HPV Specialist

What is human papillomavirus (HPV)?

Human papillomavirus, or HPV, is the name of a large group of viruses that can be picked up from a variety of sources, including sexual intercourse. Many types of HPV don’t cause health problems. Of the sexually transmitted HPV viruses, some cause genital warts, and others — called high-risk HPV — cause cancer.

What is the association between HPV and cervical cancer?

Virtually all cases of cervical cancer are caused by HPV. High-risk HPV infections can go away on their own, but if they stay in your body, they can cause the cells to grow abnormally. When they’re not treated, they progress to become cancer.

What are the symptoms of an HPV infection?

The HPV virus alone seldom causes symptoms. Symptoms only arise if the virus causes warts or cervical cancer.

Genital warts

Genital warts may look like a flat wart, clustered bumps, or a stem-like projection from the skin. Genital warts usually appear on the external genitalia, but they can also develop in the vagina, on the cervix, and near the anus. They’re usually not painful, but they may be itchy. Genital warts don’t usually signal cancer.

Cervical cancer

In the early stages, cervical cancer doesn’t cause symptoms. As the cancer grows into surrounding tissues, you may experience:

• Abnormal vaginal bleeding: may be longer or heavier than normal, or may occur after sex, between periods, or after menopause
• Unusual vaginal discharge: may include blood and occur between periods
• Pain during sex

These symptoms don’t necessarily mean you have cancer, as they can be signs of other infections or gynecologic problems, but they should never be ignored.

Can HPV be prevented?

You can significantly lower your chance of contracting HPV by getting one of the approved vaccines or by using condoms every time you have sex. It’s also important to get regular preventive screening for cervical cancer and the HPV virus, so they can be caught at an early stage.

Please schedule an examination at Martin, Lee & Page OBGYN as soon as you notice symptoms or if it’s been a while since your last preventive screening. Call the office or book online.