About 80% of the world's population is infected with human papillomavirus. Because HPV infection can cause not only harmless papillomas in the body, but also genital warts as well as outgrowths that can malignantly degenerate, it is very important to know how HPV spreads. Perhaps this knowledge will help someone avoid infection and protect themselves from dangerous diseases such as cervical cancer, vulva, vagina, anal passage, penis and even breast. In this article, we talk about HPV: its spread, risk factors, and preventative measures.
How does the human papillomavirus spread?
First of all, it must be said that the papilloma spreads through the epidermis and saliva. However, for a while, the infection may not feel and manifest as the development of genital warts and papillomas, only with a decrease in immunity.
If we talk about how the papilloma virus spreads, the likelihood of infection is greatly increased if there are injuries, scratches, and abrasions on the skin.
Attention!Many people are wondering if their papilloma is inherited. The answer is no. It’s just that when one family member becomes infected, the papilloma virus spreads in everyday life or from mother to baby during childbirth.
The following ways to transmit a virus infection from person to person are known:
- It spreads through everyday life, that is, touch, common household items, clothing. The infection can be spread by kissing.
- If a person has genital papillomas, the transmission could be sexual, that is, unprotected sex.
- Self-infection is possible with shaving, epilation and other skin damage. Because the papilloma is contagious to the surrounding healthy skin cells, a person can transfer the virus from diseased parts of the body to healthy ones.
- The vertical pathway of infection is the transmission of the infection from mother to child during birth.
- Infection is much less common during blood transfusions during surgical removal of HPV-induced neoplasms. Infection is not ruled out in beauty salons, manicure rooms, baths, saunas and swimming pools where the rules of asepsis are neglected.
If we talk about how to have papilloma, 70% of cases of sexual infection are caused by men. In the presence of 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, while reducing the risk of infection, still does not guarantee 100 percent protection, as HPV can penetrate through microtraumas of the hands and other parts of the body. Moreover, condylomas may be localized in the lumbar or pubic region, where the condom does not protect against direct contact with a partner.
Important!If one partner is a carrier of the virus but does not have papillomas, warts, or genital warts, the risk of the other partner becoming infected is greatly reduced.
If you list all the ways in which a newborn can become infected with the papillomavirus, infection in the prenatal period is unlikely because the virus does not enter the bloodstream and the fetus is reliably protected from amniotic fluid, bladder andplacenta. However, a rare intrauterine infection with damage to the placenta and fetal bladder has been reported in medical practice.
It is very important for women planning a pregnancy to know if the child’s father is contagious and able to pass the infection on to the expectant mother, as genital warts that appear during pregnancy are very dangerous to the baby. There is a risk of laryngeal papillomatosis and subsequent suffocation if the baby is infected during childbirth. Because the infection spreads through saliva, it is important to consider the presence of papillomas, genital warts, and warts on a man’s mouth and oral mucosa because a woman can become infected through oral sex.
If a family member has papilloma, it is important that it spreads on a daily basis so that everyone in the household knows:
- common bedding, towels, soap, cosmetics, dishcloths and other personal items can allow the virus to penetrate the microtraumas of the skin;
- Salivary infection is possible when using a toothbrush, glasses or other device; Infection with
- clothing and other household items is also possible.
Risk Factors
We figured out how to get infected with human papillomavirus, but it’s just as important to know not only the routes of transmission, but also the risk factors for human papillomavirus infection.
So the human papillomavirus penetrates the skin and mucous membranes much more easily due to the following provocative factors:
- In men, children and women, the infection is likely to be due to reduced immunity. This can be caused by a common cold or sore throat.
- The risk of HPV infection increases if the intestinal or vaginal microflora is disturbed. In the first case, general immunity suffers, in the second case, the body’s local defenses decrease and the likelihood of sexual contraction increases.
- Genital infections are more often the cause of infection in the context of other sexually transmitted diseases (syphilis, gonorrhea, trichomoniasis).
- Any means of transmission can be potentially dangerous to a person in the background of an exacerbation of a chronic disease when the body is weakened by the disease.
- There is no doubt that papillomas are contagious. The virus can easily penetrate the cells of a healthy person from the host if its defenses are weakened by stress, energy loss, overload, or depression.
Important!Any virus is easier to transmit to men and women who have bad habits (smoking, alcohol). Women taking COCs also have a significantly increased risk of infection.
The following conditions and diseases are predisposing factors for the sexual spread of the virus:
- earlier onset of sexual activity;
- prostitution;
- frequent exchange of sexual partners;
- disturbed sex life;
- history of sexually transmitted diseases;
- is over 35 years of age; pathology of the cervix
- ;
- immunodeficiency conditions.
Prevention
We have figured out how the human papillomavirus (women, men and children) will spread, and prevention measures still need to be considered. It must be said at once that the most effective way of infection is through preventive vaccination. To date, two types of vaccines are known for the infection. They protect against the most dangerous oncogenic strains of viral infection. However, the high effectiveness of such protection can only be observed at an early age, before sexual intercourse, or when one of the HPV strains is infected.
As for other methods of prevention, no one has deleted the rules of hygiene, the use of condoms, assorted sex life and the rejection of bad habits. It is useful to maintain the strength of the immune system: eat right, temper, exercise, walk in the fresh air, drink vitamins from time to time.