What is HPV virus? How many strains are there?

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted disease in the world today. It is very likely that a person will have HPV in their life but do not have any signs or symptoms.

HPV is considered the leading cause of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). There are many different types of HPV virus. Not all of them cause serious illness. Some strains of the virus only cause genital and anal acne. Some dangerous strains can enter and cause disease inside the genitals and become the cause of cancers in the cervix, anus and other genitals.
Therefore, depending on the strain of the virus that causes the disease, it is possible to contract the virus without any signs or symptoms, and it can also lead to incurable diseases such as cervical cancer.

HPV is sexually transmitted. It is possible to get HPV from an infected person through oral, anal, and vaginal sex. The disease can be completely transmitted to healthy people even if the infected person does not have any signs or symptoms of the disease.
HPV does not depend on the number of sexual partners. You can still get HPV even if you have sex with only one person. The risk of contracting not only HPV but also other STIs is higher if you have multiple sex partners.
Symptoms of the disease may not appear immediately. It may only appear after many years of sexual contact with an infected person. Therefore, it is not possible to determine exactly when infected.
HPV can also be passed from mother to child, but this is very rare.

Scientists have identified more than 100 different strains of HPV. Most of them are harmless, show no symptoms, and clear up on their own without treatment.
There are more than 40 strains of HPV that can cause genital and anal infections. Of these, 15 are high-risk HPV strains (strains 16 and 18), which can cause cancers ranging from cancers of the cervix to the anus and other genitals. Less dangerous strains can cause warts on the feet (especially the soles of the feet), genital warts. In some cases, it takes weeks to months after having sex with an infected person.

The virus persists for life in the patient's body even if the patient has no symptoms or has been treated for symptoms. Normally, the body fights off the virus on its own before health problems can occur. But if not, the virus will turn normal cells into abnormal, causing cancer for the patient.

In most cases of HPV, there are no symptoms of the disease, and the patient goes away on his own without leaving any complications. If infected with dangerous strains, the patient can have health problems such as warts, herpes. Acne shapes vary from small to large, from rising or falling. In addition, patients can also have different types of cancer.

Cervical cancer is the most common cancer caused by HPV. In addition, the patient can also develop other types of cancer such as vulvar, vaginal, penile and anal cancers. Rare cases, such as oropharyngeal cancer, can also occur.
Cancer is often discovered after many years to decades of living with HPV. There is no way to know if a person with HPV is likely to develop cancer.
HPV is also very difficult to completely eradicate in immunocompromised people (including people with HIV/AIDS). Therefore, in addition to the effects of HPV, they can also have other health problems.
If you are pregnant and infected with HPV, you may have genital warts or abnormal cell changes in the uterus. Abnormal cell changes can be found during routine cervical cancer screening. Pregnant women should be screened for cervical cancer periodically even while pregnant.

Vaccines are the most effective way to prevent disease today. The vaccine is given to people between the ages of 11 and 26 years old.
For women: The vaccine is given to girls aged 11-12 but can also be used by 26-year-old women who have never been vaccinated or had not had the full dose of the vaccine as children. For men: The vaccine is given to boys aged 11-12 years and can also be used for men 21 years of age if they have never been vaccinated or had not received the full dose of vaccine as children. The vaccine is also recommended for men aged 26 years who are sexually active or have a weak immune system. Safe sex is also a way to prevent disease. Using condoms correctly can reduce your risk of getting HPV. However, HPV can also enter the genitals in areas that cannot be covered by a condom. This can reduce the risk of disease, but not completely.
Maintain a monogamous relationship. A healthy relationship and minimizing sexual partners is a good way to prevent HPV.

Currently, medical science has not found a way to completely cure this disease. Only the symptoms of the disease can be reduced or eliminated, such as:
Acne on the genitals or extremities: the disease can be cured by prescriptions prescribed by your doctor. The most important thing is to clearly explain the symptoms you are experiencing. Pre-cervical cancer: Pap test and routine physical exam. Other cancers are also better treated if detected early. There is no other way but to periodically check your health and do the necessary tests for the diagnosis of the disease.

There is no test to determine the level of HPV infection of an infected person, only an HPV test to screen for cervical cancer. Testing should only be done in women over the age of 30. Women may know they have the disease if they have an abnormal Pap test result. Many people only know when serious symptoms occur.
Currently, Vinmec International General Hospital has been effectively implementing a gynecological cancer screening package to help customers get examined and perform tests to check their health and prevent and detect diseases in time. .