HPV Virus In Women

What the heck is HPV virus in women?

Human papillomavirus or HPV is what we call a group of viruses that has more than a hundred types, forty of which can be passed through genital contact. In the US, it is the most common sexually transmitted infection, and although over fifty percent of sexually active people will have genital HPV at one point or another, most of them wouldn’t even know it because HPV is often asymptomatic and goes away on its own in two years. However, in these cases, it may be found again some years after.

HPV Virus in Women Symptoms

Genital HPV is divided into two categories: low-risk and high-risk HPV. HPV virus in women that leads to cervical cancer is labeled high-risk. Sometimes, HPV can cause normal cervical cells to mutate, and over time, these cells can turn into cancer. However, as mentioned above, most of the time, HPV goes away by itself. Low-risk HPV virus in women, on the other hand, is what causes warts to grow inside and around the vagina, the groin or the cervix, and inside or around the anus.

Because high-risk HPV virus in women can sometimes lead to cervical cancer, it is best to get regular screening tests to detect early signs in order for the problem to be removed even before it becomes full-blown cancer. Two such tests are the pap, or the Papanicolaou test, and DNA testing for HPV. The pap smear, another name for pap test, involves collecting cells from the cervix to detect abnormal cells which may cause cancer. It should be done every three years, starting from three years after the first sexual intercourse. DNA testing for HPV, on the other hand, is another screening method that detects most of the cancer-causing HPVs. This, however, is not recommended for those who are older than 30 years.