Human HPV Virus Causes Genital Warts

The Human HPV virus is the cause of commonest sexually transmitted infection in the United States today. This is a family of around forty viruses which cause Genital Warts. The infection is also called condyloma acuminate and is transmitted very easily through the sexual route. If you or your sex partner has Genital Warts, you can understand the causes of the infection in this article.
The Hman Papilloma Virus, also called the Human HPV Virus shows great affinity to the genital skin. Around 130 HPV viruses have been identified as of now. The viruses share a common property of causing warts when they infect skin. Out of these viruses around 40 are transmitted through the sexual route. There are some viruses in this sub category which cause Genital Warts, the others tend to have latent infections which do not show any symptoms. The viruses are very easily transmitted. Medical studies have documented transmission of the virus through the sexual route, through oral sex and even by infected hands. This makes the virus a constant threat for you if you have any risk factors that increase the chances of getting infected.
For women , a Human HPV virus infection has many more consequences. The condition is usually latent and may flare up only during periods of hormonal changes. You might have a silent infection and only manifest symptoms during pregnancy. There is also a risk of really severe symptoms during pregnancy. During this time, there are higher chances of larger warts which are prone to bleeding copiously. If you do not get treated for human HPV Virus during pregnancy, there is also a chance that you might transmit it to your baby during childbirth. The baby may then have an infection which can cause breathing obstruction and feeding difficulties. Women also have another problem due to this infection. If you have been infected with particular strains of the virus, there are chances that you might develop cervical cancer down the line.
The best protection for women right now is a vaccine called Gardasil. The vaccine is effective against the two most common strains of the virus which lead to cancer. Getting vaccinated against the infection is a good idea if you have many partners or have had sexual relations with unknown people. If you are in your teens or twenties, this is a very cost effective way of preventing cancer. Another important part of cancer prevention due to Human HPV virus would be regular check ups. There is a check up called Pap smear which allows the doctor to analyze the cells in the cervical area. The Human HPV virus infection frequently causes changes in the structure and number of cells in the genital skin. The test will help the doctor pinpoint any focus of altered cell shape and structure. If these foci are removed, the chances of cancer will decrease dramatically. Preventing infection also means that you will have to take precautions while having sex. You must use a form of barrier contraception if you or your partner has any risk factors for the infection.