What is human papillomavirus?
HPV is a very common virus among the sexually active population in both men and women. It is counted that in the sexually active age at least once in life this type of infection is contracted.
The contact of this virus is sexual through genito-genital, genito-anal, oro-anal and oro-genital intercourse. The virus penetrates the mucosa of the genital tract or the skin of the genital tract or the anus through small lesions. There it reproduces and gives rise to a chronic infection that in most cases is self-eliminated, self-controlled by the body’s immune system and in other cases produces lesions.
Types of human papillomavirus
There are several types of human papillomavirus, basically we classify it into two types:
- Low oncogenic potential types are type six and type eleven and high oncogenic potential types are type sixteen and type eighteen. Viruses with low oncogenic potential are associated with high grade dysplasia or condylomatous lesions.
- Viruses with high oncogenic potential are associated with high-grade dysplasia and eventually anal cancer.
Can HPV be prevented?
It is quite difficult to prevent this infection because transmission is very easy, the use of condoms in sexual activity can reduce the incidence of infection but cannot eliminate it completely. As the virus, the infection, is directly related to the number of sexual partners, people who have a high number of sexual partners are more at risk of contracting this type of virus.
It is important is the state of the immune system of who against the infection because in most cases when the immune system is normal, it is competent the infection comes auto eliminated from the organism. In some cases when the infection is not eliminated by causes such as alterations of the immune system such as infection by the HIV virus, chronic treatment with corticosteroids or transplanted patient or any other cause of immunosuppression, the infection persists, giving rise to a chronic inflammatory process at the level of the nasal mucosa or genital tract that may be related to the formation of lesions such as condylomas and dysplastic lesions, which are precancerous lesions.
For more information, consult a specialist.