How human papillomavirus is spread: HPV infection pathways

Papillomavirus is one of the most common infections affecting any age. The danger lies in the combination of infectious manifestations and oncological development. To avoid infection, you need to understand how HPV is spread.

Transmission routes of human papillomavirus

Papillomavirus is a ubiquitous infection due to its high contagiousness, diverse viral types, and ability to remain unharmed in the environment and reside in exfoliated keratinocytes of the epidermis. The disease has no manifestations in the body, so there is no suspicion that you are an HPV carrier for a long time. The virus is dangerous because some types pose carcinogenic risks and have been linked to cancer.Human papillomavirus has many different routes of infection and transmission involving direct contact.

sexual intercourse

According to research, the main transmission route of genital HPV is sexual contact. Both men and women can be carriers of HPV. When infected during sex with a carrier of the virus without a condom, the pathogen penetrates the basal layer of the stratified squamous epithelium and infects the cells. It can be in a free state, not integrated into the host cell's genome, or in an integrated (built-in) state. HPV is inactive in the epidermis. Although there are no clinical symptoms, the possibility of infecting a partner remains. During sexual intercourse, microtrauma occurs to the mucous membranes, causing pathogens to be released to the surface and infect the partner.When genital warts appear, they become more contagious. These cells contain mature virus particles, which germinate on mucous membranes or skin surfaces. Genital warts are dangerous and they are a source of HPV.

The occurrence of genital warts is typical of HPV genotypes 6 and 11. This condition is found in 70% of gynecological visits.

Growths resulting from this propagation mechanism have a characteristic localization in intimate areas:

• External genitalia, internal genitalia;
• anal area;
• Oral mucosa.

In men, the head, foreskin, and external urethral opening are affected. Women - outer and inner labia, vagina, perineum, perianal area.Removal of genital warts is an important stage in treatment that cannot be ignored.

home style

You can get HPV in your daily life. Common warts typically appear on the fingers, periungual ridges, outer surfaces of the hands, forearms, face, and other parts of the body. Family members of the patient (parents, children) are affected. Papillomavirus can be passed to another person when using shared hygiene products (towels, shoes), shaking hands, wearing the same clothes, hugging.If you go to crowded places, there is a chance of infecting others. This applies to swimming pools, saunas, bathrooms where the risk of HPV transmission is higher.

through a kiss

Sometimes, any type of HPV can be spread through regular kissing, affecting the oral mucosa and facial skin. Types 6 and 11 most commonly affect the mouth. They are found in 90% of cases of genital warts. Strains 2, 16, 18, 33 may occur, with varying degrees of carcinogenicity.Saliva contains infected exfoliated epithelium. When you kiss, part of your skin goes into the other person's body. Spread of infection occurs. Disruption of the integrity of the mucosa can lead to infection. Minor damage that occurs when brushing your teeth or eating hot, rough foods goes unnoticed in your mouth. This destroys the local protection of biological barriers.

from mother to child

If an expectant mother is infected before pregnancy, the disease may progress to a late clinical stage during pregnancy due to hormonal changes. If these are common warts and there is no damage to the reproductive organs, there is nothing to be afraid of. Regular visits to the doctor are enough. If the genitals are affected, the baby is at risk of becoming infected as it passes through the birth canal. The skin, oral mucosa, pharynx, and upper respiratory tract are affected. The disease may recur and cause papillomatosis, which affects the vocal cords and larynx.

Transmission to the baby through breast milk or blood through the placenta is not possible during breastfeeding.

Are papillomas on the body contagious?

The skin of the body is affected by flat warts. They vary in appearance and structure.Transmitted by contact with affected skin. Promote damage to the epidermal stratum corneum. HPV lesions are located on the hands, and the infection spreads quickly. The appearance of warts is caused by a type 2 virus, which has a low risk of causing cancer and is considered safe. Warts are a feature of childhood and adolescence. They usually go away on their own within two years.Flat papillomas are caused by types 3 and 5. Typical locations are the face and hands. Characteristics of adolescence.Plantar warts are caused by type 1. Occurs where there is constant friction and pressure from shoes. It spreads through household contact, shared shoes, foot towels and in swimming pools.Typically, the body does not become infected with these types of warts on first contact due to local immunity. However, it is possible to spread the flu or cold.Genital HPV infection occurs during first sexual contact in 60% of cases. If a woman is infected, she has the ability to spread the virus to nine out of ten partners. Genital warts are highly contagious and require close contact and micro-trauma.

Can only one of my partners be infected with HPV?

It's possible that only one partner has HPV, but it's impossible to be 100% sure. Often people do not suspect that they are infected due to the long incubation period and neglect contraception, thereby infecting their partners.

When one partner has a strong immune system, they can effectively fight off HPV.

If the infection occurs in a latent state, the person will not suspect that they are sick. In this case, the virus can be passed on to the partner.

Can infection be prevented?

Infections can be prevented by influencing the triggers that lead to the spread of the disease. You must abide by the following rules:

• Rarely change sexual partners;
• Follow personal hygiene rules;
• Don’t just use slippers, sheets, and towels.

One effective way is to get vaccinated. The test is done on people ages 9 to 26 who are not infected with HPV. If you are not carrying the virus, get vaccinated at an older age. For this purpose, diagnostic methods are used to determine the presence of papillomavirus DNA. There are two vaccines. They allow you to develop specific immunity and protect against infection with the most common and dangerous strains - strains 6, 11, 16 and 18. When vaccinating boys, use one of these vaccines; using the second vaccine on men had no results.

Currently, only a few countries have added the vaccine to the mandatory list (US, UK).

The vaccine provides immunity for up to 5 years. Transferring is not possible during these years.

Prevent complications

Preventing the development of cancer in women can be divided into several stages:

• primary prevention;
• secondary;
• third

The main prevention methods include vaccination.Secondary prevention involves examination by a medical specialist (dermatologist, gynecologist) for prompt detection and treatment of precancerous lesions (cervical erosions, dysplasia, polyps).Tertiary care includes a suite of treatments for subclinical, clinical forms of HPV, including medications and hardware to remove the growth.Currently, vaccination is considered the most effective way to prevent the spread of infection.