HPV Symptoms and Tests

Infection by genital HPV (human papillomavirus) is very common. At least half of people who are sexually active will contract the HPV virus at some point in their lives. Yet many will not know it because they will not have any symptoms.

Whether symptoms occur or not can depend on the type of HPV virus involved in the infection. There are more than 100 types of HPV. Some HPV types are associated with genital warts, although the warts are not always visible.

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How to Reveal You have an STD

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Opening up about an STD (particularly the ones that you cannot "cure," like HPV, HIV, and herpes) can be intimidating, whether you're 20-something or 50-something. You might wonder: Why risk rejection? I'm safe if I always use a condom or avoid sex whenever I have an outbreak, right?

In a word: no. It's not always possible to know with complete certainty when an STD like herpes is transmissible. That's because herpes can "shed" the virus and spread even when there is no sign of an active herpes outbreak.

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Related to HPV

HPV symptoms, HPV vaccine, HPV test, Cervical cancer, Genital warts, Gardasil, Human papillomavirus, LEEP, Colposcopy, Pap test

Some types of HPV are associated with cervical and other cancers, and no warts occur, and no other symptoms may be noticed. Some HPV types also cause common warts that you can find on other areas of the body such as your hands or feet.

Many people who get genital HPV will clear it without treatment and without symptoms, and no health problems will occur. The longer the virus is in the body, however, the higher your risk of developing health problems such as cervical cancer or anal cancer.

Here's what you need to know about genital HPV infection, HPV symptoms, and the HPV test:
HPV Symptoms

The HPV virus lives in mucous membranes, such as those in the genital area, or on the skin. If genital warts show up, it's an indication of HPV infection. Genital warts take on many different appearances. They can be raised, flat, pink, or flesh-colored. They can even be shaped like cauliflower. Sometimes there is a single wart; other times multiple warts appear. They can be small or large. They can be on the anus, cervix, scrotum, groin, thigh, or penis.

Genital warts can show up weeks or even months after sexual contact with a person infected with HPV virus. That person may not know he or she is infected and is responsible for HPV transmission.

Some types of genital HPV infection are associated with cancer, including cervical cancer and cancer of the vulva, anus, or penis. If infection occurs with one of these virus types, precancerous changes can occur in cells in the tissue without causing any symptoms.
How Is HPV Infection Diagnosed?

The appearance of genital warts is one way HPV infection is diagnosed. A doctor simply does a visual inspection. The HPV types associated with warts, however, are not generally the types associated with cancer.

Women infected with the type of HPV that can cause cancer may first be told their Pap test results are abnormal. Pap tests are the main way doctors find cervical cancer or precancerous changes in the cervix.

To find out for sure if the changes are related to HPV, a doctor may decide to perform a DNA test to detect the virus in women who have an abnormal Pap smear. This tells you and your doctor whether the HPV virus you have can cause cancer. Only certain strains of HPV cause cancer. Indeed, HPV 16 and 18 account for 70% of all cervical cancers. This DNA test is often done on women who have mild Pap test abnormalities. It may also be done as part of a routine Pap test to women over age 30.

GlaxoSmithKline delivers two-day postgraduate course on cervical cancer prevention

With the dawn of a new era of cervical cancer vaccination, Georges Washington University joined forces with global pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) to deliver a two-day post graduate course on cervical cancer prevention to more than 100 Obstetricians / Gynaecologists and Paediatricians in Lebanon who attended to update their knowledge on the second most common cancer among women.

'Cervical cancer is caused by persistent infection with cancer-causing types of human papillomavirus (HPV),' explained Professor Imad Mufarrij, Clinical Professor of OB/GYN at Georges Washington University and one of the speakers in the course. 'It is a very common virus, 5 out of 10 women will become infected with it at some point in their life. It is not hereditary and can now be prevented.'

'This is why we as physicians have to understand the latest and most effective means to prevent cervical cancer from killing women,' he added. 'This includes early vaccination and regular pap smear screening.'

What is HPV?

HPV is a common virus and all women are at risk of infection with it at some point in their life time. Fifteen virus types are responsible for cervical cancer, 4 of which can be found in almost 80% of cervical cancer cases. These four cancer-causing types are HPV 16, 18, 45 and 31.

A new cervical cancer vaccine from by GSK which protects against these four types has been launched in Lebanon promising strong and long term protection for women and girls starting 10 years of age.

'Considering the novelty of vaccination to protect against cervical cancer, we physicians need to better grasp the details such vaccinations entail and decide on various points including which vaccine to use, what age to vaccinate at, and whether to repeat vaccination after a number of years,' said Mufarrij.

In Lebanon:

Though Cervical Cancer currently does not figure among the Lebanese National Cancer Registry statistics on cancer prevalence in the country, several studies have shown the disease to be a real issue in Lebanon.

4.9 % of women coming for a routine gynecological check up had cervical cancer based on a study published by Mroueh et al. Eur J Gynaecol Oncol. 2002;23 (5):429-32. The study covered 1,026 women, 18-76 years old.

Cervical cancer was common in 10.4% of women based on the study El Saghir et al. J Med Liban. 1998 Jan-Feb;46 (1) :4-11. Moreover, The American University Hospital Tumor Registry shows 7% occurrence among females based on 1983-2003 records.

What Your Test Results Mean

If you are Tested and Find Out You Have High-risk HPV, What Does That Mean? What Happens Next?
The most important thing to remember is that HPV infections are very common, and are usually nothing to worry about! In most women, HPV infections go away or are suppressed by the body without causing any problems that need treatment. It is only when an HPV infection stays active that abnormal cells may form.

