Because of screening, early detection, and the HPV vaccine, invasive cervical cancer is a rare condition.
Human papillomavirus, or HPV, high-risk subtypes are the primary cause of almost all cervical malignancies. In the US, HPV is the most prevalent sexually transmitted infection. In their lifetimes, the majority of sexually active women with cervixes develop an HPV infection.
In This Article...
Is cervical cancer only acquired through sexual contact?
More parts of the body than just the genitalia can harbor HPV cells. They can occasionally be found in the throat, mouth, and anus. The virus can be spread by skin-to-skin contact, such as during oral sex. It can also be transmitted through non-penetrative intercourse.
You are still at risk of getting cervical cancer from HPV even if you aren’t having sex right now but have in the past.
Warts and other visible indications of HPV are not always present. Years after it first appears in the body, it may subsequently transform into abnormal cells on the cervix. These aberrant cells may develop into cancer.
Last but not least, HPV is unlikely to be present in people who have never engaged in any sexual activity, including vaginal, oral, or anal sex. However, nonpenetrative sexual intercourse might still result in HPV transmission.
Cervical cancer risk exists even if you aren’t having sex. The appropriate testing strategy for you can be decided upon by your doctor after discussing your unique risk factors.
Is cervical HPV always spread sexually?
Skin-to-skin contact is the primary way that HPV is spread, not biological fluids like saliva or sperm. The easiest way for this to happen is through sexual contact, such as oral, anal, and vaginal sex. However, it can also occur if HPV comes into touch with a skin break, such as a vaginal tear, or any mucous membrane (including the mouth, lips, anus, and areas of the genitals).
When used appropriately, a condom does lower the chance of HPV transmission. “It isn’t completely effective, but it does have some impact. This is because the penile skin contains the majority of the HPV virus, therefore if you cover the penis shaft, you are progressing. However, Wald notes that since vaccines are so much more effective, immunizing people is unquestionably the best strategy to prevent infection.
Can a man cause cervical cancer in a woman?
After receiving a cervical cancer diagnosis or during treatment, you could have anxiety about having sex. Within a few weeks of finishing radiotherapy or having surgery, you can resume your normal sexual life if you so choose.
Having those few weeks to help your body repair is a fantastic idea. But after that, everything is secure. Sex won’t worsen your cancer or increase the likelihood that it will return.
Human Papilloma Virus (HPV)
It is not contagious to have cervical cancer. You can’t pass it to your lover. Given that the human papilloma virus and cervical cancer are related, this can seem perplexing (HPV). This virus can be transmitted through sexual contact and raises the risk of various malignancies. If you are concerned, go to your doctor or a nurse.
What causes cervical cancer in women?
Cancer is a condition in which the body’s cells proliferate unchecked. Even if it later spreads to other body areas, cancer is always designated after the area of the body where it first develops. Cervical cancer is a type of cancer that first appears in the cervix. The vagina (birth canal) and the top portion of the uterus are joined by the cervix. When a woman is pregnant, the baby develops in the uterus (also known as the womb).
Cervical cancer is a risk for all women. Women over 30 are most likely to experience it. Cervical cancer is mostly brought on by persistent infection with specific kinds of human papillomavirus (HPV). A common virus called HPV is transmitted during sex from one person to another. At some time in their life, at least half of those who engage in sexual activity will have HPV, yet few women will get cervical cancer.
Cervical cancer can be prevented using screening tests and the HPV vaccine. Early detection of cervical cancer greatly improves treatment options, length of survival, and quality of life.
Is HPV a cancer or an STD?
Human papillomavirus is referred to as HPV. The most prevalent sexually transmitted infection is this one. While HPV is mostly benign and resolves on its own, some strains can cause cancer or genital warts.
A STI or STD, is HPV?
The most prevalent STI is HPV. Infections with HPV affected 43 million people in 2018, many of whom were in their late teens and early 20s. There are numerous varieties of HPV. Some forms, such as genital warts and cancer, can lead to health issues. However, there are immunizations that can prevent these medical issues from occurring. HIV and HSV are not the same viruses as HPV (herpes).
How is HPV spread?
By engaging in vaginal, anal, or oral sex with a carrier of the virus, you can contract HPV. Vaginal or anal sex is when it is spread most frequently. Additionally, during intercourse, it spreads through close skin-to-skin contact. Even if they show no signs or symptoms, an HPV-positive individual can still transmit the infection to another person.
Even if you have only had intercourse with one person, if you are sexually active, you can contract HPV. Additionally, you may get symptoms years after having intercourse with a person who is infected. Knowing when you originally received it is difficult as a result.
Does HPV cause health problems?
