QUESTION
My doctor recently told me that I have HPV. I
would like to know whether this condition is treatable and whether
it will prevent me from having children. Also, can I pass it on
to my boyfriend? I heard that if it goes untreated, it could turn
into cervical cancer. Help!
ANSWER
First off, it’s important to know that there are multiple
strains of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), which can be either low-risk
or high-risk. Low-risk strains can cause genital warts. High-risk
strains have been associated with pre-cancerous and cancerous lesions
of the cervix.
HPV is spread through skin-to-skin contact of vaginal,
penile, anal or oral surfaces. The only way to prevent transmission
is to avoid contact altogether or at least with any visible lesions,
such as warts. Condoms also may help decrease HPV transmission.
However, it has the ability to come and go. It may be contracted,
lay dormant, and eventually become active after months, or even
years! So it’s hard to say who you got it from.
It’s unclear which type of HPV you have, but it is rare that
HPV progresses to cervical cancer. Fertility and future child bearing
should not be an issue in the presence of HPV, and vaginal delivery
is allowed in the presence of genital warts. However, if the warts
are so large that they block the vagina, a cesarean section may
be necessary.
It is important that women have annual pap smears starting at the
age of 21 or within 3 years after they become sexually active. It’s
likely that your doctor used a pap smear to detect the infection.
A pap smear is a “smear” of the cells on the cervix
meant to help screen for pre-cancerous lesions. The hope is to identify
abnormalities before they progress to cancer. Not all pap smears
automatically test for HPV, so if a woman’s pap smear appears
abnormal, she may be called back a specific cervical swab that tests
for the infection. Depending on the abnormality noted on the pap
smear, a patient may undergo further diagnostic testing called colposcopy,
which is a close-up view of the cervix to identify any changes.
Unfortunately, specific HPV testing for your boyfriend is not available.
However, if he has a visible growth such as a wart, he should see
his physician.
For further information please refer to the
National Institutes of Health.
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