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 is formed on the skin, covered with genital warts, warts or papillomas. To date, experts have identified more than 100 types of this virus, which differ from each other in different degrees of oncogenicity.
The most dangerous disease is considered precisely 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 pathology
The causative agent of the disease is papillomavirus DNA. It can easily penetrate not only the mucous membranes, but also the deeper layers.skin cover. Experts 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.
- Changing sexual partners without using contraceptives.
- HIV, AIDS.
- Infections of viral origin.
- Diabetes mellitus.
- Bad habits such as alcoholism and drug addiction.
- Undergoing immunosuppressive therapy.
- Frequent abortions.
- Having a sexually transmitted disease.
- Long-term use of oral contraceptives, etc.
How can the virus be transmitted?
Specialists identify several ways of transmission of the human papillomavirus in women:
- during the birth process from a mother to her baby;
- during sexual intercourse without the use of contraceptives;
- 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 even before pregnancy, the human papillomavirus in a woman was present in the body, thenthe walls of the vagina or the labia will appear warts and papillomas. In this case, during childbirth there is a high risk of infection of the child. HPV can be transmitted through shaking hands, sharing personal hygiene items, while swimming in the pool or using 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 the favorable conditions listed above are present, then the risk of developing cancer is quite high.
As practice shows, in those women who were diagnosed with cervical cancer, in about 70% of all cases, doctors found HPV belonging to the third group in the blood. It is worth noting that the most dangerous types of the virus are considered to be 16 and 18.
If neoplasms appear on the cervix, then you should immediately undergo a full examination. After that, the treatment of the human papillomavirus in women is prescribed. If this is not done, then initially dysplasia will begin to develop, and only then the oncology itself. In addition, women with HPV are at risk of contracting other sexually transmitted infections, even when using contraceptives.
Symptoms of HPV type 16 in women
This type of papillomavirus is considered the most common. It is its presence that is established in patients in more than half of allknown cases. It should be noted that type 16 has the highest rate of oncogenicity. Symptoms of human papillomavirus in women of this species are described below.
After infection, the pathogen begins to actively invade the genome of cells, which does not allow them to activate the natural defense against the formation of tumors. Because of this, warts and condylomas soon begin to form on the skin.
After infection with HPV type 16, spots of various sizes gradually begin to form on the skin in the genital area and anorectal zone, which have a gray or brown, slightly rough surface. These rashes are commonly called bowenoid 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 lining of the uterus and is considered a precancerous condition.
HPV type 18 symptoms
This type, also after infection, begins to actively integrate into the DNA of the cells of the human body, which leads to an almost complete blocking of the immune system. Because of this, benign tumors can begin to form soon after infection. It is worth noting that neoplasms may be prone to malignancy.
It is strongly recommended to timely test for human papillomavirus in women, since type 18 of the diseaseIt can also provoke the development of oncology in the female body, especially cervical cancer. Scientists who have conducted research in recent years have established the presence of this type of HPV in about 70% of patients with cervical cancer.
The main symptoms include the following manifestations.
- In the anus and on the skin of the genitals, genital warts begin to appear. As a result of injury, neoplasms often bleed. These warts are considered to be the most prone to malignancy.
- Soon, papillomas of various sizes may appear. Neoplasms of this type have a rounded shape and do not differ in color from the skin at all, but at the same time 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 soon the neoplasms may begin to spread to some other parts of the body. To prevent this, it is urgent to be tested for 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 rise noticeably above the level of the skin, and will have a bright red or rather dark color.
Virus type 31: 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, for a long time it can develop intobody 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 HPV type 31 is very dangerous not only for women, but also for men.
The main manifestations of the disease will be the appearance of papillomas and condylomas on the genitals and in the anorectal region. At the same time, women experience an unpleasant odor and vaginal discharge, during intercourse there may be severe pain, and then constant discomfort in the genital area and directly in the vagina. Therefore, the human papillomavirus in women and gynecology are related things.
HPV type 33 symptoms
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 a woman's body.
As a rule, the main sign of the development of this type of disease is the formation of warts of different sizes in the genital area. The incubation period of pathology can vary from 12 to 16 weeks. After this time, genital warts begin to actively form on the walls of the vagina, cervix and on the labia, which have a fairly wide leg. The main feature of genital warts that occur after infection with HPV type 33 is that they do not have a smoothsurfaces and relatively clear boundaries.
This type of pathology quite often causes the development of a precancerous condition or intraepithelial neoplasia of the cervix. Therefore, the treatment of human papilloma in women should be immediate.
35 type
The main signs of the development of type 35 papillomavirus in the female body include the following:
- Small warts appear, which are most common in girls.
- Condylomas of the genital type 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 warts may appear. But do not forget that they are considered the most dangerous, because in most cases they develop into cancerous tumors over time.
