HIV (in green) Budding on a Lymphocyte

HIV (Human Immunodefiency Virus) causes AIDS, or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. AIDS is actually the result of a severely weakened immune system caused by HIV. When the immune system becomes ineffective, all sorts of diseases and infections enter the body. This is why it is extremely difficult to treat AIDS, and almost all who have been infected by the disease rarely survive AIDS. This article will discuss AIDS and how it affects the immune system.

What HIV does when it enters the body is it infects the cells of the immune system, takes over them, and produces more of its kind. The cells of the immune system are often used as vessels for reproduction or are stopped from functioning. As a result, more and more of the immune system’s cells are invaded and more of the virus is produced. The body eventually loses all of its vital defense mechanisms and becomes susceptible to all kinds of diseases and infections. This is when a person with HIV gets AIDS. When one starts to get infected by various diseases and infections within a short period of time, the body becomes “overworked” in trying to defend itself and no longer has time to recover.

There are four stages of HIV infection. The primary HIV infection (first stage) involves large amounts of HIV present in the peripheral blood. In this stage the immune system reacts to the virus by secreting HIV antibodies and cytotoxic lymphocytes. At this stage, an HIV antibody test may not turn out positive. Symptoms at this point are often characterized as flu-like symptoms.

The clinically asymptomatic stage (second stage) involves the levels of HIV in the peripheral blood dramatically decreasing. However, the infected body stays highly infectious and tests will indicate a positive result.

On the third stage, the body will have had symptomatic HIV infection. This means the virus has already damaged the immune system to an extent that it is no longer able to function properly. Lymph nodes and tissues have collapsed, the body is no longer able to replace T helper cells, and the virus continues to mutate and grow stronger.

On the fourth stage, the HIV infection progresses into AIDS. This is when your immune system collapses and other infectious diseases are able to enter the body easily. Symptoms are no longer mild but rather much worse at this stage.

The symptoms of HIV are generally undetected because infected individuals can still look well and healthy, even though their immune systems have already been damaged. Typically, a person who has been infected just a few weeks before can experience a brief flu-like illness as a symptom. After a few days or weeks, this symptom can disappear.

HIV can be transmitted through sexual intercourse with an infected person, infected blood, and birth (an infected pregnant woman can pass the virus to her unborn child). The best way to find out if you have HIV/AIDS or not is to be tested. For medical advice, consult a healthcare professional.

(Left) Normal Cells (Right) HPV Infected Cellls

HPV infection is a very common occurrence among humans. There is more than a hundred types of HPV and close to 30 types pose a risk for cancer. Symptoms of HPV can appear as warts and abnormal bleeding in the genitals. However, symptoms of HPV do not always show, and sometimes they may show years later. Many people who may be infected with the virus are unaware of the infection and don’t know about the sexually transmitted disease. Let’s discuss the HPV statistics in women, children, and men.

HPV Statistics In Women

More recent studies have shown that HPV affects more than a third of the women in the United States by the time they are 24 years old. It is estimated that 7.5 million girls and women 14 to 24 years of age are affected. In the recent years, more than 9,000 new cases of HPV-related cancers and over 3,000 deaths were reported. It has been found that more than half of the women who died of cervical cancer had never gotten a Pap smear.

HPV Statistics In Children

Studies have shown that more and more children each year have anogenital warts. This is mainly because of the increased prevalence of HPV in general. Girls with anogenital warts can develop more serious conditions such as malignant cancers that follow infection.

Researchers are also now trying to find out how to identify which of the infected children have been sexually abused and which have developed the HPV infection through mother-to-child transmission. Studies have shown that infants under the age of 1 year develop HPV due to the transmission of the disease that occurred during their mother’s pregnancy. On the other hand, studies have shown that children older than 6 (mostly girls) had a high rate of alleged or confirmed sexual abuse. Cautious assessments and interview are often recommended for these studies.

HPV Statistics In Men

Over 50 percent of sexually active men in the United States will be affected by HPV at least once in their lifetime. Around 1 percent of them have genital warts. It is estimated that more than a thousand men will develop penile cancer caused by HPV. This type of cancer is rare among circumcised men. Furthermore, close to 2,000 men will develop anal cancer caused by HPV, and the risk for this type of cancer is close to 20 times higher among gay and bisexual men compared to heterosexual men, and considerably higher among those with weakened immune systems or HIV. Both cancers of the anus and penis in men are considered rare. However, there is not yet an approved HPV test for men.

Around 20 million Americans are infected with HPV and studies show that 5.5 million will become infected through sexual intercourse every year. 6.2 million new cases of HPV infection are identified each year. Around half of all sexually active men and women are infected with genital HPV at least once in their lives and more than half of women aged 50 and above will have been infected by HPV. As a result, HPV has become the most widespread sexually transmitted disease in the world.

