Everyone should know how the human papillomavirus is transmitted. Is this the only way to protect yourself from dangerous diseases? Papillomas are often not given special importance. Many people believe that if a growth has appeared on the body, it will go away on its own. This error stalks humanity and the consequences can be undesirable.
Papilloma tissue tends to grow, which leads to the spread of the papillomavirus throughout the body. Sometimes its individual strains can cause cancer.
What is the human papillomavirus?
This virus is a chronic infectious manifestation of various diseases that can occur in humans at any age. In medical practice, this virus is of two types, one that does not carry a high risk of dangerous diseases and a virus with a high risk.
Less dangerous viruses include papillomas and warts of subtypes 6 and 11, and dangerous - 16 and 18. It is the latter type that leads to cell mutation and the development of cancer.
Papillomavirus multiplies on the skin and its mucous membranes. As a result, the following growths are formed on the skin:
- warts;
- condylomata;
- papillomas in the mouth and larynx;
- papillomas in internal organs.
There are many cases where 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 the ways of transmission of the disease.
How the virus enters the human body
The infection spreads through a person's mucous membrane or skin. If there are no acute diseases, the papilloma does not appear in any way, and no growths are formed on the surface of the skin.
If growths have formed on the skin with different colors, this indicates a precancerous condition, when the human skin and the whole body suffer from a malignant disease or the immunity is significantly reduced.
"Favorite" places for bacteria to enter are cuts, scrapes, and other skin damage through which the virus can penetrate.
The probability of infection increases if:
- A person has colds or other reasons for which immunity is severely reduced.
- Dysbacteriosis of the intestines or female genital organs is observed. In this case, the beneficial microflora dies and harmful microorganisms, in this case, the papillomavirus infection, come to replace it.
- The presence of sexually transmitted diseases.
- Recurrence of chronic diseases.
- Stress, depression, which reduce a person's defenses against viruses.
Most people with nicotine addiction and women who take birth control pills get sick.
Routes of virus spread
If a person has no symptoms, this does not mean the absence of the papillomavirus. The initial stage, when there are no growths yet, can be diagnosed using the latest equipment. In medicine, there are various ways of transmission of dangerous microorganisms.
Both men and women can become infected with a dangerous virus. The following transfer methods are distinguished:
Sexually
This is the most common method for infections. With just one sexual relationship, 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 risk is still there.
Many people are interested in the question of whether the human papillomavirus is transmitted from woman to man. However, most of the time, the disease is diagnosed in men and a large number of women can become carriers of the disease. In this case, the location of the bacteria is the genitals, or the mucous membrane of the oral cavity, where genital warts have appeared. In this case, there is a 100% risk of infection.
During anal sex, papillomas form on 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.
The factors that contribute to the disease are:
- early onset of sexual activity;
- frequent change of sexual partners;
- condylomas or warts present in a sexual partner.
Oral sex is the most common method of infection for 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. Multiplying in the mouth, in the absence of qualified treatment, there is a high probability of developing throat cancer. To avoid such consequences, you must use a condom.
If the location 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 found.
By household
In this case, the infection occurs in the following ways:
- Use the same towel, soap and other personal hygiene products with a person with warts on their hands. Pathology occurs if there are injuries and abrasions on the body.
- The use of a single toothbrush or utensil causes an infection through the patient's saliva.
- Clothes from an infected person can also become a hotbed for the development of the virus and be transmitted to a healthy person.
- Self-infection by shaving, waxing and other methods. The disease develops if a wart is damaged by a razor or other object, which previously did not carry any danger. In case of damage, this growth leads to the development of neoplasms, which can pose a considerable danger to human health.
Infection in public places through contact with infected people
Medical practice has documented cases in which the virus was transmitted by blood transfusion, operations to remove genital warts, when doctors inadvertently spread the focus of infection throughout the body, and poor sterilization of themanicure tools in beauty salons.
Transmission of the virus from mother to child
Human papilloma is not an inherited disease, however there is a risk of transmission from mother to child. When you are pregnant, the risk of transmitting the virus is minimal, but nevertheless, if the placenta is damaged or other changes occur, the papilloma can pass to the fetus.
The virus will arrive through the placenta, since the fetus has not yet formed the bronchi and alveoli. In this case, the child develops respiratory papillomatosis. If, after the birth of the baby, you have a respiratory disorder, an examination is performed, after which drug treatment or surgery may be prescribed. The last option is used much more often, as it has a higher chance of being cured.
Therefore, when planning a pregnancy, it is necessary to pass all the necessary tests to exclude the risk of developing papilloma.
It is very likely that the baby will be infected with the virus when passing 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 a decrease in immunity.
If papillomas are detected on a woman's genitalia before delivery, the delivery is artificially performed to reduce the risk of infection to the child.
Another way to infect a baby from a mother is through breastfeeding. In this case, the child develops respiratory papillomatosis, which is subject to 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 ailments.
Papillomavirus in men occurs most often in the scrotum, the head of the genital organ, the anus, or the mouth. In men, the disease can continue without symptoms, only after severe stress or a decrease in immunity, the development of the papilloma virus can occur.
The dangerous time of HPV in men is the development of cancer of the male genital organs or the anus.
To prevent the virus from entering the human body, it is necessary to follow hygiene rules, as well as lead a healthy lifestyle and be faithful to a sexual partner.