Analysis for HPV in men allows you to detect human papillomavirus infection in the body. The virus is common and causes serious illness. The most common way of transmission of papillomavirus is sexual (from a sick woman to a man).
How to get tested for HPV and what types of research are available, you need to know every person who is sexually active. Detection of infection in the early stages will prevent the development of severe pathologies.
What is HPV
HPV (HPV - Human Papillomavirus) - human papillomavirus. Several dozen HPVs are known. Some do almost no harm. Others contribute to the appearance of papillomas on the skin and mucous membranes. And some can provoke the development of oncology. Only early and accurate diagnosis will reduce the risk of developing cancer. Therefore, it is very important for a woman and a man to know which tests to take for HPV.
There are 13 types of papillomavirus of high oncogenic risk. When analyzingfor typing, strains 16, 18 are most often detected. The virus may not manifest itself for a long time. The latent period lasts from 14 days to several decades. Papillomavirus can be activated under the influence of the following factors:
- immunity weakening;
- hormone imbalance in the body;
- stress and overexertion;
- chronic inflammation;
- frequent rotavirus diseases;
- overweight;
- bad habits.
The virus is embedded in DNA cells and develops during the process of cell division. Under the influence of the above factors, mitosis is disturbed, the virus is undernourished. To replenish it, it begins to actively stimulate cells to divide. Random mitosis is the cause of cancer.
When should men get tested for HPV?
Usually, men visit a doctor in two cases: the appearance of painful symptoms or a mandatory preventive medical examination. It is during the latter that most often there are suspicions of the presence of a virus in the body.
One of the most characteristic manifestations of infection is the appearance of small warts and papillomas. Men, as a rule, do not pay attention to them, especially if they are out of sight (on the back, back of the head). For a doctor, the presence of neoplasms of any type is a suspicion of oncology. And the appearance of warts in the area of the external opening of the urethra is a suspicion of the presence of HPV in the body.
Papillomavirus infection does not always cause oncology instrong sex. The virus lives in the male body for years without causing any inconvenience. Therefore, the question of whether men often take an HPV test can be considered rhetorical. But an infected man is the source of the spread of the virus. And in women, it causes cervical cancer. Therefore, representatives of the stronger half should be screened for papillomavirus, even if it does not manifest itself.
What tests should a man take for HPV to detect the virus?
In order to determine what types of research needs to be done, an examination and anamnesis are taken. The doctor visually determines the localization, size, shape of neoplasms, finds out the presence of symptoms characteristic of human papillomavirus infection.
What tests should a man take for HPV if he is undergoing such an examination for the first time? There are several ways to diagnose papillomavirus. The most informative are laboratory analyzes (instrumental methods are optional).
- Polymer chain reaction (PCR) is one of the most accurate diagnostic methods. The method allows to detect HPV even before the appearance of clinical manifestations of pathology. Biomaterial for analysis is a scraping from the urethra. The procedure for taking a biopsy is unpleasant, but fast. The analysis period is 2 days, and in some laboratories - several hours.
- Cytological smear. The study is mandatory if the PCR analysis gave a positive result. Analysis allows you to establish the nature of the pathology(tumor/non-tumor), determine the nature of the neoplasia (benign/malignant).
- Digene-test is a screening study that detects precancerous diseases that precede the development of oncology. Biomaterial for analysis - scraping from the urethral canal.
How to properly prepare for a study
PCR diagnostics is highly accurate. But a small percentage of unreliable results are still present. The unreliability of the diagnosis may be affected by non-compliance with the technique of analysis. But most often this is facilitated by improper preparation for the study.
How can a man get tested for HPV so that he does not turn out to be a false positive? In order to avoid unreliable results, it is necessary to prepare in advance for the study:
- Intimacy is not recommended 36 hours before biomaterial collection.
- Withdraw topical medicines (ointment) within 36 hours if possible.
- 2 weeks before the test, completely abandon antibacterial drugs.
- Try not to urinate 2 hours before scraping.
- Don't drink alcohol the night before.
PCR method
PCR is a method of molecular biology that allows amplification of the required number of DNA molecules in the test sample. No matter what tests are given for HPV, PCR will always be the main one.
The method has a high sensitivity, allowing to detect even the smallest concentrations of the pathogen. PCR diagnostics givesthe opportunity not only to identify papillomavirus, but also to determine its type, as well as to find out how many HPV is in the body at the time of the study. Knowing what percentage of the virus is present in the body and its type, it is possible to approximately determine the timing of infection. The method provides information about the nature of the course of the disease - whether it is chronic or is it the result of a temporary decrease in immunity.
