HPV: Can we defeat this deadly virus?
G?k?ehan P.
Pharmaceuticals Expert with 13+ years experience | R&D | Manufacturing | Quality Assurance | Market Development | Small Molecules | Drug Product | Clinical Trial Batch
HPV causes 1 in 20 cancers worldwide. High risk HPV infection is found in?almost all (99%)?of cervical cancers.?Cervical cancer is a cancer of a woman's cervix (the entrance to the womb), known as Geb?rmutterhalskrebs in German. ?
1. What is HPV?
HPV stands for ‘human papillomavirus’, which is a group of more than 100 viruses,?and most do not cause any problems.?Each human papillomavirus has its own number or type. The term "papilloma" refers to a kind of wart that results from some HPV types. ?
About 60 of the 100 HPV types cause warts on areas like the hands or?feet.?The other 40 or so enter the body during sexual contact. They’re drawn to the body's mucous membranes, such as the moist layers around the anus and genitals.?
Not all of the 40 sexually transmitted human papillomaviruses cause serious health problems. ?
2. Which high-risk HPV Types cause cancer??
Certain types are considered high risk and increase the risk of cancer. High-risk HPV strains include HPV 16 and 18, which cause about 70% of cervical cancers. Other high-risk human papillomaviruses include 31, 33, 45, 52, 58, and a few others.?
3. What low-risk HPV Types cause in our body??
Low-risk HPV strains, such as HPV 6 and 11, cause about 90% of genital warts, which rarely develop into cancer. These growths can look like bumps. Sometimes, they’re shaped like cauliflower. The warts can show up weeks or months after you’ve had sex with an infected partner.?
HPV is very common, meaning most people will be infected with a form of HPV in their lifetime. HPV infection is most common in people in their late teens and early 20s.?
4. How is HPV transmitted??
HPV is mostly transmitted due to close skin-to-skin touching. As it is often seen in genital areas, it is also accepted as a sexually transmitted disease.?
Anyone who is sexually active can get HPV, even if you have had sexual intercourse with only one person. ?
You can get HPV from:?
Although HPV is usually passed through sexual contact, you can also get it if you have never had sex. Also, a mother can pass HPV to her baby during birth, but this is very rare.?
5. What are the symptoms of HPV infection??
Often, HPV infections cause no symptoms, and the body clears the infection on its own in a few years. Many people never know they were infected with HPV.?
But sometimes an infection with high-risk types of HPV will last longer. This can cause changes in the cells of the cervix that could lead to cancer, including?vulvar cancer. The same thing could cause abnormal changes in cells of the?penis?and anus, but this is rare.?
The symptoms of a low-risk HPV infection are warts. The kind of warts you get will depend on which kind of HPV you have.?
6. Testing for Human Papillomavirus (HPV)?
Your doctor may be able to tell you have HPV just by examining your warts. But there are also several tests they can use if you don’t have symptoms you can see.?
?7. Can we protect ourselves from HPV infection??
?You cannot fully protect yourself against HPV, but there are things that can help.?
8. Which cancer screening methods are available for women??
Since 2018 in Germany women over 35 years old are offered a combination examination of Pap-Test together with HPV test, which is paid by the health insurance every three years. Patients can still request both tests and pay the price of HPV test individually, in case of request every year. This is a part of annual cancer screening for women, which I recommend every woman young or adult. ?
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9. Until which age could an adult get HPV vaccination??
Everyone through age 26 years should get HPV vaccine if they were not fully vaccinated already.?
HPV vaccination is?not?recommended?for?everyone older than age 26 years. Nevertheless, ?
In 2018 FDA has authorised HPV vaccine Gardasil??9 for adults up to 45 years old.
The choice of vaccination depends on the patient, if they wish to receive extra protection or not. Check for Cochrane review to read further information on the study. ?
10. How many doses Gardasil??9 of are necessary for prevention of cancer??
You as an adult and/or your child will need 2 or 3 doses of the vaccine, depending on how old you are.?
The vaccine is prescribed by your doctor and applied in pharmacies or by nurses at the clinics. In Germany, each dose of Gardasil??9 costs 162 Euro, and for whole 3 doses you would pay approximately 480 € for the full HPV protection as an adult. ?
In 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)?approved?the HPV vaccine to prevent even more cancers: head and neck cancers, like those in the back of the throat or base of the tongue.?
?As you could identify yourselves, HPV is a hidden enemy. Nevertheless there are ways to protect our loved ones from such a contagious and infectious virus.
And if we can just decrease the risk of getting cancer, by visiting our doctor regularly for annual check-up & tests, also get a vaccination against HPV, isn't it a fare deal?
Wishing you all many healthy days in your life time.
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Yours truly,
G?k?ehan Pürs?ken
Sources:
https://www.ndr.de/ratgeber/gesundheit/Krebs-durch-Viren-HPV-Impfung-fuer-Maenner,hpvimpfung101.html ?
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So powerful to dedicate to these incredible women! ?? Helen Keller once said, "Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." Let's unite in awareness and action against HPV to protect and empower each other. ?? #TogetherStronger #HPVAwareness #ProtectAndServe