
The danger of self-medication and inaction
Many may think that since you can’t completely get rid of the disease, then you should not even begin to treat it. Is it possible not to contact specialists? The answer to this question can be only one: no, it is impossible. At first glance, papillomas can be completely harmless and not indicate the development of cervical cancer. If pathology is not diagnosed in time, then oncology will begin to develop very soon.
Even if the neoplasms are benign, do not bring any discomfort and do not cause pain, it is better to remove them anyway. The destruction is carried out exclusively in a hospital. Do not use the advertised "miraculous" drugs that will help get rid of warts and papillomas at home for a day. This can cause burns, ulcers on the skin and provoke more serious complications.
HPV transmission from mother to child
If a woman was infected before pregnancy, there is a small risk that the baby will also be born already infected. It is worth noting that many children who become infected during passage through the birth canal recover on their own within a few months after their birth.
HPV is very dangerous for infants, because in this case, neoplasms can appear even in the respiratory tract. Of course, such cases are very rare, but still they should not be ruled out.
Some experts believe that the best way to protect a baby from HPV is to give a pregnant woman a cesarean section. At the same time, this theory has not yet been proven, which is why the appearance of a sciatica on the genitals is not considered a serious indication for cesarean section. The doctor, as a rule, prescribes surgery only if the woman has large tumors that will interfere with the birth of a child.
It is worth noting that children who have been in contact with the mother virus must be vaccinated at the age of six to twelve years. After three injections are made, children will be immune to HPV for their whole life. But at the same time, it is still advisable to carry out examinations from time to time that would confirm the absence of the virus in the child's body.
How not to get infected
Approximately 82% of women become infected with HPV just a few years after the onset of sexual activity. , , 20 % . , -, . . , .
, -. , . , 30 . , , . . , , .
-. : «», «». . , , , . , 12 .
– , . , . , . .