* If the HPV test shows you have a high-risk type of the HPV virus, but your Pap is normal , then the expert guidelines recommend that both tests be repeated in 12 months. If your HPV infection is still active at that time, and/or if your Pap is now abnormal, another exam called a colposcopy is needed to help determine if any "bad cells" are present. If abnormal cells are found early, before they become cancerous, treatment is highly effective.
* If the HPV test shows you have a high-risk type of HPV, and your Pap result is abnormal or inconclusive ("ASC-US"), the expert guidelines say you should have a colposcopy exam right away.

Note that if the HPV test shows you do not have HPV, but your Pap looks abnormal, it is less likely that you have cervical disease. The presence of a high-risk type of HPV is necessary for cancer to develop. However, just to be sure, the guidelines recommend that you get a colposcopy exam of your cervix. And if you do not have HPV but your Pap results are unclear or inconclusive ("ASC-US"), both the HPV and Pap tests should be repeated in a year.

The diagram below provides a more detailed overview of the different test results possible and what they mean to you...

Questions To Ask Your Doctor about HPV

How do I know if I got an HPV test?

When and how should I expect to get my test results?

What do my test results mean?

What other tests or treatment will I need if my Pap or HPV test is abnormal?

When do I need to come back for more testing or treatment?

What should I expect during and after these tests or treatments?

Are there risks or side effects?

Will the testing or treatment affect my chance to get or stay pregnant?

Will the added tests or treatment be covered by my insurance?

Where can I get help to cover the costs?

What You Should Know About the HPV Vaccine

Young women have good reason to consider getting vaccinated against human papillomavirus (HPV). The vaccine protects against the two "high-risk" strains of HPV, which are associated with approximately 70% of cervical cancers. If you do get the HPV vaccine, be aware that it won’t protect against all cervical cancers, so you should still get regular pap tests, and HPV testing when recommended.
Why get the HPV vaccine?

Getting the HPV vaccine may reduce your risk of developing precancerous cells that could lead to cervical cancer. The vaccine protects against the two most common — but not all — high-risk HPV strains.1
Who should get the vaccine?

To be effective, the HPV vaccine must be given early. Ideally it should be given before you have become sexually active. Routine vaccination is recommended for all girls aged 11 and 12. The vaccine has been approved for girls and women between the ages of 9 and 26.
HPV vaccine limitations

Over 100 different human papillomavirus (HPV) strains have been identified. The HPV vaccine covers only 4 strains — 2 of which are associated with 70% of cervical cancers — so you should continue having regular pap tests, and HPV testing when recommended. 1 Together, the HPV vaccine along with regular screenings will make cervical cancer one of the most preventable types of cancer.

You should discuss your personal history and whether you are a candidate for the HPV vaccine with your doctor or nurse.

Gardasil – Cervical Cancer Vaccine in UAE

Monday, January 08, 2007 at 4:57:09 PM

The creation of Gardasil vaccine is a boon for the kith and kin of those people who are suffering from cervical cancer.

This vaccine is currently available in 33 countries all over the world and has been marketed by Merck Sharp & Dohme. This vaccine was formed by Professor Ian Frazer, Director of the University of Queensland’s Centre for Immunology and Cancer Research (CICR), Australia who in all likelihood could be strong contender for Nobel Prize.


In the middle East, UAE is the first country to obtain this vaccine after their Health Ministry approved the same. America, Australia and European Union have already approved and introduce this vaccine in their countries. In UAE, the average incidence of cervical cancer in 2005 has increased three fold from that in 1998.

Human Papilloma Virus causes this condition and over 2.3 million women across the globe are claimed to suffer from this disease and around 800 women die everyday due to cervical cancer. This break through vaccine is sure to lift the spirits of medical fraternity all over the world.

Source-Medindia

WHAT CAUSES CANCER?

One of the most common questions that people ask is "What causes cancer? " Most peoples' knowledge about cancer comes from either friends' experiences or what they have heard on TV or read in the papers. In this section we will try to sort out the facts from the fiction.

THE FACTS

* As cancer is not one but many diseases, what causes one type of cancer doesn't necessarily cause another. For example, smoking is the main cause of lung cancer but not of breast cancer.
* Experts agree that most cancers are caused by our bodies, or parts of them, being exposed to certain substances over long periods of time. These cancer-causing substances are called carcinogens.
* For example, people who smoke have a lot more of certain types of cancers than non-smokers. There are also differences between countries. For example, in Japan the death rate from stomach cancer is about twice that for England and Wales, while the death rate from breast cancer is about six times lower.
* These community studies, together with laboratory and other scientific experiments have shown us the causes of at least some forms of cancer in humans. Smoking is by far the most important preventable cause of cancers.

VIRUSES: Viruses are tiny particles which can reproduce only inside living cells. They can spread between people in a number of ways – in the ar or in the blood, for instance.

Cancers where viruses are thought to play a role include cervical cancer, cancer of the liver and a skin cancer that can develop in people with AIDS. Cervical cancer is associated with a virus that can be transmitted through sexual intercourse. Cancer of the liver can develop in a person who has had an attack of hepatitis B – a virus which can be transmitted through sexual intercourse or using infected needles, e.g. illegal drug use.

Experts have estimated that more than 80% of cancers may be avoidable through changes that can be made in lifestyle and in the environment. In the following pages this booklet shows you the kind of changes that you can make reduce your risk of getting certain cancers.