Your HPV Questions Answered

Viruses pose a conundrum: they exist in most forms of life but are not truly living, and without a living host, they're essentially a collection of chemicals that die quickly. However, viruses present a significant health threat to millions of people.

While most people are familiar with the upper respiratory conditions that come from them, several are sexually transmitted infections, or STIs. Few STIs have more varieties than the HPV, or human papillomavirus, and to better understand your risks, let’s provide you with some crucial facts about this condition.

Women living in Las Vegas, Nevada, struggling with HPV or other STIs can find help with Dr. Staci McHale and her experienced medical staff at WHASN Sunset Valley.

Understanding HPV

HPV describes several viruses people are infected with through sexual contact, with over 150 types affecting nearly 43 million people annually. Infection most frequently happens through vaginal or anal intercourse, though sex is not even necessary. Skin-to-skin contact can lead to it, even without synonyms.

The strain of HPV that people get through sex is not always the same as the type that leads to cervical cancer, and many strains can go away on their own. However, even if you have the kind of HPV that can lead to cancer, it doesn't mean you’ll develop it.

Determining if you have it

Many people are unaware they have HPV, since many infections don't pose a health threat, and 90% of them go away within 2 years. This factor leads to more infections in that timeframe because people don’t realize they’re spreading it.

The strains of HPV people get through sex generally lead to genital warts, though it can develop in the throat, which is called recurrent respiratory papillomatosis. The form of HPV that causes cervical cancer doesn’t show symptoms until later stages of development, so regular screening is necessary to monitor for health changes.

Prevention and treatment

The HPV vaccine works to prevent the strains that cause genital warts and cervical cancer. The ideal age for people to receive it is before sexual activity begins, often in late childhood/ early teens, around 11 or 12. It can start as young as nine, and the dosage people get changes depending on their age when they get the shots.

If you’ve been diagnosed with this condition, we can’t remove the virus; therefore, the goal is to keep it under control through treatment, which involves removing warts and destroying abnormal cells. Options to accomplish this include:

Cryotherapy: freezing abnormal cells with liquid nitrogen

Loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP): a wire loop device to remove warts

Electrocautery: an electrical current that burns warts off

Laser therapy: focused light that destroys warts and abnormal cells

Cone biopsy: removing a cone-shaped piece of cervical tissue with abnormal cells

Prescription creams: directly applied to warts to destroy them

Chemical treatments: using trichloroacetic acid (TCA) to eliminate warts

HPV isn’t always dangerous, but it can be harmful and start with no symptoms. Getting tested for HPV is the first step in managing it. Make an appointment with Dr. McHale and the WHASN Sunset Valley Team today to assess your risks and receive treatment.