How HPV is transmitted and methods of infection

On earth, about 80% of the population is infected with the human papillomavirus. Since due to HPV infection, not only harmless papillomas can appear on the body, but also genital warts, as well as growths that can degenerate malignantly, it is very important to know how HPV is formed. transmits. Maybe this knowledge will help someone avoid infection and protect themselves against such dangerous diseases as cancer of the cervix, vulva, vagina, anal passage, penis and even cancer. breast. In the article we will tell you about HPV: how it is transmitted, risk factors and preventive measures.

How is the human papillomavirus transmitted?

First of all, it must be said that the papilloma is transmitted through the epidermis and saliva. At the same time, for a while, the infection may not make itself felt and manifest itself in the formation of genital warts and papillomas only with a decrease in immunity.

If we talk about how the papilloma virus is transmitted, the likelihood of infection increases dramatically when there are wounds, scratches and abrasions on the skin.

Warning!Many people wonder if the papilloma is hereditary. The answer is no. It's just that when one member of the family is infected, the papilloma virus is passed on in everyday life or from mother to baby during childbirth.

The following ways of transmitting a viral infection from person to person are known:

1. It is transmitted in everyday life, that is, through touch, common household items, clothing. The infection can be transmitted through kissing.
2. If a person has genital papillomas, transmission may have occurred sexually, that is, through unprotected sex.
3. Self-infection is possible during shaving, waxing and other skin lesions. Since the papilloma is contagious to surrounding healthy skin cells, a person can transfer the virus from diseased parts of the body to healthy parts on their own.
4. The vertical route of infection is the transmission of infection from mother to child during birth.
5. Much less often, infection occurs during blood transfusion, during the surgical removal of neoplasms caused by HPV. In addition, infection is not excluded in beauty salons, manicure rooms, baths, saunas and swimming pools, where the rules of asepsis are neglected.

If we are talking about how you can get papilloma, then in 70% of cases of sexual infection the culprit is a man. In the presence of an epithelial neoplasm on the lips or genitals, the probability of infection is almost 90%. It should also be borne in mind that the presence of a condom, although it reduces the risk of infection, still does not guarantee 100% protection, as HPV can penetrate by microtrauma on the skin of the hands andother parts of the body. Additionally, condylomas can be located in the groin or pubic area, where a condom will not protect against direct contact with a partner.

Important!If one of the partners is a carrier of the virus, but they do not have papillomas, warts or genital warts, the risk of infection of the other partner is significantly reduced.

If you list all the ways you can get infected with HPV in a newborn baby, then infection during the prenatal period is unlikely, as the virus does not enter the bloodstream and the fetusis reliably protected by amniotic fluid, bladder and placenta. However, in medical practice, rare cases of intrauterine infection have been recorded with lesions of the placenta and fetal bladder.

For women planning a pregnancy, it is very important to know if the father of the child is contagious and if he can pass the infection to the pregnant woman, as genital warts that appear during pregnancy arevery dangerous for the child. If the baby becomes infected during childbirth, there is a risk of laryngeal papillomatosis and subsequent suffocation. Since the infection is transmitted through saliva, it is important to take into account the presence of papillomas, genital warts and warts in a man's mouth and on the mucous membranes of the oral cavity, as a woman can be infected withoral sex.

If a family member has papilloma, how it is transmitted in everyday life, it is important that everyone in the household knows:

• By sharing bed linen, towels, soap, cosmetics, washcloths and other personal items, the virus can penetrate the microtrauma on the skin;
• salivary infection is possible using a toothbrush, glasses or other utensils;
• infection through clothing and other household items is also possible.

Risk factors

We found out how you can get infected with the human papillomavirus, but it is equally important to know not only the routes of transmission, but also the risk factors for infection with the human papillomavirus.

Thus, the human papillomavirus penetrates the skin and mucous membranes much more easily against the background of the following provoking factors:

1. In men, children and women, infection is more likely against the background of reduced immunity. A common cold or sore throat can contribute to this.

2. The risk of contracting HPV increases when the intestinal or vaginal microflora is disturbed. In the first case, the general immunity suffers, in the second case the local defenses of the body decrease and the probability of contracting sexually increases.
3. The genital tract of infection more often becomes the cause of infection against the background of other sexually transmitted diseases (syphilis, gonorrhea, trichomoniasis).
4. Any means of transmission can be potentially dangerous for a person in the context of an exacerbation of a chronic disease, when the body is weakened by the disease.
5. There is no doubt that papillomas are contagious. The virus can easily enter a healthy person's cells from the host if their defenses are weakened by stress, loss of energy, overwork or depression.

Important!Any virus is more easily transmitted to men and women who have bad habits (smoking, alcohol). The risk of infection is also significantly increased in women taking combination contraceptives.

The following conditions and diseases are predisposing factors for the sexual transmission of the virus:

• early onset of sexual activity;
• prostitution;
• frequent change of sexual partners;
• promiscuous sex life;
• history of sexually transmitted diseases;
• the age is over 35;
• pathology of the cervix;
• immunodeficiency states.

Prevention

We have understood how the human papillomavirus is transmitted (women, men and children), it now remains to consider prevention measures. It must be said right away that the most effective way to avoid being infected is preventive vaccination. To date, two types of vaccines are known for this infection. They protect against the most dangerous oncogenic strains of viral infection. However, the high effectiveness of such protection is observed only with vaccination at an early age, before sexual intercourse or before infection with one of the strains of HPV.

As with other prevention methods, no one has canceled the rules of hygiene, condom use, sex discrimination and giving up bad habits. It is useful to maintain the strength of the immune system: eat well, get angry, exercise, walk in the fresh air, periodically drink vitamins.