HPV infection in women - what is it? Diagnosis and treatment

All women dream to look attractive. But sometimes the skin is able to upset some of the fair sex. Especially unpleasant, when it appears warts or maloesthetic papillomas. Of course, such a defect girls are most often perceived solely as external. But these formations cause unpleasant, and sometimes dangerous, HPV infection in women. What it is? How does the infection penetrate the body? What methods to fight it? Let's understand.

HPV infection in women - what is it?

HPV in Latin denotes the name of the family of viruses: Human Papillomavirus. The abbreviated abbreviation is often used in medicine. For example, it can be found in analyzes.

So, if an HPV infection is found in women, what is this pathology? In translation from Latin, it is a human papillomavirus (HPV). This is a large family of microorganisms. HPV unites more than 70 varieties of viruses. They are able to become sources of development in the body of various diseases. Some HPV viruses lead to skin diseases. Others - provoke the appearance of genital warts. Today, doctors fully established the connection between the presence in the body of a woman of certain types of HPV and oncology.

This infection is quite dangerous for the body. It is characterized by mild symptoms and at the same time has an impressive incubation period. Therefore, HPV can stay in the body for a long time, without giving anything away. Especially when it comes to women. The microflora of the vagina is a favorable environment for the virus.

The main features of HPV are:

• Latency of manifestations;
• Long incubation period (sometimes prolonged for several years);
• Mild clinical symptoms;
• The ability to rapidly transform from papilloma into dysplasia.

Since warts and condylomas can not cause discomfort for a long period of time, pathology can remain unnoticed for several years. But you should understand if an HPV infection in women is detected, what it is. After all, in some cases, if the HPV treatment is not started in time, the body develops cancer.

According to statistics, about 70% of the inhabitants of the earth are infected with one or another type of HPV.

Transmission paths

There are only 2 methods of HPV infection:

• Sexual (the most common);
• domestic.

HPV infection in women can be caused by the following reasons:

1. Sexual contact with an infected person. And even a condom does not always become a sufficient means of protection. During oral caresses, the risk of HPV infection is high.
2. Procedures in cosmetology salon. Unfortunately, in second place is this way of infection with the virus. Infection occurs through insufficiently disinfected tools. Most often, HPV penetrates the body after a permanent make-up procedure or an epilation of the bikini area. To protect yourself from the risk of infection, you can ask to disinfect tools with you or require the use of only disposable items.
3. Non-compliance with personal hygiene. If the funds for an individual toilet are used by other family members, then the risk of infection is high. Everyone should have their own personal hygiene items. This applies to all items: washcloths, towels, pumice, tweezers, manicure scissors.

Main reasons

Thus, the infection of HPV in women most often penetrates exactly through sexual contact. However, one can not exclude the risk of infection through friendly kisses, handshakes and even household items. Through small lesions of the skin or mucous the pathogen easily penetrates the body.

And to reveal at an early date pathology is almost impossible. After all, the virus can be available for a long time, but in a hidden form. In some cases, the incubation period reaches even up to three months.

There are several factors that most often develop HPV infection in women. The causes of infection of the medical profession are the following:

• Frequent change of sexual partners;
• Constant stress;
• smoking;
• Beriberi, a significant decrease in immunity;
• alcoholism;
• Early onset of sexual regular life;
• Disturbed course of metabolic processes;
• Gastrointestinal diseases (gastritis);
• Gynecological ailments (ureaplasmosis, thrush, cervical erosion, gonorrhea, trichomoniasis, chlamydia);
• Frequent visits to places with a high risk of infection (baths, saunas, swimming pools);
• Changes in the hormonal background as a result of the use of contraceptives.

Types of the virus

The HPV family includes many varieties of viruses. It depends on the type of microorganism that determines how HPV infection will manifest in women.

The types of virus are classified as follows:

1. HPV, underlying the appearance of warts. Types from 1 to 4 lead to the formation of plantar warts. They resemble corn. Thanks to the 3, 10, 28 and 49 type, flat warts appear. And the 27th type leads to the appearance of ordinary formations.
2. HPV, affecting the respiratory tract, genitals. 6, 11, 13, 16, 18, 31, 33, 35 types are guilty of the defeat of these bodies.
3. HPV, which provoke a precancerous condition. These are types that have a high oncogenic risk. This category includes 30, 39, 40, 42, 43, 55, 57, 61, 62, 64, 67, 69, 70th.

Manifestations of the virus

Of course, you can determine the type only with the help of laboratory research methods. But even in appearance, you can suspect that there is HPV infection in women. The photo shown in the article shows what kind of external manifestations an infected person may encounter.

