The HPV Test - Do You Have It?

Since HPV viruses often show no symptoms, there is no specific test to check the overall status of HPV within the body's cells. Tests are used only for cervical cancer screening and we all know that HPV virus can be cleared out, on its own, with no other health problems. Thus, there is no need to be tested just to check out if you have HPV. However, you should get tested for signs of disease that HPV can bring, such as cervical cancer for women and anal cancer for men.

Visual inspection can be done if you would like to find out if you have genital warts. Some healthcare providers may use a vinegar solution, acetic acid, to help see flat warts. However, this is not an accurate or completely sensitive test, so it may erroneously identify normal skin as a wart.

Routine Pap tests are used to identify if patient has cervical cancer or not. The HPV test can identify high-risk HPV types on a woman’s cervix, which can be resulted to cervical cell alterations and cancer.

As a matter of fact, there is no medically approved treatment for the virus itself, but a healthy immune system can usually ward off HPV naturally. Visible genital warts can be removed by patient-applied medications, or by proper management performed by a health care giver. Some individuals prefer to give up treatment to see if the warts will fade naturally.

Cervical cancer is most manageable when it has been detected and treated early. There are innovative forms of medical procedures such as surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy which are available for patients although many of these are not guaranteed so HPV victims should consider natural alternatives for holistic HPV treatment.

If you belong to the men’s group and wonder if there’s any test to screen HPV-related cancer, screening tests can discover early signs of disease in people who are still healthy.

Some health specialists recommend annual anal Pap tests for bisexual, gay, and HIV-positive men, because anal cancer is more common in these groups. This HPV test can find abnormal cells in the anus that could develop into cancer eventually. If abnormal cells are found, they can be eliminated. Anal Pap tests are not recommended because there is no substantial research to show that removing abnormal anal cells can stop the development of anal cancer in the future. More research is needed to be done to confirm that Anal Pap tests and treatment of abnormal cells can help to prevent anal cancer.

Go to your doctor’s clinic if you find blisters, warts, sores, white patches, ulcers, or other abnormal areas on your penis although they don’t hurt. Otherwise, check if there’s any abnormalities on your penis, scrotum, or around the anus through visual inspection. Your body is your own responsibility, so proper care and management is essential to achieve good physical condition.

Andrea Segovia inspires people seeking natural health solutions by providing tips on treatment methods that work naturally with the body. She contributes to the work stream in topics ranging from health, travel, and natural living. She is passionately involved with sharing her discoveries on HPV

Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_1022537_17.html

Pregnancy And HPV: Will There Be Complications At All?

Pregnancy and HPV can undoubtedly harm the unborn baby. It can positively complicate a pregnancy. That is why it is important to consult an obstetrician-gynecologist if a pregnant woman has HPV.

During pregnancy, it is very significant to know if the woman does have genital warts. If she does, she will have difficulty urinating because the genital warts grow at a fast pace and causes a blockage to the birth canal. If the birth canal is blocked, the pregnant woman will undergo a caesarian delivery. But a caesarian delivery is more often than not being done if only genital warts are there. Pregnancy and HPV does not really affect the baby but it may cause birth defects. Seldom, a mother can send on the warts and the HPV infection to the child. If this happens, warts in the throat and mouth of the baby can be developed. It is curable but it could be life threatening to the baby.

HPV pregnancy, unfortunately has no available drug that can treat the virus, however natural treatment methods are available. If genital warts are present during pregnancy, the obstetrician may decide not to treat or treat them. Oftentimes, they get better or even fade away altogether after the woman gives birth. Some treatments can be used to eliminate it safely during gestation.

During pregnancy, there may be an increase of tissue changes in some pregnant women. It may result in premature labor which is why the doctor has to cancel the treatment for HPV. The doctor will observe if the warts get bigger because hormonal changes can cause the warts to multiply and at times may cause bleeding. If the warts get bigger and cause obstruction in the birth canal, there might be a need to remove the warts surgically before childbirth.

It is more important that if a woman is planning to get pregnant, she must consult her doctor to be able to know if she has HPV. Natural prevention can eliminate this risk and will be a big help to the mother and the baby to avoid complications during pregnancy.

Andrea Segovia inspires people seeking natural health solutions by providing tips on treatment methods that work naturally with the body. She contributes to the work stream in topics ranging from health, travel, and natural living. She is passionately involved with sharing her discoveries on HPV in Man.

Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_952378_17.html

HPV Genital Infection - Austin STD Testing Clinic

Genital human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections (STI). The virus often attacks the skin and mucous membranes. HPV infects the genital areas of both men and women including the skin of the penis, vulva, and anus, linings of the vagina, cervix and rectum. One may never know who is infected with HPV. It is hard to detect the infection. Those who are already infected with barely know that they have been infected unless they take the STD test. Learn more about Austin STD testing clinics

Most of the time, HPV do not show symptoms. But since it causes genital warts, the symptoms of the warts are the ones noticed. There are health complications that may happen if the infection is not treated such as cervical cancer and other less common cancers, such as cancers of the vulva, vagina, anus, and penis.

HPV has two types; the high risk and low risk. The low risk infections are the ones that usually cause genital warts while the high risk ones are the cancer-causing infection.

Genital warts show small bumps that usually appear in the genital area. They can appear on the vulva, in or around the vagina or anus, on the cervix, and on the penis, scrotum, groin, or thigh. Warts may appear within weeks or months after sexual contact with an infected person. Cervical cancer, unless advanced cases, will not show any symptoms. It will only be detected through Pap smear or other reproductive health screenings.

Genital HPV is transmitted through sexual contact, often during vaginal or anal sex. A pregnant woman may pass the infection to her baby at childbirth. The baby may then experience several health complications.

Today, there is a vaccine given to females aging from 11 – 26 to protect them from HPV infection. For those who choose to be sexually active, condoms may lower the risk of HPV, if used all the time and the right way. Condoms may also lower the risk of developing HPV-related diseases, such as genital warts and cervical cancer. However, condoms may not be 100 percent sure of securing one of all STDs around. So the only sure way to prevent HPV is to avoid all sexual activity. One may also lower their risk of becoming infected by practicing monogamy. Changing or having multiple sex partners can put one at risk to being infected with HPV.

Women may also be protected by having a regular reproductive health screening. This is to detect health abnormalities that may cause cervical cancer.  Another way is to take an STD test. This is to confirm if one is infected with STD or not. One may go to a hospital or local health center for a local STD testing. Or one may visit an STD testing clinic for testing, screening, counseling and treatment. Once a disease is detected, the patient may immediately have a treatment. Some STDs may be cured with antibiotics and completely eliminate the disease from one’s body. Treatment may depend on the disease and its intensity when detected.

Treating STD is not an easy matter to deal with. Often times, patients get too frustrated with their situation. This is where counseling becomes a treatment tool.

Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_1101691_17.html

What are your chances of catching HPV?

If you are sexually active, you’re probably going to catch some strain of HPV.

It is estimated that somewhere around half of all sexually active people are actually walking around with genital HPV right now, while most people will contract HPV at some point in their lives.

That’s the bad news. The good news is that it’s usually not that big of a deal.

HPV isn’t just genital HPV, and even when it is genital HPV, it’s only the rarer forms of HPV which can lead to cancer, and those strains do not show themselves in the form of genital warts.

HPV includes common warts (hand warts), plantar warts, elbow warts, flat warts, and even some strains that don’t even cause any visible signs or lead to further health complications.

Most children will contract hand warts at some point in their early lives. Hand warts are uncomfortable and ugly, but they won’t lead to cancer, they’re easily treated, and 90% of the time, they clear up in a few weeks with or without treatment.

While they may cause unsightly and uncomfortable warts, most forms of HPV are relatively benign, and do not pose any serious health risks. The problem is that there are strains of HPV that can lead to cervical cancer, and that these strains usually cannot be spotted without a pap smear.

Tens of thousands of women die every year thanks to genital HPV leading to cervical cancer. The vast majority of people who contract HPV may wind up okay. Again, HPV only rarely leads to cancer. However, the risk is very real. You’re more likely to catch a cancer-causing strain of HPV than you are to get struck by lightning, so if you don’t stand under trees during a storm, don’t have sex without either using protection, or having STD tests done for both partners.

Luckily, there is an HPV vaccine available that can help prevent contracting cancer causing strains of the virus. The vaccine has been shown to be most effective when administered around the age of puberty, and is definitely worth looking into for either yourself, or any young women in your family. Yes, that may seem like an awkward subject to bring up, but let’s forget about that for a minute and face the facts: Some forty thousand women die of HPV related cancer every year. We cannot afford to bury our heads in the sand.

