With all the talk about the new HPV-controlling vaccines, there has been a lot discussed about warts, HPV-related complications and the like. But how do you sift through all the noise and get to the relevant information about the disease? Women’s Health aims to get rid of all the confusion and provide crucial insight that could even help save lives.
Understanding HPV-Virus Infections
Whether you’re looking for an HPV wart treatment, or you just want to avoid getting the disease, it is extremely important to have all the facts about this virus. FoxNews and other media sources have recently published numerous articles on the subject, and well-known health publications like WebMD also provide vital statistics and information that can help people get better treatment.
HPV-related infections are sexually transmitted, and can easily spread from one sexual partner to the other through sexual intercourse, as well as by touching HPV-infected genital growths.
There are hundreds of different strains of the virus, and only about 40 of them are considered genuine STIs, leading to genital infections. Most are harmless, but the high-risk strains – just a handful of them – can be extremely dangerous and even deadly, if the complications are left to evolve without proper treatment.
Cancer Risks for Men and Women
Unlike STIs like herpes, HPV-related infections can actually lead to cancer in a small percentage of men and women. Women are most at risk, with nearly all cases of cervical cancer being associated with these types of STIs.
Aside from cervical cancer, HPV-induced infections can also be responsible for cancers of the anus, vulva, penis, head and neck. These are quite rare for the most part, although definitely not unheard of.
The biggest problem with these infections is that they often do not present any symptoms. This makes it difficult for patients to even know enough to seek help, and by the time the cancer is detected, the risk factor may have already increased significantly. Vaccines like the Gardasil and Cervarix have recently been approved by the FDA to offer a stronger protection and better prevention against the STI.