PCR screening for human papillomavirus infection is recommended for men once every 3 years, starting at the age of 25. And men who are at risk (smokers, often changing sexual partners, suffering from chronic inflammatory diseases, and others) should be tested annually.
Cytological smear
Cytological smear - the study of a smear-imprint in order to assess the morphological changes in cellular elements. The biomaterial is stained and examined under a microscope. Pay attention to the cellular composition of tissues, features of the nucleus and cytoplasm of the cell, the formation of cell complexes.
Cytological examination provides reliable information about the degree of changes in the body, the risk of malignancy. The analysis does not apply to screening, it shows how the pathological process proceeds (subject to its availability). But with absolute accuracy indicates the malignancy of the cells.
The analysis period is 5-7 days. The results can be collected in person or printed out at home - the access code is given in the laboratory upon delivery of the biomaterial. If the doctor sent for the examination, thenthe laboratory will send the results to him.
If a man was not found to have papillomavirus during PCR diagnostics and he decided to remove the neoplasm, then cytological analysis is a “permission” for surgical intervention. After all, the absence of HPV does not mean at all that a person does not have oncology.
Digest test
Scientists have been figuring out for a long time what test to take for HPV in order to determine the risk of developing cancer before the onset of pathological changes. As a result, a technique called "Digest test" was developed. The study makes it possible to determine the dangerous concentration of papillomavirus in the body of a man before the development of oncology. The analysis has a number of advantages:
- With the help of the study, 13 strains of high oncogenicity and 5 low oncogenicity can be identified.
- Shows HPV concentration.
- Highly accurate.
- Biomaterial sampling is a painless and fast procedure.
The disadvantages include a long analysis period (up to 14 days) and the fact that not all laboratories conduct this examination.
Identification of one of the papillomavirus strains is not a diagnosis of oncology. To confirm the disease, a man must undergo a deeper examination and pass a series of specific tests (onomarkers). A negative result also does not guarantee the absence of HPV in the body.
Biomaterial sampling
Examination for papillomavirus can be done on your own or take a referral from a doctor. If athe second method is chosen, then after the examination, the urologist will tell the man in detail how to get tested for HPV: about its essence, preparation and the process itself. In the last paragraph, the doctor explains that the procedure is painless and short.
It is better to take the test in the morning. Scraping is taken with a soft brush, but in some laboratories (very rare) a Volkmann spoon is used for this purpose. The choice of tool does not affect the accuracy of the result. The brush is inserted into the canal and carefully removed with rotational movements. The taken sample is placed in a special sterile flask, packaged and given a unique number by which you can track the results of the analyzes through the laboratory's online service.
HPV test transcript
The specialist is engaged in deciphering the results. Based on them, he determines further actions. If the doctor considers that the results are unreliable, he will offer to take the HPV test again.
Certain values do not need clarification, but in any case, the results must be shown to the doctor. Explanation:
- PCR shows whether or not a virus has been detected.
- Digene test. If there is a "DNA not detected" entry, the virus is not present. If ≦ 3 Lg - concentration is insignificant, 3-5 Lg - clinically significant result, ≧ 5 Lg - high concentration.
- The results of histological examination analyzes are indicated in the form of a digital code, where 1 means the absence of affected cells, 2 - an insignificant number of pathologically altered cells were found, 3 - the resultdoubtful, additional tests are required, 4 and 5 - a significant number of pathological cells were found.
False positive
Sometimes it happens that, even knowing how to get tested for HPV, a man undergoes the procedure again due to improper preparation. This is the main reason for the doctor's doubts about the reliability of the results. But there are other factors, including:
- Violation of biomaterial sampling technique.
- Incorrect storage and transportation of test material.
- Violation of the analysis process.
- Mixed data when entering them into the results form.
Where can I get tested and how much does it cost
Research for papillomavirus is not included in the list of free medical services. You have to look for the venue yourself. The simplest thing is to contact a large diagnostic center; in most cases there is a laboratory where a man can be tested for HPV without any problems. For example, in Moscow, you can contact MedCenterService (Garibaldi St., 36), Prima Medica (Electrolyte passage, on the territory of the KANT ski complex), He alth (Moscow Region, Lobnya, Lenina St., 23, building.1) and many others.
The laboratory or medical center must be of good standing and reasonably priced. The latter depend on the region and the "popularity" of the laboratory. The average cost, for example, of an analysis in Moscow is about 400 rubles, in St. Petersburg - 380 rubles, in Krasnodar - 270 rubles.
