Human Papilloma Virus - HPV

Human papilloma virus is also called HPV. It is a virus that includes more than 100 types, of which over 30 are strains which are sexually transmitted. Although the different types of the human papilloma virus can all cause warts, it is those sexually transmitted strains that cause genital warts, giving those infected great concern and worry. But most sexually active people will have the HPV virus at some point in their lives, although most will never know it because it usually has no symptoms and goes away on its own. Genital HPV is the most common sexually transmitted disease in the US. It is thought that when we have a weakened immune system, the virus can take a hold and result in genital warts.

Both high risk and low risk types of genital HPV can cause changes or growths on the tissue of a woman’s cervix. The cervix is that part of the uterus that opens onto the vagina and any growths are usually flat and invisible. It is important to know that:

-The high risk types of the HPV virus can cause cell changes that may lead to cervical cancer if left untreated. Such high risk HPV types need not cause any health problems and may go away. But if persistent high risk HPV does not go away, it becomes an important risk factor for cervical. Cancer. Regular Pap tests will detect any cervical cell changes so that treatment can prevent cervical cancer from ever developing.
- It is the low risk types of the human papilloma virus that cause genital warts which can form weeks, months or even years after sexual contact with an infected partner. In women, these genital warts can grow in and around the vagina, on the vulva, cervix, and in or around the anus. In men, genital warts can grow on the tip or shaft of the penis, on the scrotum and again in or around the anus. Both men and women can in rare cases develop genital warts in the mouth or throat following oral sex with an infected partner.

Although there is no cure for the HPV virus, fortunately any cervical cell changes detected can be treated by your doctor or gynecologist and there are many ways to treat genital warts too.

Your doctor can choose one of the following methods for treating your genital warts:

- A topical medication to be applied weekly by your doctor.
-Cryotherapy (freezing) where liquid nitrogen is used to destroy the wart tissue. This is a successful treatment for both internal and external genital warts.
-Laser treatment which is a very precise method especially to treat any warts in difficult to access areas.
-Surgical excision where any warts are cut away under a local or a general anesthetic.

Your doctor can even prescribe some products for you to use successfully at home. Imiquimod is a treatment which induces the body to produce proteins that act against the HPV virus and boost the immune system locally while Podfilox lotion or gel is applied twice daily for 3 consecutive days for periods up to 4 weeks. This product helps to halt the growth of the wart cells.

You can also use a natural healing product made from pure and gentle essential oils in the privacy of your own home by ordering on line. This formula will remove the wart virus with no skin irritation and no scarring and it is applied topically to the affected area. It works by drawing the warts out of the skin. They will then flake away.

So although there is no cure for HPV, there are many natural treatments available but they will require time and patience to get a good result.

The good news for the future is that there are now vaccines available to protect young people from an early age against certain strains of the HPV virus. These vaccines will prevent males from contracting the HPV virus and carrying it in their skin and will prevent females from contracting those strains that cause genital warts as well as high risk strains that can cause pre-cancerous changes in their cervical tissue. Such vaccines are a recent result of all the medical research being undertaken but of course the first prize will be a cure for the Human Papilloma Virus though this may still be years’ away.