Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
Have you seen the TV advertisement that includes the phrase “Mom did you know”? If you, haven’t it’s time you did. This advertisement follows children from around age 10 to adulthood and discusses the consequences of not allowing your children, both boys and girls, to be vaccinated against the HPV vaccine. It is the most common sexually transmitted disease.
HPV is prevalent because its signs and symptoms are easily missed as they do not always manifest themselves to the human eye. Signs and symptoms include vaginal, anal, and penile warts and cervical, penile, and throat cancer. Jamaica has the highest rate of HPV infection among 10 percent of the Caribbean. Seventy percent of that ten percent are females who end up with cervical cancer. Increase in prevalence and transmission is because the virus is generally found only when pap smears are done. It affects 79 million people in the USA which has a population of approximately 320 million people.
There are many different types but types 16 and 18 that we will focus on are the worst. Our immune system clears most of the affected people in about 2 years but the ones not cleared go on to exhibit symptoms as mentioned above. The virus is contracted by a skin-to-skin transmission during intercourse, touch, and use of personal items such as towels, washcloths, and bed linen, as well as by handling of fish as one study of fishermen affected with warts noted.
Prevention
As our opening statement noted, HPV can be prevented, by giving the Gardasil/HPV vaccine between the ages of 10-45 to both males and females. It is offered in two doses, 6 months apart. Practicing good hand washing techniques, use of condoms (which do not provide 100% protection), annual pap smears for females, and annual general exams for men, especially if you see warts in the genital area, particularly the penis, are essential in the treatment and prevention of transmission of this virus.
Treatment which should be done by trained medical personnel consists of one or more of the following:
- Application of povidone to apparent warts.
- Application of silver nitrate sticks which removes warts by burning.
- Application of prescribed Aldara cream every other day for 3 weeks.
*It is important to note that petroleum jelly/Vaseline should be applied to the surrounding area of the warts to prevent damage to healthy tissues.
- Gardasil/HPV vaccine can still be given after diagnosis is made, as many different strains can manifest after initial diagnosis.
5.Colposcopy, Cone biopsy, and cryotherapy or cauterization are other valuable tools used in the treatment of this condition.
Outcome
Affected persons can still live a long life with follow-up pap smears every six months until warts or cancer are removed. Many people never see symptoms again after the initial treatment. Others, primarily men, store the virus deep in the body and pass it to unsuspecting females who generally develop the symptoms. This virus is opportunistic and may hide in the body until other problems such as HIV/AIDS, herpes, fever and other illnesses occur, then it manifests itself.
Conclusion
This condition is manageable and has good outcomes if caught early. Proper hygiene practices are essential and safe sex is recommended. Vaccinations are given up to age 45. Surveillance, which includes health exams, pap smears, and self-education increase the chances of reduction as HPV can lay dormant in the body for greater than 10 years.
For more information talk to your local healthcare provider and visit CDC.gov/Human Papilloma Virus or https://www.cdc.gov/hpv/parents/about-hpv.html
Brought to you by Dr. Yvette Fletcher-Prince, MD, DNP, APRN
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