So, the papillomavirus infection can be manifested as follows:

1. Pointed condylomas. Such formations most often provoke viruses with low oncogenic risk. Genital warts can be focal or single. They appear on those sites that are injured during intercourse. The size of these formations is from 1 mm to several centimeters. They are located on a narrow "leg". In appearance, they can resemble "cauliflower" or "cock's comb". Most often they are found out accidentally, during personal hygiene, as uneven mucous. Sometimes women can injure condyloma. In this case, it bleeds, causes discomfort during sexual intercourse or childbirth.
2. Papillomas. These are wart formations. Viral papillomas, unlike tumoral papillomas, can arise, then disappear. The appearance of these formations depends on the strength of immunity at the present time. Viral papillomas can grow on any site. In color, they practically do not differ from the normal shade of the skin.
3. Flat condylomas of the cervix. They signal the presence of a chronic infection in the body. In this case, a change in the epithelium of the cervix can be observed at the cellular level. Such violations are of serious concern to the doctor. After all, it is these changes that often lead to the development of oncology. However, the presence of a virus in the body is not 100% chance of developing cancer. Oncology only appears if there are additional factors contributing to the degeneration of benign cells into malignant cells.

Characteristic symptomatology

What are the signs of HPV infection in women?

Symptoms to which you should pay attention:

• The appearance of itching, unpleasant burning in the genital area;
• The presence of permanent excretions (white, yellow-green, sacral);
• Small increase in lymph nodes;
• Multiple formations (papillomas, warts) in different parts of the body.

If you have even a few symptoms, be sure to contact your gynecologist for an examination.

What does the virus lead to?

This infection is extremely dangerous by the consequences that it can provoke without adequate treatment.

In some cases, the following complications may develop:

• Head cancer;
• Hyperplasia of the oral mucosa;
• Neck cancer;
• Papillomatosis of the respiratory tract;
• Oncology of the lungs.

If we are talking about genitals, then the virus can lead to development:

• Oncology of the cervix;
• Dysplasia;
• Cancer of the anus;
• Oncology of the vagina or external organs.

Diagnosis of the disease

Now consider how HPV infection in women is determined.

Diagnostics implies an integrated approach and includes such activities as:

1. Inspection at the gynecologist. Women should visit the doctor regularly. Even a routine examination can help identify HPV.
2. Colposcopy. Such a study is carried out using a special microscope. The colposcope multiplies women's organs many times. This allows you to perfectly examine condylomas. The use of additional substances helps to establish HPV.
3. Cytological smear. Soskob allows you to study the tissues in detail under a microscope. The study provides an opportunity to determine the initial stages of cancer. This examination is mandatory for dysplasia. It is called the Pap test.
4. Biopsy. A small piece of uterine tissue is studied under high magnification. The biopsy is categorically contraindicated in pregnant women.
5. Histological examination. Allows you to study the structure of cells and the location of layers. The tissue sample is initially trained and only then carefully analyzed.
6. PCR. The analysis gives an idea of the type of the virus and allows to determine its oncogeneity.

Methods of treatment

There is no single program for the treatment of HPV. For each specific case, their own therapy is selected. In this case, even complex treatment is not able to completely relieve the patient of this ailment.

Therapy of genital warts

The main way to fight is mechanical removal. What are the most effective methods if HPV infection in women is diagnosed? The description of the procedure, given to each method, will allow to understand the essence of this intervention.

So, for the therapy of genital warts, the following steps are taken:

1. Laser therapy. Defects are removed under local anesthesia. The procedure is performed by a laser.
2. Cryodestruction. Unpleasant defects are removed by liquid nitrogen. The procedure is completely painless and does not leave scarring behind.
3. Electrocoagulation. The therapy is performed by means of an electric current. The method is rather painful.
4. Radio wave coagulation. The procedure has an excellent therapeutic effect, is performed under local anesthesia. Condyloma is removed with a radio wave knife.
5. Surgical removal. Extremely rare method of treatment. Used only for malignant tissue.

Antiviral therapy of papillomavirus infection

Special treatment is not developed. Therefore, the patient is prescribed antiviral drugs that stimulate immunity:

1. Medicines that block the reproduction of the virus and activate the immune system. Effective drugs are "Isoprinosine", "Inosiplex".
2. Interferons. Medications provide antiviral effects, promote immunity. In addition, they have an antitumor effect. Such drugs are "Intron-A", "Alpha-interferon", "Genferon".
3. Preparations that activate in the body the production of their own interferons. "Cycloferon", "Amiksin" medications can be recommended.
4. Medicines that prevent the multiplication of cells affected by the virus. Excellent drugs are "Podofillin", "Condilin", "Podophyllotoxin".

However, none of the above drugs can not completely cure the infection.

Prevention of papillomavirus infection

This topic is extremely topical today. Do not forget that it is HPV infection in women that can lead to cervical cancer.

Methods of prevention include:

• Nonspecific methods;
• Specific.

In the first case we are talking about sexual education of the younger generation. It is very important to explain how to protect the body and how HPV infection is transmitted to women.

Specific prophylaxis is a vaccination aimed at protecting against the most oncogenic types of the virus. Formed after vaccination, a stable immunity can protect a woman from cancer. Such vaccination is recommended to girls before the onset of sexual activity.

The most effective and recognized worldwide vaccines against HPV are:

• "Gardasil".
• "Cervarix."

These vaccinations do, and in the event that a woman already has sex. However, before the vaccination, she must undergo a doctor-appointed examination to exclude the possibility of HPV in the body.