HPV and Pregnancy

The common symptoms of HPV are genital warts, and these often worsen during pregnancy. The reason for this is that you become more susceptible to being infected by viruses. Typically, HPV-related symptoms found in pregnant women become larger and grow at a faster rate. HPV and pregnancy have been a concern among many pregnant women or those who want to become pregnant because HPV is known to be contagious. Let’s discuss HPV and its effect on pregnancy.

Someone who has no history of HPV and is trying to get pregnant can have an HPV test, where cells are taken from the cervix and examined in the laboratory to identify the high-risk types of HPV. A colposcopy may also be used to detect abnormal tissue changes. A woman who’s had regular Pap tests and kept having good results do not necessarily need any specific test for HPV.

If a woman wants to become pregnant but has a history of HPV needs to discuss with her doctor regarding any symptoms that may suggest HPV infection such as genital warts or abnormal vaginal bleeding. This way, the doctor can detect other tissue changes, monitor the progress of the infection and prescribe the appropriate treatment.

If you are pregnant and have been diagnosed with HPV, it is important to know that it has not been established that there is a connection between HPV and premature delivery or miscarriage. Furthermore, the occurrence of transmitting HPV from the pregnant mother to her infant is found to be rare. If, however, high-risk types of HPV such as those that cause cervical cancer are present, your doctor may monitor you during pregnancy to find out if there are any changes in the cervical tissue. Treatment is available for pregnant women. However, doctors will often delay treatment as it can cause premature labor.

HPV and pregnancy can cause complications that need treatment. Newborn babies can get HPV, however, cases like these are rare. If a baby does get the virus from the mother, the infection usually clears up after some time. A child infected by HPV through mother-to-child transmission can develop genital warts or respiratory papillomatosis, or warts in the throat. This case is rare but if respiratory papillomatosis is present, it can cause serious blockages in the airways and the child may require frequent laser surgery.

Having a cesarean section is believed to prevent HPV transmission. However, most medical specialists do not recommend such a procedure just to prevent HPV transmission to the child, as this is very rare. Furthermore, the cesarean section is a risky procedure.

If a child is infected with HPV, up to 50 percent of the HPV infection may clear up within six months. Still, your child may need treatment especially if symptoms are visually unpleasant, painful, or itchy. Treatment is also necessary to prevent the virus from spreading.

HPV and pregnancy complications can be treated after proper tests are conducted. Routine tests are not commonly performed for expecting mothers. To find out if you are infected with HPV, you need to decide on tests such as Pap smears yourself. Although there are no drugs that can cure HPV, there are treatments available to remove warts during pregnancy. Doctors often conduct follow-up treatment and monitoring after pregnancy.

Cervical Cancer Cells (HPV is linked to Cervical Cancer)

It is true that cervical cancer is highly linked to human papillomavirus infection. In fact, HPV is one of the highest risk factors in the development of cervical cancer. This article discusses HPV cervical cancer and the connection between the two diseases.

There are close to 30 types of HPV that pose a risk for cancer. Studies have shown that HPV types 16 and 18 account for more than half of all cancer cases. When HPV is present in the human body, it may naturally go away after some time. Unfortunately, HPV can progress further into causing more serious health conditions or diseases such as cervical cancer. In fact, some strains of HPV are known to be necessary factors in the development of cervical cancer—100 percent of all cervical cancers are caused by HPV!

Millions of Americans have the possibility of having HPV and 75 percent of American women are unaware of HPV. The onset of genital warts, which is one of the more common symptoms of HPV, develops in only around 1 percent of infected adults who are sexually active. When symptoms are present, they are either obvious or very minute that they are undetected. These are just a few of the reasons why so many infected people do not get treatment right away for HPV cervical cancer and other related conditions.

The symptoms of cervical cancer are very similar to the symptoms of other health conditions. For instance, symptoms of cervical cancer can be confused for the common symptoms of PMS in women. What’s worse is, cervical cancer can show no symptoms at all. When symptoms do become obvious, the cancer is already in its advanced stages, and the appearance of symptoms also differ a lot among women. The typical symptoms of cervical cancer include unusual heavy discharge, vaginal bleeding, pain during urination, pelvic pain, and abnormal bleeding, which may occur after sexual intercourse, after a pelvic exam, after douching, and in between regular menstrual periods.

When cervical cancer is detected early on, treating precancers can halt the progression of the disease. Precancerous cells can also be prevented. Prevention often involves avoiding risk factors, and treatment involves the use of vaccines among other kinds of treatment.

Preventive measures can be taken by delaying sexual intercourse, staying in a monogamous relationship, limiting the number of sexual partners, and avoiding having sexual intercourse with partners who have been with many other sexual partners. HPV can be easily passed on from one person to the next, as many do not experience its symptoms.