90% of the time, HPV disappears on its own within two years without causing any health issues. However, if HPV is left untreated, it can lead to cancer and other health issues including genital warts.
A little bump or cluster of bumps in the vaginal area is the typical appearance of genital warts. They can be big or little, elevated or flat, or cauliflower-shaped. Usually, a doctor can identify warts by looking at the vaginal region.
Does HPV cause cancer?
Cancers of the vulva, vagina, penis, and anus can all be brought on by HPV in addition to cervical cancer. Additionally, it may result in throat cancer (called oropharyngeal cancer). The tonsils and base of the tongue may be examples of this.
After a person contracts HPV, cancer frequently takes years or even decades to develop. Different kinds of HPV can cause genital warts and cancer.
It is impossible to predict who would have cancer or other health issues as a result of HPV. People with compromised immune systems, such as those living with HIV, may be less able to combat HPV. They might also be more susceptible to HPV-related health issues.
How can I avoid HPV and the health problems it can cause?
Obtain a vaccine. The HPV vaccine is both secure and reliable. When administered to the approved age groups, it can protect against illnesses (including malignancies) brought on by HPV. (See below, “Who should get immunized?.)
Get a cervical cancer screening. Cervical cancer can be prevented in women between the ages of 21 and 65 with routine screening.
If you engage in sexual activity:
- Every time you have sex, use condoms properly. This may lessen your risk of contracting HPV. However, HPV can spread to places that a condom does not cover. Consequently, condoms may not fully guard against contracting HPV; and
- Have sex solely with someone who only has sex with you, or be in a mutually monogamous relationship.
Who should get the HPV vaccine?
For: CDC suggests HPV vaccination
- Boys and girls in preteens who are 11 or 12 years old (or can start at age 9 years).
- Unless already immunized, everyone up to the age of 26.
For those over the age of 26, vaccination is not advised. However, after discussing their risk for new HPV infections and the potential advantages of vaccination with their healthcare professional, some adults aged 27 to 45 who have not yet received the HPV vaccine may choose to do so. In this age group, the benefits of HPV vaccination are diminished. Although not necessarily all of the HPV strains targeted by vaccination, the majority of sexually active individuals have already been exposed to HPV.
A new sex partner might increase your chance of contracting HPV at any age. A new HPV infection is unlikely to occur in people who are already committed to a long-term, monogamous relationship.
How do I know if I have HPV?
A person’s “HPV status” cannot be determined with a test. In addition, there is no approved HPV test to detect the virus in the throat or mouth.
Cervical cancer can be screened for with HPV testing. These tests are exclusively used by medical professionals to check women who are 30 years of age and older. Men, adolescents, and women under the age of 30 should not be screened with HPV testing.
Most HPV carriers are unaware of their infection. They never experience any symptoms or health issues as a result. When they develop genital warts, some people learn they have HPV. When they receive an unexpected Pap test result, women may learn they have HPV (during cervical cancer screening). Others could learn about HPV only after experiencing more severe issues, like cancer.
How common is HPV and health problems that develop from HPV?
According to the CDC, there were 43 million HPV infections in 2018. 13 million new infections were reported in that same year. If they don’t get vaccinated against HPV, practically every sexually active individual will contract it at some point.
Genital warts: Before HPV vaccines, 340,000 to 360,000 persons annually were plagued by genital warts brought on by HPV. In the United States, one in 100 sexually active people currently has genital warts.
Nearly 12,000 American women will be diagnosed with cervical cancer each year. Even with screening and treatment, cervical cancer still kills more than 4,000 people annually.
Inhabitants of the United States can develop additional diseases and malignancies brought on by HPV. About 19,400 women and 12,100 men are diagnosed with cancer each year as a result of HPV.
*These statistics only consider those who sought treatment for genital warts. The actual number of people who develop genital warts may be lower than this.
I’m pregnant. Will having HPV affect my pregnancy?
HPV infection during pregnancy increases the risk of developing genital warts or cervix abnormal cell alterations. Regular screening for cervical cancer can aid in identifying abnormal cell alterations. Even while you are pregnant, you should have routine cervical cancer screening.
Is there treatment for HPV or health problems that develop from HPV?
The virus itself has no known cure. The health issues that HPV might cause can, however, be treated.
- With medical attention from your doctor or the use of prescription medication, genital warts can disappear. Genital warts can disappear, remain the same, or increase in size or quantity if left untreated.
How did I get HPV?
A sexually transmitted virus is HPV. There is an 80% risk that you will contract HPV in your lifetime even if you only have sex with one person and always use condoms. LGBQTI persons can contract HPV since the virus can be transmitted through genital skin contact.
Does this mean if have a sexually-transmitted disease?
