With very few exceptions, genital HPV (Human Papilloma Virus) infection—a recognized human carcinogen—causes cancer of the cervix. Even though HPV can be spread in ways other than sexual contact, most cases are caused by having unprotected sexual intercourse with a HPV carrier male.
So, recent studies have confirmed the following to be the most important risk factors:
- Sex at a young age
- Promiscuous male partners
- Multiple sexual partners
- History of other sexually transmitted diseased.
History of other STDs
HIV infection is linked to a 5 times higher risk of getting cancer of the cervix. This is thought to be because the immune system doesn’t respond as well to an HPV infection.
Diethylstilbestrol exposure during pregnancy has been linked to a higher risk of pre-cancer of the cervix.
Most times, HPV infections go away on their own. If they don’t, some cancers may grow and spread. These things are:
- Cancer of the cervix in women
- Penile cancer in men
- Both men and women can get anal cancer.
- Oropharyngeal cancer affects the back of the throat, like the tonsils and the base of the tongue.
All of these cancers are caused by these HPV infections that keep coming back. Cancer gets worse over time. If someone gets HPV, they might not find out for a few years or even decades. At the moment, there is no way to know who will get cancer after getting HPV.
HPV doesn’t cause cancer in men very often.
There are some guys who are more likely to get cancers caused by HPV:
Poor immune systems in men (including those who are living with HIV).
Anal HPV is more likely to happen to men who have sexual relations with other men. They might get cancer of the ano.
At the moment, there is no approved test for HPV in men.
The human papillomavirus is the most common type of sexually transmitted infection (STI). HPV vaccinations can help prevent some of the health problems that HPV can cause.
HPV is a very common STD. Between the ages of 15 and 59, 40% of people (two out of five) will have HPV. There are many different kinds of HPV, and most of them don’t cause any health problems.
What’s HPV.
HPV is not the same virus as HIV or (HSV) herpes.
You can get HPV if you have vaginal, oral, or anal sex with someone who has it. It spreads more often when people kiss or have sexual contact. During sexual contact, it can also spread through close skin-to-skin contact. Even if someone has HPV but doesn’t have any symptoms, the virus can still spread.
Even if you’ve only been sexually active with one person, you can still get HPV if you’re sexually active. After being with someone who has the illness for a long time, symptoms may start to show. Because of this, it’s hard to know when you first got it.
What are the signs that you have HPV?
Most men who have HPV don’t have any signs or symptoms. Most of the time, the illness goes away on its own. But if HPV doesn’t go away, it can cause genital warts or certain types of cancer.
Your doctor should know about any new or strange growths on your penis, scrotum, anus, mouth, or throat. This consists of:
Strange bumps, lumps, or sores, like warts.
Will HPV do anything bad to my health?
Most HPV infections aren’t dangerous and go away on their own. But if HPV doesn’t go away, it can cause health problems like genital warts. It has also been linked to a number of cancers.
We don’t know why HPV causes health problems in some people but not in others.
How do you know if you have genital warts?
Genital warts look like a small bump or a group of small bumps in the vaginal area. They can be big or small, tall or flat, or shaped like a cauliflower. The warts could go away, stay the same, or get bigger or more of them. Most of the time, a doctor can tell if you have genital warts just by looking at them. Even after treatment, warts on the genitalia might come back. The types of HPV that cause warts do not cause cancer.
Health experts say that routine testing, or “screening,” for HPV in men is not a good idea.
They don’t recommend that men get tested regularly for HPV-related diseases before they show signs or symptoms.
Some health care professionals give anal Pap tests to men who may be more likely to get anal cancer. This includes men who have HIV or who have anal sex. Please talk to a doctor if you are having symptoms and are worried that you might have cancer.
Can I get help for HPV or health problems that HPV has caused?
HPV is not treated in a special way. But there are ways to treat health problems caused by HPV. Your doctor can give you medicine to take to get rid of genital warts. Cancers caused by HPV have a better chance of survival if they are found and treated quickly.
You can cut your chances of getting HPV-
You can lower your chances of getting HPV and diseases related to it by doing the following two things:
Take the shot. The HPV vaccine is safe and effective. It can protect men from HPV-related warts and some cancers. If possible, you should get vaccinated before you have a sexual encounter.
When having sex, always use condoms the right way. This can make it less likely that you will get HPV or other STIs. But HPV can spread to places that a condom doesn’t cover. Because of this, condoms might not protect fully against HPV.
You are able to get the HPV vaccine.
The HPV vaccination guideline is for:
All preteens, boys and girls, at 11 or 12 years old (or you can start at 9 years old) and everyone up to age 26 who hasn’t already been immunized.
No one over the age of 26 should get a vaccination. Some adults between the ages of 27 and 45 who haven’t gotten the HPV vaccine yet may decide to do so after talking to their doctor about their risk of getting a new HPV infection and the possible benefits of getting it.
HPV vaccination is less helpful for people ages 27 to 45. Even though not all types of HPV are vaccinated against, most sexually active adults have already been exposed to them.
At any age, having a new sex partner could make you more likely to get HPV. People who are already in a monogamous relationship for a long time are not likely to get HPV again.
Find out who needs the HPV vaccine and how to get it.
What does it mean for my health or the health of the person I have sex with if I have HPV?
- If you’re worried about something new or weird about yourself or your partner on the – Mouth, Throat, Anus, Penis, or the Scrotum
- Things like warts, strange growths, lumps, or sores could be seen as new or unusual.
- Even if you and your sex partner(s) are healthy, you may want to get checked for other STIs.
- If you or your partner has genital warts, you should stop having sex until the warts are gone. No one knows how long a person can still spread HPV after their warts have gone away.
- How your relationships are affected by HPV
- HPV infections usually don’t last long. HPV can stay in a person’s body for a long time before it hurts their health. It’s impossible to know: If you or your partner is diagnosed with an illness caused by HPV,
- If you got HPV on your own, if your partner gave it to you, or if you gave HPV to your partner.
HPV isn’t always a sign that one of you is having sex with someone else. It’s important for people who have sex to talk to each other about their sexual health and STI risk.
References:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14746027/
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cervical-cancer
