How HPV Is Spread and Methods of Infection

On Earth, approximately 80% of the population is infected with the human papillomavirus. Since, due to HPV infection, not only harmless papillomas can appear on the body, but also genital warts, as well as growths that can degenerate malignant, it is very important to know how HPV is transmitted. Perhaps this knowledge will help someone to avoid infection and protect themselves from such dangerous diseases as cancer of the cervix, vulva, vagina, anal passage, penis and even breast. In the article we tell you about HPV: how it is transmitted, risk factors and preventive measures.

How is the human papillomavirus spread?

how the human papillomavirus is transmitted

First, it must be said that papilloma is transmitted through the epidermis and saliva. At the same time, for some time the infection may not make itself felt and manifest itself by the formation of genital warts and papillomas only with a decrease in immunity.

If we talk about how the papillomavirus is transmitted, then the probability of infection increases significantly if there are lesions, scratches and abrasions on the skin.

Attention!Many people wonder if papilloma is inherited. The answer is no. It's just that when one of the family members is infected, the papilloma virus is transmitted in everyday life or from mother to baby during childbirth.

The following ways of transmission of the viral infection from person to person are known:

  1. It is transmitted through everyday life, that is, through touch, common household items, clothing. The infection can be transmitted through kissing.
  2. If a person has genital papillomas, the transmission could have occurred sexually, that is, during unprotected sex.
  3. Self-infection is possible during shaving, waxing and other skin damage. Since papilloma is contagious to surrounding healthy skin cells, a person can transfer the virus from diseased parts of the body to healthy ones.
  4. The vertical route of infection is the transmission of infection from mother to child during delivery.
  5. Much less frequently, infection occurs during a blood transfusion, during surgical removal of neoplasms caused by HPV. Also, infection is not excluded in beauty salons, manicure rooms, baths, saunas and swimming pools, where the rules of asepsis are neglected.

If we talk about how you can get papilloma, in 70% of cases of sexual infection, the culprit is a man. In the presence of an epithelial neoplasm on the lips or genitals, the probability of infection is almost 90%. It must also be taken into account that the presence of a condom, although it reduces the risk of infection, still does not guarantee 100 percent protection, since HPV can penetrate through microtrauma into the skin of the hands and other parts of the body. Body. Also, condylomas can be located in the groin or pubic region, where a condom does not protect against direct contact with the partner.

Important!If one of the partners is a carrier of the virus, but does not have papillomas, warts or genital warts, the risk of infection of the other partner is significantly reduced.

transmission of human papillomavirus

If you list all the ways you can get infected with papillomavirus in a newborn, then infection in the prenatal period is unlikely, since the virus does not penetrate the bloodstream and the fetusit is reliably protected by amniotic fluid, bladder, and placenta. However, in medical practice, rare cases of intrauterine infection with damage to the placenta and fetal bladder have been recorded.

For women planning a pregnancy, it is very important to know if the father of the child is contagious and if he can transmit the infection to the future mother, since genital warts that appear during pregnancy are very dangerous for the child. In case of infection of the baby during delivery, there is a threat of laryngeal papillomatosis and subsequent asphyxia. Since the infection is transmitted through saliva, it is important to be aware of the presence of papillomas, genital warts and warts in the man's mouth and on the mucous membranes of the oral cavity, because a woman can become infected with oral sex.

If a family member has a papilloma, it is important that all members of the household know how it is transmitted in everyday life:

  • by sharing bedding, towels, soap, cosmetics, washcloths, and other personal belongings, the virus can penetrate micro-trauma to the skin;
  • Saliva infection is possible when using a toothbrush, glasses or other utensils;
  • infection is also possible through clothing and other household items.

Risk factors

We found out how you can get infected with the human papillomavirus, but it is equally important to know not only the routes of transmission, but also the risk factors for infection with the papillomavirus.

So, the human papillomavirus penetrates the skin and mucous membranes much more easily in the context of the following provoking factors:

  1. In men, children and women, infection is more likely in the context of reduced immunity. A common cold or sore throat can contribute to this.
  2. risk of contracting human papillomavirus
  3. The risk of contracting HPV increases when the intestinal or vaginal microflora is altered. In the first case, the general immunity suffers, in the second case, the local defenses of the body decrease, and the probability of contracting sexually increases.
  4. The genital tract of infection most often becomes the cause of infection in the context of other sexually transmitted diseases (syphilis, gonorrhea, trichomoniasis).
  5. Any means of transmission can be potentially dangerous for a person in the context of an exacerbation of a chronic disease, when the body is weakened by the disease.
  6. There is no question that papillomas are contagious. The virus can easily penetrate from the host into the cells of a healthy person if their defenses are weakened by stress, loss of energy, overwork, or depression.

Important!Any virus is more easily transmitted to men and women who have bad habits (smoking, alcohol). The risk of infection is also significantly increased in women taking combination contraceptives.

The following conditions and diseases are predisposing factors for sexual transmission of the virus:

  • earlier onset of sexual activity;
  • prostitution;
  • frequent change of sexual partners;
  • promiscuous sex life;
  • history of sexually transmitted diseases;
  • age is over 35;
  • pathology of the cervix;
  • immunodeficiency states.

Prevention

We found out how the human papillomavirus is transmitted (women, men and children), now it remains to consider prevention measures. It must be said immediately that the most effective way to avoid infection is preventive vaccination. To date, two types of vaccines are known for this infection. They protect against the most dangerous oncogenic strains of viral infection. However, the high effectiveness of such protection is observed only with vaccination at a young age, before sexual intercourse or before infection with one of the HPV strains.

As for other prevention methods, no one has annulled the rules of hygiene, condom use, sexual discrimination and abandoning bad habits. It is useful to maintain the strength of the immune system: eat well, be calm, exercise, walk in the fresh air, drink vitamins regularly.