Everyone needs to know how the human papilloma virus is transmitted. Is this the only way to protect yourself from dangerous diseases? Often, papillomas are not given special importance. Many people believe that if an increase appears in the body, it will disappear on its own. This mistake haunts humanity and the consequences can be undesirable.
Papilloma tissue tends to grow, leading to the spread of the papilloma virus throughout the body. Sometimes its individual strains are capable of causing cancer.
What is the human papilloma virus
This virus is a chronic infectious manifestation of various diseases that can occur in people of any age. In medical practice, this virus is of two types, one that does not carry a high risk of dangerous diseases and a high-risk virus.
Less dangerous viruses include papillomas and warts of subtypes 6 and 11, and dangerous ones - 16 and 18. is the latter type that leads to cell mutation and the development of cancer.
Papilloma virus multiplies in the skin and its mucous membranes. As a result, the following growths are formed on the skin:
- lythat;
- condylomat;
- papillomas in the mouth and larynx;
- papillomas in the internal organs.
There are many cases when papillomas become the cause of cervical cancer in women as well as cancer of the male genital organs. To avoid such consequences, it is necessary to know about the ways of transmitting the disease.
How the virus enters the human body
The infection spreads through a person's mucosa or skin. If there is no acute disease, then the papilloma does not appear in any way and no growths are formed on the surface of the skin.
If the growths are formed on the skin of different colors, then this indicates a precancerous condition, when the human skin and the whole body suffer from a malignant disease or immunity is significantly reduced.
"Favorite" places for bacteria to enter are cuts, scratches and other skin damage through which the virus can penetrate.
The chance of infection increases if:
- A person has a cold, or other reasons for which immunity is greatly reduced.
- Dysbacteriosis of the intestines or genitals of women is observed. In this case, the beneficial microflora dies, and the harmful microorganisms, in this case, the papillomavirus infection, come to replace it.
- Presence of sexually transmitted diseases.
- Recurrence of chronic diseases.
- Stress, depression, which reduce a person's protection against viruses.
People most often affected by nicotine addiction and women taking birth control pills.
Routes of virus spread
If a person has no symptoms, this does not mean that they do not have papillomavirus. The initial stage, when there is no growth yet, can be diagnosed using the latest equipment. In medicine, there are several ways in which dangerous microorganisms are transmitted.
Both men and women can be infected with a dangerous virus. The following transfer methods are distinguished:
Sexually
This is the most common method for infections. Only one sexual intercourse and the papillomavirus can be transmitted from an infected person to a healthy person. It does not matter if the contact was oral, vaginal or anal. The danger is still there.
Many people are interested in the question of whether the human papilloma virus is transmitted from woman to man. Most often, the disease is diagnosed in men, however, and a large number of women are capable of becoming carriers of the disease. In this case, the location of the bacteria is the genitals, or the mucosa of the oral cavity, where the genital warts have appeared. In this case, there is a 100% risk of infection.
During anal sex, papillomas form in the anus. Especially if there is any damage or injury. If the partner has genital warts, even using a condom will not provide complete protection.
Contributing factors for the disease are:
- early onset of sexual activity;
- frequent change of sexual partners;
- warts or warts present in a sexual partner.
Oral sex is the most common method of infection of 16 and 18 types of papillomas. In this case, the virus enters the human body through various wounds or other damage to the oral mucosa. Multiplication in the mouth, in the absence of a qualified treatment, there is a high probability of developing throat cancer. To avoid such consequences, you should use a condom.
If the localization of the virus is human skin, then a condom will not help here. Papilloma is transmitted by direct contact with human skin, in which warts and warts are located.
From the family
In this case, the infection occurs in the following ways:
- Using the same towel, soap and other personal care products with a person with warts on their hands. Pathology occurs if there are injuries and scratches on the body.
- Using a single toothbrush or utensil leads to infection through the patient's saliva.
- The clothes of an infected person can also become a hotbed for the development of the virus and be transmitted to a healthy person.
- Self-infection during shaving, epilation and other methods. The disease develops if a wart is damaged by a razor or other object that previously did not carry any risk. In case of damage, this increase provokes the development of neoplasms, which can pose a significant risk to human health.
Infection in public places through contact with infected people
Medical practice has documented cases where the virus was transmitted by blood transfusions, surgeries to remove genital warts, when doctors inadvertently spread the focus of infection throughout the body and poor sterilization of manicure tools in salons.
Transmission of the virus from mother to child
Human papilloma is not an inherited disease, however, there is a risk of mother-to-child transmission. When carrying a baby, the risk of transmitting the virus is minimal, however, if the placenta is damaged or other changes occur, the papilloma can be passed on to an unborn baby.
The virus will enter it through the placenta, as the fetus has not yet formed bronchi and alveoli. In this case, the child develops respiratory papillomatosis. If, after the birth of the baby, he has a respiratory disorder, then an examination is performed, after which drug treatment or surgery may be prescribed. The latter option is used much more often, as it has a greater chance of being cured.
Therefore, when planning a pregnancy, it is necessary to pass all the necessary tests to rule out the risk of developing papilloma.
It is very likely that the baby will be infected with the virus as it passes through the birth canal. The consequence is the appearance in the child of genital warts in the mouth and larynx, which leads to various disorders of the respiratory system and decreased immunity.
If papillomas are detected in a woman's genitals before giving birth, then the birth is performed artificially in order to reduce the risk of infecting the baby.
Another way a mother can infect her baby is through breastfeeding. In this case, the child develops respiratory papillomatosis, which undergoes immediate treatment.
Characteristics of the virus in men and women
In women, the virus travels through the cervix, rectum or mouth. If there is a frequent change of sexual partners, then the risk of infection increases to the maximum level. The consequences of the disease can be infertility, cancer and many other diseases.
Papilloma virus in men occurs most often in the scrotum, the head of the penis, in the anus or in the mouth. In men, the disease can continue without symptoms, only after severe stress or decreased immunity, the development of papillomavirus can occur.
The dangerous moment of HPV in men is the development of cancer of the male genitals or anus.
To prevent the virus from entering the human body, it is necessary to follow the rules of hygiene, as well as lead a healthy lifestyle and be faithful to a sexual partner.