Papillomavirus (HPV) in women is detected more oftenonly because they go to the doctor-gynecologists on a regular basis, paying more attention to unpleasant symptoms and discomfort. It is believed that the first sexual contact increases the risk of transmission of the virus by 60-70%, and up to 30 years there is the highest probability of infection.
Manifestations and activity of the papilloma virus
The exact time of HPV transmission in women is determinedit is difficult: it takes three months and more before the onset of external symptoms. Among the hundreds of known strains of HPV, about thirty most often cause changes in the female body:
1.Skin manifestations, such as warts, plantar, flat, or generalized warts, are the effects of the first, second and third types of HPV, as well as other less active species.
2.For a rash on the genitals - spiky and flat condylomas - the sixth and eleventh HPV are responsible. Dysplastic and cancer pathologies of the cervix, cancerous changes in the external genital organs provoke oncogenic subtypes 16, 18, 31, 33 and 35.
3. The defeat of the mucous membranes of the mouth, nose, and cancer processes of the mouth and throat caused by types associated with warts and condylomas, as well as 13 types of HPV.
Diagnosis of the papilloma virus
HPV in women is detected only by high-precisionmethods, since it refers to DNA viruses, the genome of which is enclosed in a protein capsid. Penetrating into the tissue, it causes intraepithelial neoplasia, and then integrates the DNA inside the cells.
A woman's HPV screening is usually associated withexamination of the cervix under a microscope - colposcopy. During the procedure, the mucosa is treated with weak solutions of vinegar and iodine, this is how pathological areas are determined which are prone to degeneration.
Analyzes on HPV involve the study of cellular material:
1. PCR diagnosis is to take a scraping from the cervix to determine the presence of HPV and its type. This test shows the activity of the infection, as well as the risk of cancer degeneration.
2.Colposcopy complements any analysis of HPV in women, as it shows the degree of cell degeneration under the influence of the virus. According to the Papanicolaou classification, there are five stages of changes: the first is the normal state of cells, the second is minor signs of inflammation, the third is the appearance of cells with large nuclei, the fourth is the increase in nuclei, the appearance of cytoplasm defects and chromosomes, and the fifth - cancerous transformations.
3. A biopsy is a study of a sample of the mucous membrane or condyloma under a microscope to detect dangerous changes.
Gynecological features of papillomavirus
Only 50% of infected HPV is manifested by external symptoms that lead women to a gynecologist:
1. Genital warts cover the eve of the vagina and anus, increase the risk of infection of partners. They are recommended to be removed with liquid nitrogen, laser, electrical currents.
2. The bloody discharge from the vagina and the aching pain in the lower abdomen are rare signals about the erosion (ectopia) of the cervix, which often does not make itself felt.
3. Flat warts on the internal parts of the genital organs should be removed after a thorough examination of cytology and histology. They can cause itching and abnormal discharge.
4. Dysplasia, which has affected cervical tissue and has been detected by Pap smear, may be an indication for conization (epithelium cutting). Unfortunately, this process is asymptomatic.
Regular examinations at the gynecologist can diagnose pathology in the early stages and stop their development.
