HPV And The Consequences

Yeah - it's that bad

HPV is the most commonly spread sexually transmitted infection that encompasses more than 150 different varieties, which includes strains responsible for genital warts and cancer. 

It is highly contagious through skin-to-skin contact or the exchange of body fluids.  This mainly occurs during sexual intercourse and not all strains of the virus can be avoided by using condoms.  Sharing drinks and food also pose a risk to developing HPV, although; the main area of infection are the genitals of men and women. 

graphic, but true

Now that we know how it's spread let's examine signs and symptoms of HPV.  There are, in fact, little or no noticeable symptoms of the majority of HPV strains.  Over half the American population will get some type of HPV during their lifetime and never know it, possibly spreading it without protection.  Some strains of the virus cause genital warts, but they may not always be visible and may show up months or even years after the initial exposure.  Skin-to-skin contact with these warts will result in HPV infection.  Although it's very unpleasant, genital warts are not the most devastating aspect of HPV.  HPV causes almost every kind of genital cancer in men and women.  It is most often associated with cervical and ovarian cancer, but it can also cause anal and penal cancer in men. 

Men and women can spread it

HPV survives by infecting a type of body tissue called the mucus membrane, which makes up male and female genitals, the surface of the throat, and other sensitive areas.  Mucus membranes are made up of stem cells, which regularly regenerates the tissue with new cells.  When the virus is present it infects one cell, which then reproduces again to create more infected cells.  It's difficult for the immune system to target and destroy these cells because they like to wander to other parts of the body, and when they land in other types of tissue they assimilate those cells and produce more infected cells.

Cancer, or malignant tumors, are created when a cluster of these infected cells begin to reproduce out of control - building up until they form a mass in the tissue, or the cells begin to eat away at the healthy cells in the tissue creating a lesion.  The cells may be building up around themselves like Legos, but many of them like to travel especially if there are blood vessels nearby or lymph nodes, which act as highways.  Blood vessels routinely carry damaged and old cells to the liver and spleen to be recycled, but HPV infected cells are often resilient and will leave the blood vessels when they find suitable tissue to plant themselves, making the cancer metastatic.   Cancerous cells typically like other stem cells and will find other bodily tissue that regularly regenerates itself - like our bones - to plant itself and infect the surrounding stem cells. 

For women especially, HPV-associated cancers are not symptomatic until a large mass or tumor has developed.  By then the chances of survival are dramatically less than catching it at an earlier phase.   HPV cancers are best treated if they are caught early when they are merely a sheet of cancerous cells.  A pap smear is the only way to test for HPV or cancerous cells within the genitals for women.  Skin tissue within the throat and anus can also be tested, but these areas usually go unnoticed until the cancer produces a mass in which we later biopsy to collect a sample and that will tell us exactly what caused the mass to grow. 

Catch it quickly before it gets really bad

Pap smears are the golden standard for preventing HPV cancers and the virus itself.  In most cases HPV doesn't cause symptoms and the body will clear it away on its own, but having HPV at any point in your life will increase the likelihood of getting any kind of genital cancer just like smoking increases the likelihood of getting lung cancer.  

choose your partners wisely

Safe sex practices like condom use and limiting sexual partners will decrease your chances of getting HPV, but remember HPV is also responsible for 70% of throat and tongue cancer.  Drinks and food should not be shared to avoid this. 

this guy had HPV-associated throat cancer

...but it doesn't always work

Regular testing is a priority to manage and avoid the HPV epidemic.  If you don't have health insurance to get regular testing there are many programs and other resources available in your community like the Free Clinic of SW Washington that can provide pap smears and other help to prevent and treat HPV.  For women ages 40 and over you can call 800-992-1817 for a free pap smear, and for all other age groups and demographics you can call 211 or visit 211.org for a nationwide network of free health and human services.