Papillomavirus: dangerous and unpredictable!

Small warts, or as they are commonly called acute candilomas, are often located in the genital area and most patients do not cause any worry or concern! At the same time, advertisements of cosmetology salons promise to solve such skin problems in five minutes and without any complications.

But don't be fooled! These small genital warts are a manifestation of the dreaded human papillomavirus (HPV), which is already firmly established in the body. Based on the latest scientific evidence, HPV is the most common cause of cervical cancer in women and penile cancer in men.

Gynaecologists have long been wary of HPV infection and following their recommendations, women with HPV should undergo a gynaecological examination at least once a year. The reason for this vigilance of doctors is that early detection of cervical cancer can save not only the patient's life, but also keep it full for many years.

Established fact: Women who do not have papillomavirus do not get cervical cancer. However, if you have HPV, it does not mean that cancer is 100% likely to occur, because there are many varieties (types) of the virus, among which there are both oncogenic (cancer-causing) and non-oncogenic (not dangerous). Let's try to understand how it really happens.

How does the virus enter our body? The most common way of HPV transmission is through sexual intercourse. The probability of transmission of the virus already at the first contact with a carrier reaches 75%.

However, this is not the only way of infection. The virus can also live successfully for some time in swimming pools, baths and saunas, waiting for its next victim. It can also be transmitted through mucosal contact, i.e. kissing, anal or oral sex. Babies can inherit HPV from their mother. But the danger of such infection is small. In addition, in most cases, the child gets rid of the virus during the first months of life independently. The main danger of HPV in infancy is the occurrence of polyps in the respiratory tract. But such cases, fortunately, are rare.

Very often the human papillomavirus does not manifest itself in any way. It can sit inside the "host" for years and remain silent. The main symptom that informs about its existence is the appearance of so-called "acute condylomas".

How can you find out if a person is infected with HPV? Today it is quite easy to do so. There is DNA test (PCR), which can not only detect the virus itself, but also determine its type. This test is available in all branches of the OLYMP branches of medical laboratories. A swab from the mucous membranes of the genitalia is sufficient for the test.  In addition to the detection of dangerous oncogenic HPV types, the OLYMP СDL branches offers a unique opportunity to assess the degree of human infection by calculating the viral load. Such quantitative PCR test is very important in the treatment of papillomavirus infection and evaluation of its effectiveness.

How can I avoid getting infected? Given that the most common way of contracting HPV is through sexual contact, casual sex should be avoided. A condom does not protect against the virus, because infection also occurs when mucous membranes come into contact, and the pores of latex are larger than the virus molecules, which can easily overcome the rubber barrier. The only method of protection against HPV is a combination of a condom and special medicines that form a film on the mucosa and block the virus, but unfortunately this method is not widely available in Kazakhstan.

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HPV test OLYMP laboratory cervical cancer test