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 are symptoms characteristic of intoxication of the body. In such a situation, chills and fever occur, sweating increases, and 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, the disease is considered more dangerous directly for women. Men, in turn, in almost all cases act exclusively as carriers of such an unpleasantinfections.
After infection, papillomas, warts and warts begin to appear in women, 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, therefore, an analysis for human papilloma in women must be taken immediately after suspicion of the development of the disease.
HPV type 51 symptoms
This type of disease differs in that the first symptoms become noticeable even during the incubation period, which can last several years. In this case, the woman gradually develops a rash of genital warts. Also, not only genital warts, but also flat ones may appear. As a rule, the localization site is the genital organs, namely the cervix, labia and vaginal walls. In some, more advanced cases, neoplasms occur in the inguinal and axillary regions, on the eyelids. You can see photos of human papilloma in women in this article.
Infection Diagnosis
A photo of the human papillomavirus 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 you easily determine the presence of various kinds of rashes on the skin: warts, warts, etc. The doctor will tell you how to get tested for the human papillomaviruswoman and what to do next.
Quite often, during the diagnosis of this disease, it is customary to use a procedure such as coloscopy. The doctor examines the cervix using a special device called a colposcope. With it, 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 papillomavirus is considered to be a virus test. It must be carried out using the polymerase chain reaction, abbreviated as PCR. This procedure is used not only to confirm or deny the presence of a virus in the body, but also to establish its type as accurately as possible, which will allow you to find out how to treat human papilloma in a woman in a particular case.
In order to be able to determine how many 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, this will determine as accurately as possible the degree of risk of developing an oncological disease, cervical cancer.
In addition, if there is a suspicion of the presence of the papillomavirus in the body, then a cytological examination will be mandatory. This is the only way to determine how to treat the human papillomavirus in a woman individually.
Treating HPV infection with medicines
To date, experts have not yet come up with specialantiviral drugs that could help get rid of the papillomavirus and completely cure such an unpleasant disease.
With the help of interferons (these include drugs such as "Reaferon" and "Cycloferon") and interferonogens (drugs "Prodigiosan", "Poludan"), you can only slightly reduce the size of those neoplasms that have already to appear. At the same time, even the 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 warts 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 dangers of self-treatment and inaction
Many people might think that since it is impossible to completely get rid of the disease, then it is not even worth starting to treat it. Is it possible not to contact specialists? There can be only one answer to this question: no, you can't. At first glance, papillomas may be completely harmless and do not indicate the development of cervical cancer. If the 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. 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.conditions per day. This can cause burns, ulcers on the skin and provoke more serious complications.
HPV transmission from mother to child
If a woman has been infected before pregnancy, there is a small risk that the baby will also be born already infected. It is worth noting that many babies 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 babies, 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 your baby from HPV is to give a pregnant woman a caesarean section. At the same time, this theory has not yet been proven, which is why the appearance of genital warts is not considered a serious indication for caesarean section. A doctor will usually prescribe surgery only if the woman has large neoplasms that will interfere with the birth of a child.
It is worth noting that children who have been in contact with the mother's virus must be vaccinated between the ages of six and twelve. After three injections, the children will be immune to HPV for the rest of their lives. But at the same time, it is still desirable to conduct 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 a few years after the onset of sexual activity. Even if the girl had only one sexual partner, as practice shows, about 20% of them will already be infected with this infection. After a woman has begun to live sexually, it is worth regularly visiting a gynecologist and doing HPV tests, smears for oncocytology. This will allow you to detect the disease in time and begin its treatment. Otherwise, everything can end up with the development of oncology, which is often detected at later stages.
Most recently, a special vaccine has been developed that can be used to prevent HPV infection. Scientists believe that it will also help prevent the development of cervical cancer in women. It is worth noting that the development of this vaccine began more than 30 years ago. Initially, insignificant data were obtained, but it was they who made it possible to subsequently conduct fairly large clinical trials, in which women of different ages took part. The experts also involved female children. In recent years, the vaccine has become more advanced, and the results obtained after its use have proved not only the safety, but also the effectiveness of the drug.
Today, doctors offer three different types of vaccines at once to prevent the HPV virus. Two of them were certified in Russia: Cervarix, Gardasil. Vaccination is carried out in three different stages. It is worth noting that in some countries, not only America, but also Europe, these vaccinesare considered mandatory and are included in the vaccination calendar created for girls. In Germany, all girls who have reached the age of 12 are vaccinated without fail.
Human papillomavirus is a very dangerous disease that can quickly develop into oncology. Therefore, it is worth avoiding those factors that can cause infection. If you notice signs of this disease, contact your doctor. He will conduct the necessary examination and will be able to choose the most suitable treatment for your individual case.
