How is human papillomavirus spread? Is it possible to get infected?

Most people don't see the potential dangers of small epithelial tumors on the body, but papillomas are more than just a cosmetic blemish. In some cases, they can lead to irreversible consequences. Tumors arise as a result of infection with HPV, a highly contagious virus with more than 100 genotypes, some of which can initiate the development of neoplastic processes. Human papillomavirus is very easy to contract, so to avoid infection, you should understand how human papillomavirus is transmitted and what factors contribute to the spread of viral particles.

All routes of HPV infection

There is a trend that in a household with a carrier of the virus, 50-70% of the time, those around him will be infected. The main danger is that the infection does not manifest itself immediately after entering the body, so a person may not be aware of the infection for a long time and continue to be in close contact with relatives.

important!The absence of external signs of HPV does not guarantee that an infected person is absolutely safe from his or her intimate circle.

Infection through household contact

Virus carriers can transmit pathogenic virus particles (viral particles) to healthy people in the following ways:

1. Ordinary tactile contact, such as a hug or handshake. The likelihood of contracting HPV increases if there is damage to the skin (even a small cut, scrape, or scratch can be enough to allow infection to penetrate a healthy body);
2. Use the patient's personal belongings. Virus particles can survive for a long time on daily items such as bedding, towels, underwear, and bath towels;
3. While kissing. HPV DNA is present not only on epithelial cells but also in all biological fluids of an infected person and can therefore be transmitted through saliva during kissing.

In addition, you may be infected with HPV by going to saunas, swimming pools, fitness centers and other crowded public places, where many people ignore basic protection rules. Therefore, you need to use personal hygiene and household products exclusively.

Sexual transmission of viruses

Human papillomavirus infection is most commonly spread through sexual contact. If one partner, whether male or female, is a carrier, then just one sexual intercourse is enough to become infected with HPV (in 95% of cases).The virus is spread through any type of sexual intercourse, whether oral, vaginal or anal intercourse, and the presence of genital warts in a partner's anogenital area increases the risk of infection by up to 100%.Interestingly, even condoms do not completely protect against possible infections:

1. First, papillary rashes can appear not only on the genitals, but also on the groin and anus. Therefore, the virus is easily transmitted from one partner to another upon contact with unprotected parts of the body;
2. Secondly, the latex that condoms are made from has fairly large pores. Viral particles can penetrate them unhindered.

Infections with papillomavirus types that pose a cancer risk mainly occur during sexual contact. If oncogenic HPV is transmitted to women, they can develop tumors that can develop into cervical cancer.Although neoplastic pathology of the reproductive organs is less common in men, the presence of genital papillomas increases the risk of malignancy. The likelihood of developing tonsil cancer increases if you are infected with a cancer-causing virus during oral sex.

Vertical infection (mother-infant)

Children can be infected with papillomavirus in utero or immediately at birth (during passage through the natural birth canal). Additionally, if the mother's HPV progresses (is active), the baby is at increased risk of infection.Intrauterine infection is extremely rare because the placenta protects the embryo from many pathogenic factors, including viral infections. Cases of HPV transmission to babies during passage through the birth canal of infected mothers have been documented more frequently.At birth, the child's larynx and tracheal mucosa are affected, resulting in recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP). This is a dangerous pathology that poses a threat to the baby's life. Within 1-2 years, children with RRP develop benign tumors in the trachea and larynx that block the airway and cause suffocation.In this case, only surgical removal of the papillomatous growth will help, however, even after destruction, the tumors often reappear. Parents of children with RRP need to carefully monitor the status of their immune systems, as reduced immunity increases the risk of recurrence.Some women preparing to become mothers worry that papillomavirus will be passed on to their children, but this is not the case. The infection route is as mentioned above, completely excluding genetic factors - HPV is a non-genetically transmitted virus.

