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QUESTION
What are HPV transmission and HPV symptoms?
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ANSWER from experts
Sexually active women should always take care of women health and know all protection and/or prevention methods.
HPV transmission
At least 1 in every 2 sexually active young women has had a genital HPV infection. Any sexually active person—no matter what color, race, gender, or sexual orientation—can get HPV. HPV is mainly spread by sexual contact. Very rarely, a mother who is infected with the HPV virus can infect her newborn baby during the delivery.
HPV and genital warts are usually spread by direct skin-to-skin contact during vaginal, anal, or oral sex with someone who has been infected with HPV. Using condoms every time you have sex can help protect against HPV but they aren't perfect because HPV can be found on skin that isn't covered by a condom.
It is noted by scientists that in 90% of cases, the body’s immune system clears HPV naturally within two years.
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HPV symptoms
Depending on what type of HPV strain you are infected with, you may or may not experience any HPV symptoms.
Main HPV symptom is genital warts. These can develop anywhere from a few weeks to a few months after exposure to the virus.
Genital warts usually appear as a small bump or groups of bumps in the genital area. They can be small or large, raised or flat, or shaped like a cauliflower. Genital warts look like miniature cauliflower florets, which are usually flesh-colored, soft and moist. They can develop on the vulva, cervix and in or around the vagina.
Women could also develop genital warts symptoms in or around the anus and occasionally on the thighs, buttocks or throat.
However, it is possible to have an HPV infection without any genital warts symptoms.
If left untreated, genital warts might go away, remain unchanged, or increase in size or number. They will not turn into cancer.
Other HPV types can cause cervical cancer. These types can also cause other, less common but serious cancers, including cancers of the vulva, vagina, penis, anus, and head and neck (tongue, tonsils and throat).
Cervical cancer usually does not have symptoms until it is quite advanced. For this reason, it is important for women to get regular screening for cervical cancer - so called "PAP test". Screening tests can find early signs of disease so that problems can be treated early, before they ever turn into cancer.
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