About 80% of the world's population is infected with human papillomavirus. Because HPV infection can not only cause harmless papillomas on the body, but also genital warts, as well as outgrowths that can malignant, it is very important to know how HPV is transmitted. Perhaps this knowledge will help someone to avoid infection and protect themselves against such dangerous diseases as cervical cancer, vaginal, vaginal, anal, genital and even breast cancer. In this article we will tell you about HPV: how it is transmitted, risk factors and preventive measures.
How is papillomavirus transmitted to humans?
First, papillomas should be said to be transmitted through the epidermis and saliva. At the same time, the infection could for some time not manifest itself and be manifested by the formation of genital warts and papillomas only with a decrease in immunity.
If we talk about how the papilloma virus is transmitted, the chances of infection increase significantly if there are injuries, scratches and wear and tear on the skin.
Attention! Many people wonder if a papilloma is inherited. The answer is no. It's just that when one family member is infected, the papilloma virus is transmitted in daily life or from mother to child during birth.
The following ways of transmitting a viral infection from person to person are known:
- It is transmitted through daily life, it is through contact, common household goods, clothing. Infection can be transmitted through kissing.
- If a person has genital papilloma, the infection could be sexual, that is, during unprotected sex.
- Self-infection is possible with shaving, seizures and other skin damage. Because papilloma is contagious to nearby healthy skin cells, it can spread the virus from weak parts of the body to healthy ones.
- Vertical transmission is a mother-to-child transmission at birth.
- Infection with HPV is less common during blood transfusion surgery. Infection is also not excluded in beauty salons, beauty salons, baths, saunas and swimming pools, where aseptic rules are neglected.
If we talk about how you can get papilloma, then the culprit is a man in 70% of cases of a sexual infection. When epithelial disease is present on the lips or genitals, the risk 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, does not guarantee 100 percent protection, as HPV can penetrate through micro-trauma to the skin of the hands and other parts of the body. In addition, condylomas can be located in the groin or puberty, as the condom does not protect against direct contact with the partner.
Important!If the other person is the carrier of the virus but does not have papillomas, warts or genital warts, the risk of infection in the other partner is significantly reduced.
If you list all the ways in which you can get papillomavirus in a newborn, it is unlikely to be transmitted during the birth, as the virus does not enter the bloodstream and the fetus is reliably protected by amniotic fluid, bladder and placenta. In medical practice, however, rare cases of uterine damage to the placenta and bladder were recorded.
For women planning a pregnancy, it is very important to know if the baby's father is contagious and if he can pass the infection on to the expectant mother, as genital warts that appear during pregnancy are very dangerous for the baby. If the baby is infected at birth, there is a risk of laryngitis and subsequent suffocation. As it is transmitted through saliva, it is important to take into account papillomas, genital warts and warts in the man's mouth and on the mucous membranes in the oral cavity, as a woman can be infected by oral sex.
If a family member has a papilloma, how it is transmitted in daily life, it is important for all members of the household to know:
- through shared bedding, towels, soap, cosmetics, washcloths and other personal belongings, the virus can enter the skin of the skin;
- Saliva infection is possible when you use one toothbrush, glasses or other utensils;
- infection through clothing and other household items is also possible.
Risk Factors
We've learned how to infect human papillomavirus, but it's no less important to know not only the pathogens but also the risk factors for papillomavirus.
So, human papillomavirus penetrates the skin and mucous membranes much more easily against the background of the following evocative factors:
- In men, children and women, infection is most likely due to impaired immunity. Colds or sore throats can contribute to this.
- The risk of getting HPV increases when microflora in the gut or vagina is disturbed. In the first case, general immunity suffers, in the second case, the body's local defenses decrease and the chances of contraction increase sexually.
- Genital infection is more likely to cause infection due to other sexually transmitted diseases (syphilis, gonorrhea, trichomoniasis).
- All routes of transmission can be dangerous for an individual due to the exacerbation of a chronic disease when the body becomes ill from the disease.
- There is no doubt that papillomas are contagious. The virus can easily get from the host into the cells of a healthy person if its defenses are weakened due to stress, loss of energy, overwork or depression.
Important!All viruses are easily transmitted to men and women who have bad habits (smoking, alcohol). The risk of infection is also significantly increased in women taking combined contraception.
The following diseases and illnesses are prerequisites for the sexual transmission of the virus:
- former sexual activity;
- prostitution;
- frequent exchanges of cohabitants;
- promiscuous sex;
- history of sexually transmitted diseases;
- age is over 35 years;
- cervical pathology;
- immunodeficiency.
Prevention
We found out how human papillomavirus (women, men and children) is infected, now prevention remains to be considered. It should be said right away that the most effective way to not get infected is through preventive vaccination. To date, two types of vaccines are known for this infection. They protect against the most dangerous carcinogenic strains of viral infections. However, the effectiveness of such protection is only seen when vaccinated at an early age, before sexual intercourse or before infection with one of the HPV strains.
As with other prevention methods, no one has given up on hygiene, condom use, sex selection and rejection of bad habits. It is useful to maintain the strength of the immune system: eat right, mood, exercise, walk in the fresh air, drink regular vitamins.