Condoms can also prevent the transmission of HPV, but only to some degree. You can have better protection only if condoms are always used in a consistent manner. Furthermore, condoms may become useless in protecting against HPV as the infection can spread through contact with infected skin.

Treatment for cervical cancer includes vaccines and mainly detecting precancerous changes. Helpful tests and other forms of treatment include Pap tests, HPV DNA tests, colposcoy and biopsy, endocervical scraping.

HPV Cervical cancer and other related conditions might display obvious symptoms or none at all. A patient with cervical cancer may not have any symptoms at all until the cancer is in its advanced stages. Therefore early detection and prevention is the key to fighting against precancers caused by HPV.

How Many People Actually Have HPV?

Although HPV symptoms are sometimes rarely present, HPV in general is actually very common. A person with HPV may not even know that he or she has the virus because symptoms don’t always show. Studies of men 17 to 80 years old have shown that 28 percent of them had HPV that progressed to the development of warts. Furthermore, women were three times more at risk for HPV if they have had miscarriages. Despite the large prevalence of HPV, many still wonder what is HPV. In general, HPV is prevalent among those who are sexually active or often engage in promiscuous sexual activity.

How Is HPV Transmitted?

A person can pass HPV to another person through vaginal, anal, or oral sex. The virus can also be transmitted by contact with the skin on the genital. Moreover, HPV can be passed on from an infected pregnant mother to her baby. The virus can infect regardless if symptoms are visible or not.

What Are The Signs And Symptoms To Look Out For?

No one can really watch out for symptoms to determine HPV infection. In fact, most HPV infections have no signs or symptoms. This makes it hard for a person to notice any abnormal changes in the body after being infected. In some women, infections may cause abnormal cell growth or dysplasia on the cervix. In other cases genital warts appear. Wart growths can occur in the vagina, lips of the vagina, areas surrounding the anus, and in rare cases, in the mouth or throat.

The growths are typified as red swellings, moistness, tenderness, and itchiness on the affected areas. They can be raised, flat, single, multiple, large, tiny, or the shape of a cauliflower. Bleeding and soreness can sometimes occur. HPV symptoms often appear 3 weeks to several years after initial infection.

How Can I Make Sure I Don’t Have HPV?

Only a proper diagnosis can tell you whether you have HPV or not. If growths are large, a doctor can simply examine these visually. Pap smears can confirm pre-cancerous conditions triggered by HPV (in women). Biopsies are also commonly done during diagnosis.

Can HPV Be Treated?

Applying topical creams can treat genital warts. Abnormal growths can also be treated by freezing or burning techniques. When treating cervical abnormalities, the affected tissue is removed as demonstrated in a LEEP procedure.

The question what is HPV and its treatment can be difficult to answer. Sometimes, HPV actually does not require treatment. The body can get rid of symptoms naturally in about two years. On the other hand, HPV has been linked to cervical cancer. The only best thing to do is to get a proper diagnosis and immediate treatment after HPV has been determined.

Warts

One of the major symptoms of HPV is the emergence of warts. There are many types of HPV, and those that cause warts are prevalent among those who are infected with the virus. In this case, the infection causes warts to grow as bumps not just on the skin, but also on the cervix, on the vulva, in the vagina, around the anus, scrotum, penis, or groin. These warts look like raised bumps that may resemble a cauliflower-like pattern. However, they may also appear flat, in multiples, as a single bump, tiny, or large. Genital warts are very common. They are also known as acuminate warts, verruca acuminata, condyloma acuminata, and venereal warts.

Changes In The Appearance Of HPV Symptoms

How an HPV symptom like the presence of warts appears visually can indeed change in time. The characteristics of a particular symptom highly depend on the stage of development and the infection’s rate of progression in each patient. Furthermore, the location of the identified symptoms also plays a role in the changes that occur in these symptoms’ appearance or characteristics.

When HPV Symptoms Are Not Visible

It may come to a surprise that you may have HPV but are unaware of it. This is the case for thousands or even millions of other people who may have HPV but do not know of it because symptoms are not obvious or visible to the naked eye. Symptoms become “invisible” when the virus is able to alter the DNA structure of the cell without changing the appearance of the skin.

HPV may cause only very small changes on the skin. These changes on the skin can be what medical specialists consider microscopic warts. These cannot be seen by the naked eye and can only be identified by the use of magnifying devices. This type of infection is called a sub clinical HPV infection.

Symptoms may be so minute that they can be invisible. However, there are other types of HPV infections that cause virtually no symptoms, as with the absence of any warts or other changes in the skin (latent HPV infection). Unfortunately, these cases are more widespread among patients.