So to sum all of the above up into a list of “just the HPV facts”…

You have a very strong chance of contracting HPV in your lifetime. Your odds for catching a life threatening strain of HPV are slim, but the possibility is very real, nonetheless. Contracting HPV can only be prevented by the vaccine, using condoms, and/or having STD tests conducted on yourself and your sex partner.

The chance of catching HPV is very real, but you can significantly reduce the risk by practicing safe sex. You can strengthen your immune system against HPV and genital warts infections by eating properly and exercising. Basically, just be careful, live a healthy lifestyle, and you should be relatively safe.

HPV Health is dedicated to bringing you the most current information on HPV.  We are dedicated to helping you.  For more information on symptoms and treatments visit HPV.

Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_763820_17.html

Causes of Genital Warts - Useful Information For HPV Prevention

Genital Warts….What are the causes?

There over 100 known strains of the virus that causes genital warts

but only about one third of them are known to attack the genital area. This strain of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is called genital HPV and affects over half of all sexually active males and females. They can be further classified into low and high risk HPV.

The commonest mode of transmission of is sex with an infected person. Over two thirds of people who have sex with a carrier of HPV are likely to get an infection. The infection will be passed across though oral, anal or vaginal sex. Unfortunately, even toddlers can get infected during the birth process. These children pick the virus as they pass through the birth canal and will mostly develop symptoms in the mouth or the throat.

Other likely predisposing factors for getting genital warts are suspected to be the use of birth control and oral contraceptives, causing and indirect risk because it increases the possibility of multiple sexual partners without the risk of conceiving. So does the excessive use of alcohol, smoking as well as stress. When the immune system is weakened by any factor the risks also go higher.

How can they be prevented?

Treatment and removal of the virus that causes genital warts is not possible currently for there is no known cure. The best that medical practitioners will do is to remove the accompanying symptoms. The warts are removed but the underlying cause remains intact in the body. HPV is known to lie dormant in the body for a long time without manifesting any symptoms. A medical examination is the only way to know whether you are infected or not.

Even though HPV is transmitted sexually, it is actually spread through skin to skin contact even when there is no exchange of bodily fluids during the sexual act. That means you can get it through anal and oral sex as well, resulting in the warts appearing in unlikely places like the mouth and the throat. Abstinence remains the top of the range modes of prevention or at least the use of latex condoms during sexual intercourse.

As for women, there is the option of a vaccine against HPV and cervical cancer which can protect from some strains of HPV that could also cause genital warts. It is recommended for women between the ages of 13 and 26 as long as they have not been exposed to the HPV virus. Finally you can try to boost your immune system through taking a balanced diet and a generally healthy lifestyle. A compromised immune system makes you vulnerable not only to HPV but many other health challenges we encounter on day to day basis.

Raj Kumar - About the Author:

Source:  http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/causes-of-genital-warts-useful-information-for-prevention-970087.html

Genital Warts - The Low and High Risk Factors and Causes

Genital warts are one of the most common forms of sexually transmitted disease. These warts appear as small flesh-colored bumps that are raised and shaped like cauliflowers. Genital warts may start as tiny lesions that are approximately 2 millimeters in diameter. Then, they eventually grow and expand into bigger masses.

In men, genital warts develop on and around the scrotum, anus area, and penis shaft. In women, they are usually found in and out of the vagina, uterus, cervix, and around the anus. For both genders, genital warts may manifest around the throat and mouth areas especially when the individual has previously engaged in sexual intercourse with another infected person.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the virus that is responsible for genital warts. There are a total of 100 strains of HPV. However, only 30 strains can infect our genital region. These 30 strains are what we call genital HPV, which can affect approximately 50 percent of women and men who are sexually active.

Two types of HPV exist: low-risk and high-risk. High-risk HPV may bring about cancer of the vagina, cervix, anus, throat, or penis. This type of HPV is not related to the type that causes genital warts. Type 16 HPV is related to approximately half of all the cases of cervical cancer. Types 45, 31, 18, and 16 all together are related to 80 percent of the cases of cervical cancer.

