Human papillomavirus, or HPV, is a group of over related virus strains that can infect the skin and mucous membranes of both women and men. It occurs when the virus enters your body, usually through a cut, abrasion or a small tear in your skin.
About 40 of these HPV strains may affect the genital area and are spread through sexual intercourse including vaginal, oral and anal sex , as well as genital skin-to-skin contact. While most HPV infections don't result in any symptoms and are cleared by the immune system, some forms of the virus can cause warts and certain cancers. HPV can also lead to cancer of the vulva, vagina, penis, or anus. Most HPV infections show no symptoms and so people are usually unaware that they have the virus.
When it comes to sexually-transmitted HPV, you can develop symptoms years after you have sex with someone who is infected with HPV making it impossible to determine when exactly you first became infected. Warts may appear anywhere from several weeks to several months after exposure to HPV, and in some cases, they don't appear at all.
This makes it difficult to determine when the virus was contracted, and from whom. The HPV strains that cause genital warts differ from those that cause cancer. It can take years, even decades, for cancer to develop following HPV infection. There is unfortunately no way to determine whether those who have HPV will develop cancer or other HPV-related ailments. In cases where warts are present, a doctor can diagnose an HPV infection through a visual examination. For women carrying HPV strains that can cause cancer, the first step towards an HPV diagnosis is a Pap smear β sexually-active women should have a pap smear annually before turning 30, after which the test should be done every three years at least.
The Pap smear helps identify abnormal cell changes in the cervix, and if any are found, the doctor can then perform a DNA analysis to confirm whether or not the changes are the result of an HPV infection.
