What is HPV?
Human Papillomavirus, better known as HPV, is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections worldwide. There are around 200 types, 40 of which affect the genital and anal areas.
Despite the high infection rate, some strains of the virus disappear spontaneously or do not cause symptoms.
The most aggressive strains are responsible for cervical cancer, as well as cancers of the vulva, penis, anus, mouth, or larynx. For this reason, prevention is extremely important.
To find out whether you have HPV, you should regularly take the Pap smear test. This test can detect cellular changes and determine whether they may evolve into serious lesions and, ultimately, cancer.
What are the symptoms of HPV?
HPV manifests through warts which, despite their characteristic cauliflower-like appearance, may go unnoticed because they are invisible to the naked eye or located in internal areas such as the cervix.
Does HPV have a cure?
After HPV infection, spontaneous remission of the virus may occur between 4 weeks and 2 years. For the body to clear the virus, it is important to have a strong and uncompromised immune system capable of fighting it.
The immune system eliminates the virus in about 90% of cases. However, men and women can still transmit the infection in cases where the virus is not cleared and remains asymptomatic — meaning it stays dormant without symptoms until it becomes active again when the immune system weakens.
HPV Vaccine
The best form of prevention against HPV is vaccination, which covers the most virulent strains that most commonly cause cancer. In Portugal, this vaccine is available free of charge for adolescent girls and boys up to 18 years old.
Unvaccinated adult women, even if they have already had an HPV infection, are advised to get the vaccine, although it is not state-funded. The vaccine prevents infection by new strains and may reduce symptoms of an existing infection, but it does not cure the disease.
There are two types of HPV vaccines:
- Bivalent: covers only HPV types 16 and 18;
- Nonavalent: protects against HPV types 6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58, and has been available in Portugal since 2017.
In addition to vaccination, the best forms of HPV prevention are:
- Regular Pap smear tests to detect early cervical cell changes. This exam also detects other sexually transmitted infections such as candidiasis.
- Using condoms during all sexual practices, especially the female condom, which covers a larger area and offers more effective protection against this virus.
- Inspecting the genitals for small warts and seeking medical help if any signs of the disease appear.
How can you become infected with HPV?
HPV is mainly transmitted sexually, through direct contact between warts — which may be microscopic and nearly invisible — and the skin or mucous membranes.
The infection can persist for years before cancerous cells and tumors develop.
HPV positive: what should you do?
There is no treatment for HPV itself. What can be treated or removed are the lesions that develop in the vagina or cervix.
It is the immune system of the infected person that truly fights the virus. HPV takes between 8 and 12 months to be eliminated from the body.
When the virus remains latent, it stays in the cells without causing lesions.
When the body cannot eliminate the virus, the lesions persist and, in some cases, may progress to neoplasia. For this reason, treatment should be carried out preventively whenever lesions are detected.
