Human papillomavirus: what is HPV infection?
NewsHuman papillomavirus (HPV) − this is a virus that is transmitted through skin-to-skin contact, including sexual intercourse. Although barrier methods of contraception are an important means of preventing most sexually transmitted infections, they do not provide complete protection against human papillomavirus because they do not protect the entire exposed skin of the genitals.
The risk of contracting HPV infection increases with the number of sexual partners. Having sex with a partner who has previously had many other partners also increases the risk of infection.
It is known that 75-80% sexually active people will be infected with at least one type of human papillomavirus by the age of 50. Most of them are first infected with one or more types of HPV in the anogenital region between the ages of 15 and 25 years.
It is important to understand that the vast majority of people infected with HPV do not have any signs or symptoms of the disease caused by the virus, and in most cases, there will never be manifestations of infection. However, approximately 10% of women the human papillomavirus is not eliminated and there is a high probability of developing cervical precancerous, and then cancer. Usually, for the human papillomavirus to cause cervical cancer, it takes 10 to 25 years of its persistence in the body.
That is why it is important to undergo regular screening (pap test, PCR for HPV) to detect the presence of the virus on the mucous membrane of the cervix and cervical abnormalities at an early stage, before the development of cancer.
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