Low-risk HPV is the one that leads to genital warts. To be specific, approximately 90 percent of the cases of genital warts are caused by types 11 and 6 of HPV. Low-risk HPV is often hard to detect since it does not manifest any symptoms. In fact, a lot of people are carriers of HPV but they are not aware of it. Thus, the risk of transmitting HPV becomes even higher. It would be for your own good if you undergo regular check-ups so that you would know whether or not you have the virus.

The most common method through which genital warts can be transferred from one person to another is through sexual intercourse with an infected person. Experts estimate that approximately 66 percent of those who engage in sex with an infected individual will have genital warts either through oral, anal, or vaginal sex. Childbirth is another way by which genital warts can be transmitted. When the infant passes through a woman's infected birth canal, there is a possibility that he/she can develop warts inside his/her mouth and throat. This is called laryngeal papillomatosis.

The probability of genital warts occurring as well as other HPV-related illnesses are further increased by some risk factors. These risk factors include having many sex partners, becoming sexually active at an early age, having STDs in the past, and engaging in sexual intercourse with an individual even though you are not aware of his/her sexual history. The use of oral contraceptives such as birth control pills may also increase your chances of having genital warts because of decreased protected sexual intercourse.

Smoking, excessive stress, and alcohol consumption may also raise your chances of contracting genital warts. Moreover, a compromised immunity against diseases is a risk factor. Thus, those who have undergone physical trauma through surgery and other invasive procedures as well as those who have had serious diseases such as cervical cancer will most probably have genital warts.

W. Darren - - About the Author:

For more information, kindly visit Genital Warts Support Team - a health resource dedicated to providing factual information about Genital Warts. Visit site for related topics: "Causes of Genital Warts", "Diagnosis of Genital Warts" and more.

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How Are Genital Warts Treated

Genital warts on the skin are usually seen and recognized. Your health care provider may put a liquid on the skin to make it easier to see the wart. More than 75 types of double-stranded HPV papovaviruses have been isolated thus far. Genital wart therapies can be administered by the patient or health provider. Providers can treat with a chemical called podophyllin, surgical removal or, in some cases, warts may be "frozen" and removed by a process called cryosurgery.

Genital warts most often appear on the external genitals or near the anus of females and males. Genital warts can also appear inside the vagina and on the cervix, although this is less common.17 Because genital warts aren't always visible, they can be spread unknowingly.

Be aware of the following before we talk about treatments.

They are one of the most common infections that can be caught from sexual activity (sexually transmitted infections - STIs), and are caused by viruses called human papillomaviruses (HPV). More than 25% of sexually active young people have HPV infections, and more than 80% of sexually active women will have HPV at some stage in their lives.

There are about 40 different types of HPV causing infections in the genital area, and about 25 of them can cause genital warts. HPV types 6 and 11 cause 90 percent of genital warts (the immunisations that are being given to protect women against the HPV that cause cervical cancer also protect women from HPV types 6 and 11).

Treatments such as podophyllin (podofilox) or trichloracetic acid (TCA) are reasonable options. These chemicals are applied to the surface of the wart by a Doctor or nurse.

A new treatment is now on the market. This prescription drug works the same way as podophyllin but can be applied at home by the patient.

There is no single treatment that is best for all patients or all warts. Treatment depends partly on the size, number, and location of the warts. They can be removed from the skin with medicated creams and liquids, by freezing with liquid nitrogen, through surgery, or by laser treatment.

Your medical advisor must be contacted and will give you advice on the best treatment for you. Medications used to treat warts on the hands or feet should not be used to treat genital warts because they can be harmful to the genital skin. Warts may be more difficult to treat in persons with a weakened immune system, such as those with advanced HIV infection. Although warts can be removed, there is no cure for the original HPV infection.

If you're diagnosed with genital warts, it's important to tell everyone you've had sex with recently, so they can be evaluated for HPV and other STDS and treated appropriately. There is currently no widely available test to tell whether someone without visible warts or other symptoms is infected with HPV.

This article is provided for general reading and entertainment and is not medical advice. Consult your medical advisor, doctor or nurse about all aspects of any ailment and treatment.

Steve Evans - About the Author:

Steve Evans has provided a new web site for those looking for wart treatment. It is an unappealling subject, and no exactly a great thing to have to research, but a visit to the Wart Treatment and Removal web site is recommended before you pay out for any wart treatment or off-the-shelf remedy.

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