More than 42 percent of adults between the age of 18 and 59 are infected with genital human papillomavirus (HPV) – the most common sexually transmitted infection in the U.S.a recent survey says.
HPV infection commonly causes skin or mucous membrane growths (warts). Certain types of HPV infection cause cervical cancers. More than 100 varieties of human papillomavirus (HPV) exist.
Different types of HPV infection cause warts on different parts of your body. For example, some types of HPV infection cause plantar warts on the feet, while others cause warts that mostly appear on the face or neck.
Most HPV infections don’t lead to cancer. But some types of genital HPV can cause cancer of the lower part of the uterus that connects to the vagina (cervix). Other types of cancers, including cancers of the anus, penis, vagina, vulva and back of the throat (oropharyngeal), have been linked to HPV infection.
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In the report, published by the National Center for Health Statistics, findings indicate a high-risk strain of the virus has infected 25.1 percent of men and 20.4 percent of women. Approximately 9000 cases of HPV-related cancers are diagnosed in men annually, more specifically, 63 percent of penile, 91 percent of anal, and 72 percent of oropharyngeal cancers, other studies have shown.
Researchers suggest that the new data creates a sense of urgency to drive adolescents to get vaccinated, particularly young men. “If we can get 11- and 12-year-olds to get the vaccine, we’ll make some progress,” Geraldine McQuillan, an epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and lead author of the new study said.
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HPV Symptoms
Unfortunately, most people who have a high-risk type of HPV will never show any signs of the infection until it’s already caused serious health problems. That’s why regular checkups are so important — testing is the only way to know for sure if you’re at risk for cancer from HPV. Testing can find HPV and abnormal cell changes before they cause problems, so you can get treatment to stay healthy. In most cases, cervical cancer is preventable if your doctor catches the warning signs early.
A Pap test, sometimes called a Pap smear, finds abnormal cells on your cervix caused by HPV — but it doesn’t directly test for cancer or HPV. If a Pap test finds abnormal cells on your cervix, your doctor can monitor or treat them so they don’t turn into something more serious. An HPV test finds high-risk types of HPV on your cervix that can possibly lead to cancer. Your doctor can tell you which tests you need and how often you should get them.
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There isn’t a test for high-risk HPV in the vulva, penis, anus, or throat, and HPV itself doesn’t have any symptoms. If it becomes cancer, then there may be some symptoms.
Penile cancer — cancer of the penis — might show symptoms like changes in color or thickness of the skin of your penis, or a painful sore might show up on your penis.
Anal cancer might cause anal bleeding, pain, itching, or discharge, or changes in bowel habits (pooping).
Vulvar cancer — cancer of the vulva — might show symptoms like changes in color/thickness of the skin of your vulva. There may be chronic pain, itching, or there may be a lump.
Throat cancer might cause a sore throat, ear pain that doesn’t go away, constant coughing, pain or trouble swallowing or breathing, weight loss, or a lump or mass in your neck.
“You need to give it before kids become sexually active, before they get infected,” Dr. McQuillan said. “By the time they’re in their mid-20s, people are infected and it’s too late. This is a vaccine against cancer — that’s the message.”