HPV-related Symptoms

HPV can actually lead to other diseases and so the symptoms of these diseases should be considered if HPV infection is suspected. In more severe cases of HPV, respiratory papillomatosis and cancer may occur. When papillomatosis is present in an infected person, he or she may experience difficulty breathing and a frequent recurrence of the disease. Rarely does respiratory papillomatosis cause cancer (although it is possible). Precancerous cervical conditions are highly linked with HPV. Pap tests can identify abnormal cervical cells as symptoms of cervical cancer.

In conclusion, HPV symptoms can either be obvious, invisible to the naked eye, or characteristic of other diseases caused by or linked to HPV. Proper treatment can only be administered after diagnosis.

What Does The HPV Vaccine Do?

The HPV vaccine helps prevent certain sexually transmitted strains of human papilloma virus, which is linked with the onset of genital warts and cervical cancer. Vaccines are widely available but are more preventative than therapeutic. However, there are therapeutic HPV vaccines that are being developed today in hopes to eliminate established tumors associated with cervical cancer.

Presently, vaccines are being developed to prevent HPV types 16 and 18, which are considered to be the cause of or associated with cervical cancer in more than half of HPV cases. Other vaccines have also been developed to prevent HPV types 6 and 11, which are responsible for genital warts.

Who Benefits From the HPV Vaccine?

Oftentimes it is those who are not yet sexually active who benefit most from HPV vaccination. Furthermore, those who have not yet been infected with any of all four types of HPV can also benefit most from vaccination. It is recommended that females as young as 9 should have the vaccination as they are not yet sexually active. Older girls or women who are sexually active may not have the same benefits, as their risk for already having HPV is much higher. However, if less than two types of HPV were acquired, a vaccine for the other types of HPV can be beneficial.

Females aged 9 to 26 are always recommended to take the HPV vaccine. However, it is not recommended for women older than 26 years as the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness in these women are not yet being sufficiently studied today.

There is a chance that males can benefit from the vaccine, although it is not yet clear. It is said that taking the HPV vaccine can possibly prevent genital warts and some cancers such as anal and penile cancer. Studies are still continuing to find out whether the HPV vaccine works in these areas among males.

Are There Any Side Effects Caused By The Vaccine?

Like with most medications, the HPV vaccine can have side effects. The good news is, most people who take the HPV vaccine do not have any complaints about side effects, and when they are present, they are often very mild and do not necessarily require treatment.

It has been found that the major cause of cervical cancer is HPV. Cervical cancer is responsible for thousands of deaths in women each year. Thus, it is important to know that the disease is highly preventable especially with HPV vaccination.

When a person is infected by HPV, the virus establishes itself in the basal cell layer and maintains the viral genome at 50 to 100 copies. The viral genome then multiplies to more than 1000 copies in the upper layers of the epithelium. HPV is so common that there are over 100 types of HPV, of which 30 to 40 types are transmitted through sexual contact.

How Is HPV Transmitted?

HPV can be transmitted through sexual intercourse/contact or from a pregnant mother to her child. Infection can spread through any sexual contact, including oral, vaginal, and anal intercourse. While HPV is mainly transmitted through sexual intercourse, studies have shown that HPV can also be passed on to another person through sexual contact without intercourse (i.e.: oral intercourse). However, this incidence is rare. Furthermore, it is possible for a pregnant mother to pass the virus to her child during delivery, where the child can develop laryngeal papillomatosis. HPV transmission through pregnancy is also a rare case.

How Do I Know If I Have HPV?

Transmission of HPV from one person to another can be considered a silent infection, since signs and symptoms are sometimes not obvious. Many individuals do not suspect that they have HPV because the signs and symptoms do not show at all. On the other hand, HPV can trigger other diseases such as skin warts, genital warts, cancer, and respiratory papillomatosis.

Warts found on the skin often appear on the hands, feet, knees, or elbows. These warts are typically raised above the skin and appear bumpy. Genital/anal warts may appear as a sign of HPV and is the easiest to identify among other types of warts. The major symptom of respiratory papillomatosis is difficulty breathing and recurrence of the condition even after treatment or surgery. In very rare cases, respiratory papillomatosis leads to cancer.

Is HPV Contagious?

HPV is definitely contagious, especially when there is sexual contact with a person who has vaginal or penile warts. There is great risk of transmitting or being infected by HPV for any sexually active person. HPV is so contagious that it is the most widespread sexually transmitted disease in the United States. One of the major reasons why the virus is easily transmitted is that genital warts may be present but not visible to the eye. This is called subliminal HPV and more research still needs to be done to study subliminal HPV.

Reducing the risk of HPV transmission may mean avoiding sexual contact with another person. Realistically, one should refrain from being sexually active with multiple partners and instead stay within a monogamous relationship, as this can lower down your chances of acquiring HPV. To this date, there is no known significant reduction of risk when condoms are used.