Most people infected with HPV do not develop any symptoms or health problems from the virus because the body's immune system is able to fight off the infection. “For the overwhelming majority of people, having an HPV infection has no impact on their lives,” Dr. Cullins says.
Other strains of HPV are known as high risk. In women, these strains can cause cancers of the cervix, vagina, vulva, and anus, as well as head and neck cancers. Almost all cases of cervical cancers are caused by the HPV virus. In men, high risk strains of HPV can cause penile, anal and head and neck cancers.
Genital infection by HPV may give rise to feelings of guilt and hypochondriac fears, as well as problems associated to sexual behaviour. In some cases, even after having received treatment, a high rate of sexual deterioration, fear of cancer and a worsening of the emotional relationship with the partner exists [16].
Since the risk of developing cancer from HPV is so low, and since most HPV-related cancers can be treated or even prevented, you're probably OK to keep having sex. If your partner has genital warts, their HPV probably isn't precancerous.
HPV usually doesn't make you feel sick or cause any symptoms. Your immune system can fight off the infection before you ever know you have it, but you could still spread it to others before that happens. If you do get symptoms, the most common signs of HPV are genital warts.
Don't panic.
In most cases, your body is able to fight HPV on its own, and the virus will go away without causing any health problems in one or two years.
But when HPV does not go away, it can cause health problems like genital warts and cancer. Genital warts usually appear as a small bump or group of bumps in the genital area. They can be small or large, raised or flat, or shaped like a cauliflower.
You're contagious for as long as you have the virus — regardless of whether or not you have symptoms. For example, even if your genital warts have disappeared, you can still spread the HPV that caused them if the virus is still in your body. Once your immune system destroys the virus, you're no longer contagious.
High-risk sexual behavior is the main risk factor associated with the acquisition and persistence of HPV infection and development of HPV-associated cancers7. These sexual risk behaviors include age of first vaginal sex, age of first oral sex, and number of oral and vaginal sexual partners7.
Those who said they were depressed or believed they had high levels of stress also still had an active HPV infection. HPV usually clears up on its own, but this study is really the first to indicate a link between stress and persistent HPV infection.
Emotional Impact of Living With HPV
Getting a diagnosis of HPV can take quite an emotional toll on you. You might become more socially withdrawn and exhibit symptoms of anxiety and depression over your diagnosis. It's important to remember at this point that you can go on to live a regular life.
When the body's immune system can't get rid of an HPV infection with oncogenic HPV types, it can linger over time and turn normal cells into abnormal cells and then cancer. About 10% of women with HPV infection on their cervix will develop long-lasting HPV infections that put them at risk for cervical cancer.
If you still have HPV after 3 years, you may need to have a colposcopy. You'll be asked to have a colposcopy. Information: HPV is a common virus and most people will get it at some point.
HPV can stay in the body for 10-20 years. Finding out you have HPV doesn't mean you or your partner have been unfaithful. It's your decision whether or not to tell your partner you have HPV.
How did I get HPV? HPV is a sexually-acquired virus. Even if you were to have sex with a single partner in your life, using condoms every time, there is an 80% chance you will acquire HPV in your lifetime. HPV can be spread by contact between genital skin, so LGBQTI people can also get the virus.
The most common are small, hard sores called warts, but not everyone who has HPV gets them. They may be raised, flat, or shaped like a cauliflower, and they can be different sizes. They can show up on your genital area or other places, depending on the type of the virus you have. These warts often go away on their own.
If someone is aware that he or she is infected with HPV, he or she is required to tell any possible sexual partner of his or her infection status before engaging in intimate contact.
Typically, the HPV types that cause genital warts survive just two to three hours outside the human body, he said, adding that if the virus is in a warm and humid environment, it can survive more than a day. If someone then makes skin contact with a contaminated surface, they could be infected, he said.
Yes. Although most infections occur following intercourse, HPV may also be passed on during oral sex and genital-to-genital contact. Even more rarely, a mom can transmit the virus to her baby during birth.
Since this foot condition can be spread through contact due to HPV, there is a possibility that warts can be spread through an infected person's contact with bed sheets.
Pelvic pain is very common in women, and it has many possible causes. But if you experience pelvic pain and you have an HPV infection, it could be a warning sign of cancer. The pain may feel like a general, constant ache, or it may worsen during sexual intercourse.
High-risk HPVs can cause several types of cancer. There are about 14 high-risk HPV types including HPV 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59, 66, and 68. Two of these, HPV16 and HPV18, are responsible for most HPV-related cancers.