autoinoculation infection method

Autoinfection (autoinoculation) is a fairly common type of infection. Infected persons should be aware that any trauma to the tumor may trigger the formation of additional growth. Papillomas located on the face, neck, armpits, or groin are often razor-cut, scratched, or torn during hygiene procedures. When the integrity of a growth is compromised, blood can leak from it and flow into healthy adjacent areas of the body. Since viral particles are present in all biological fluids of the patient, blood entry into clean epithelium can lead to spread of infection and the formation of multiple papillary rashes.Additionally, when the growth is scraped with a fingernail, pathogenic epithelial particles remain under the plate, which also often leads to autoinfection. For example, if a person scratches a papilloma with his fingernail and suddenly wants to scratch his ears or nose, then as long as there is a little damage to the epithelium, the virus will definitely "settle" inside and then manifest itself. as characteristic growth.Upon entry into the body, activation of HPV is not immediately observed; the virus requires certain conditions to be fully effective.

When and what triggers HPV activation

How quickly and how actively papillomavirus begins to manifest after infection depends on the immune status of the infected person. HPV is part of an immune-dependent group of viruses and is therefore activated during a decline in immune defenses.The body of a healthy person, even after infection, is able to produce sufficient amounts of antibodies to completely resist viral attack. In these people, the disease is latent (in dormant mode), so epithelial tumors are not present in the body.When the immune system weakens, it produces significantly fewer antibodies and is unable to suppress the virus on its own, and HPV can then become active and form a papillary rash. The following unfavorable factors can promote the transition of papillomavirus into the active phase:

• Have recently suffered from any infectious disease;
• long-term use of oral contraceptives;
• Uncontrolled use of cytostatic drugs (suppression of the immune system);
• Endocrine system dysfunction;
• Pathological conditions of the gastrointestinal tract, especially intestinal flora imbalance;
• Psychological and emotional disorders related to frequent stress, tension, and fatigue;
• helminth infection;
• Frequently suffer from inflammatory skin diseases;
• Whether there are bad habits (smoking, drinking, drug use).

important!Anything that reduces the effectiveness of the body's immune system can lead to HPV activation.

The formation of the first growths is a reason to consult a doctor. There is no need to self-treat, as in some cases, under-treatment of papillomas can lead to the development of cancerous tumors.

Papillomavirus Treatment

Since no drug has yet been invented that can cure papillomavirus, it is impossible to completely eliminate it from the body for people after the age of 30. Cases of HPV elimination have been documented only in young people under 25 years of age.Treatment of papillomatosis proceeds in three directions:

• Suppressing viral activity (returning it to a latent state) by taking antiviral drugs;
• Improving the patient's immune status through the use of interferon drugs;
• Use minimally invasive hardware techniques to destroy pathological tumors;
• Cytostatic drugs (they disrupt the division process of atypical cells) are prescribed when the likelihood of a papilloma becoming malignant is high.

Doctor-prescribed antiviral medications can be taken orally, topically, by injection, or rectally:

1. Tablets (oral);
2. Gels, ointments (external use);
3. injection(injection);
4. Suppositories (rectal suppositories).

Immunomodulatory drugs can also be prescribed in different forms, most commonly tablets and gels for topical treatment of tumors.If after diagnosis it is determined that the papillary rash is caused by highly oncogenic HPV, cytostatics should be used.The most common destructive techniques used to remove pathological tumors are:

1. electrocoagulation– Use electric current to cauterize the growth. The procedure is painful and can leave significant scarring;
2. cryotherapy– Papillomas freeze under the influence of liquid nitrogen and leave no trace, but this procedure is recommended for removal of small superficial tumors;
3. laser destruction– Suitable for removal of superficial and deep papilloma, good cosmetic effect allows use in open parts of the body;
4. radio wave technology– Contactless removal of growths with short recovery period and no marks or scars after the intervention.

After completing the treatment process, do not forget to have a preventive physical examination. It is necessary to test for HPV regularly (ideally annually) and carefully monitor the status of the immune system.