No! Since HPV is so prevalent (see above), it is viewed as a typical and almost inevitable aspect of sexual intercourse. Although I agree that all those Hs and Vs can be confusing, HPV is NOT the same as HIV or HSV (the genital herpes virus).
What can I do about the HPV infection?
The majority of people who have HPV at some point in their life also recover from it over the course of several months to many years. About 5% of HPV is persistent, resulting in precancerous cervical alterations or cervical cancer (and other malignancies include anal, vaginal, vulva, mouth, throat, and penile cancers) in a far smaller number of people and genital warts in 10% of people (“low-risk variants of the virus”).
Do I have to tell my partner? Can I still have sex?
Although most women will, you are not required to inform your partner because HPV can also lead to uncommon malignancies in men. The issue is that guys cannot truly be tested for the existence of the virus, and there is currently no treatment for HPV (other from time for your immune system to fight it off). You are not required to give up having sex. Remember that the majority of the time, the infection won’t cause any issues and won’t even show any symptoms.
If neither partner has HPV, is it possible to contract it?
Sometimes, the emotional toll of learning that you or your partner has a STI is worse than the infection itself.
Before drawing any conclusions about a STI diagnosis, it’s crucial to get some context. This is especially true in the case of HPV.
Keep in mind that 80% of persons who have not received the HPV vaccine will contract the disease at some time in their lives. Since the majority of HPV is undetectable, partners will undoubtedly spread it without being able to tell which partner they acquired it from or when.
Most of the time, HPV is not harmful, has no symptoms, and does not result in warts, pre-cancer, or malignancy. A few individuals may acquire genital warts or abnormal cells as a result of their HPV infection months or years later. There is no surefire way to determine your infection time.
It can be challenging to accept this, particularly for partners in committed relationships who assume recent infidelity must be to fault. But new studies demonstrate that even those who haven’t engaged in sexual activity for a long time can suddenly get warts or have abnormal cervical smears.
What should I tell my partner about HPV?
HPV will invariably be shared by partners. That is typical. Condoms are a fantastic way to guard against many other STDs and do offer some protection against HPV in new partnerships.
Important details to mention are:
- The majority (80%) of adult non-vaccinated individuals will contract HPV at some point in their lives.
- It is therefore unavoidably spread mostly through sexual (including oral) skin-to-skin contact as it usually has no symptoms and you won’t realize you have it.
- Most of the time, the virus is benign and does not cause warts, pre-cancer, or malignancy.
- There is no reliable technique to determine how long ago or from which partner HPV was acquired, for example.
- Even when neither partner exhibits any HPV symptoms, sex partners who have been together frequently share the virus.
- The presence of HPV does not indicate extramarital sex between a person and their partner.
- HPV itself cannot be treated or cured. Your body’s immune system typically combats HPV.
- Having a typical sex life is not prevented by HPV.
- There are testing for HPV. The HPV types that they test for and the circumstances in which they are utilized are constrained. Because there is no swab or blood test that can check for all HPV types and because the virus can “hibernate” in some people at levels that cannot be detected by testing, “HPV testing” is not offered as part of a sexual health checkup (routine checkup) for males or females. Therefore, there is no test that can assist in determining whether I have HPV, whether my partner has HPV, or whether my HPV has disappeared.
What about future sexual partners?
It is unclear whether telling (potential) partners about a history of genital warts or HPV will have any positive health effects. This is due to the fact that the virus’s duration is unknown, and for the majority of people, the immune system either suppresses or eliminates the virus.
Remember that because genital HPV infections are so widespread, most people who have not received the HPV vaccine will eventually develop them but will never receive a diagnosis because they are largely undetectable.
Condoms are crucial when starting a new sex relationship. While condoms might not completely shield your partner from HPV, they do shield you both from other STDs. Condoms are probably of limited use in preventing HPV infections for couples in long-term monogamous relationships because partners will inevitably share HPV.
Cervical cancer: is sperm a possible cause?
According to researchers from the Medical Research Council in the UK, semen’s high concentrations of prostaglandin, a hormone-like molecule, may contribute to women’s uterine and cervical malignancies. They advise women who have either womb or cervical cancer to give using a condom to their partners some serious thought.
What were the early symptoms of cervical cancer for you?
Cervical cancer symptoms may appear when abnormal cells in the cervix band together and form tumors. The most typical indications include:
- between menstrual cycles or after menopause, vaginal bleeding
- Thick, pungent, or blood-tinged vaginal discharge
- thicker or longer-lasting than typical menstrual cycles
- during sexual activity, vaginal bleeding or pain
- bleeding from the cervix during a pelvic examination
- discomfort in the lower back or the pelvis
- Urination that hurts
- urgency or frequency of urination
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