HPV Associated Cancer by Laura Hedgeman

Genital human papillomavirus (HPV) is a serious STI that can cause cancer depending on the type. This type of STI is sometimes not found in individuals and sometimes it goes away by itself. When it turns into cancer though it can effect different genital areas. There are more than forty types of HPV that can infect women and men. Thirteen of these can cause cancer to the cervix alone. If you have genital warts as a symptom of your type HPV then this is not the one that you can get cancer from.


When this virus lingers around for too long and your body can’t get rid of it then it may turn your normal cells abnormal which can give you a higher risk of getting cancer. When these cells change they are called precancel cells which may eventually develop cancer.

With more than one hundred different types of HPV in existence, four out of every five women in America will have this disease at one point in their lifetime. Most of the time your immune system will fight off the disease before you begin to have symptoms. The most common symptom is warts of all kinds; genital warts, common warts, plantar warts, and flat warts.

Infections with HPV occur through open areas in the skin. The transfer of the virus is skin to skin. Through all types of sexual intercourse and skin interaction, Genital HPV can be contracted. If your virus is contracted orally it can be due to oral sex. If a woman is pregnant with this virus she will rarely pass this infection to her baby. In that case, the baby will have an infection in the genital area or the upper respiratory system.

Since HPV is so common several risks can play a part in getting infected. The number of people you have intercourse with will increase your chances. Also, if you are with someone that has been with a lot of people it could play a huge role as well. Age is another factor because warts are so normal throughout your life span starting from a child to an adult. If your immune system is weakened you also have a greater risk because it is harder for your system to fight it off. Damaged skin that is open is already easier to infect and can develop warts. When you are dealing with people that personal contact with a person who has warts and not protecting yourself with gloves or anything else you should use may increase your risk as well.

Complications of Genital HPV are Oral and Upper respiratory lesions and Cancer. Some people may get some of the common HPV infections which can cause lesions on the tongue, tonsils, soft palate, or within the larynx and nose. With cancer, two strands can cause cancer to the genitals, anus, mouth, and upper respiratory tract. Also, the warts that come along with this infection can be confused with nonharmful warts.

In conclusion, Genital HPV is a serious sexually transmitted infection that is overlooked by many people. It can be very serious because of the fact it can turn into cancer. On the other hand, it may not be a risk at all if your immune system is healthy enough to fight it off. The normal symptoms for this infection are warts, so if any appear no matter what the age group is the person needs to get checked out to make sure it is not infected. This STI has not been taken seriously enough and regular exams are needed to make sure that you are clear and free of all STI. This will also catch anything that may have just occurred or have been in your system for a while.

 

REFERENCES

WWW.MAYOCLINIC.ORG

WWW.CDC.GOV

WWW.HEALTH.ORG