What is HPV: How to Get Rid of HPV?

The human papillomavirus (HPV) has more than 150 types, some of them are high risk and others are low. The first ones do not give any type of symptoms. Sometimes the latter is not either, but on other occasions, they are usually visualized by the appearance of genital warts or condylomas.

This sexually transmitted disease is diagnosed by specific tests on vaginal discharge. It is usually suspected through cytology performed as a screening test for cervical cancer.

They appear after a low-risk HPV infection, but not in all cases. These lesions are usually located in the lower genital tract (cervix, vagina, vulva, perineum, and perianal area), anus, and oropharyngeal area. If they proliferate and are not removed, they can degenerate into more serious skin lesions.

There is no medical treatment that eliminates human papillomavirus once contracted. The infection clears itself when the immune system manages to overcome it. How to get rid of HPV faster? There are various ways to get rid of HPV. We have highlighted how to get rid of HPV naturally.

Improve your defenses.

Live a healthy life, don’t smoke, play sports, and eat a balanced diet, rich in vitamins and fiber, and low in fat. All this will have an impact on general health and, therefore, will improve the state of your defenses and will make you stronger against diseases.

There is only one route of transmission and it is sexual, through vaginal, oral, or anal intercourse.

In labor

There is a minimal incidence of the baby infecting the larynx or oral mucosa in natural delivery if the mother has the virus, but the risk is so low that she does not even consider switching to cesarean delivery.

Spreading to partner

It is a virus with a high infectious capacity. If you have HPV and you have sex without a condom, you can infect your partner. Your partner may also be a carrier of the virus, even if they have no symptoms, and they infect you. 

What can happen to you?

As in women, most men with HPV never have symptoms, and the infection usually clears up on its own. However, it can also cause genital warts or certain types of cancer.

How is it prevented?

It is the most common sexually transmitted infection worldwide. Prevention is difficult. You can reduce the likelihood of acquiring it by using a condom correctly every time you have sex. 

In addition to the condom, limiting the number of sexual contacts reduces the likelihood of contracting the virus. It is also minimized if monogamous relationships are maintained with a closed partner.

Vaccine for HPV

It is a very important tool in prevention. Currently, there are three: the bivalent (Cervarix) against HPV 16/18, the quadrivalent (Gardasil) against 16/18/6/11, and the nonavalent (Gardasil) against HPV 16/18/6/11 / 31/33 / 45/52/58. It produces defenses against the virus and acts against 90% of the types, including the most serious.

In the technical sheets, the efficacy studies are carried out in women under 45 years of age, but that does not mean that they cannot be vaccinated above this age range.

Can it infect again

Although it is not known whether the immune system of a healthy person is capable of eliminating the virus, it does weaken it to imperceptible thresholds. But it is believed that when the immune system is depressed, the virus can be reactivated. The immunity created by the first infection is not perennial and can be acquired several times. It is also possible to get another type of HPV virus (remember that there are more than 150). The patient thinks he has HPV again, and yet it is a different type.

Is it possible to have it without knowing it?

Yes, it is usual. This infection is much more common than is believed. Statistics vary according to studies and countries, but it can be said that between 60 and 90% of women have been infected at some point in their lives with this virus, which logically can be fought if the autoimmune system works correctly. The good news is that most will clear the virus spontaneously without any repercussions.

Remember that, in any case, HPV may not give symptoms of any kind. You can be infected without signs, without the appearance of warts and with periodic gynecological cytology with normal results.

Does it cause cancer?

HPV causes 99.9% of cervical cancer cases. It also causes cancer of the anus, head of a neck (oropharyngeal cavity). But high-risk cancer viruses are far fewer than low-risk viruses and, therefore, less frequent. Specifically, the most studied are types 16 and 18, for which there is a vaccine. Love reading MetroYak content. Share your thoughts at: hello@metroyak.com