人乳头瘤病毒(HPV), or genital wart virus) is a very common infection of the genital area.
对人乳头状瘤病毒
HPV is transmitted from person to person through physical contact. 因为生殖器部位最常见的接触是性行为, HPV已经被标记为性传播疾病. It can also be viewed as a germ that is passed from person to person by physical contact.
In most cases, HPV infection causes no symptoms and usually has no lasting effects. HPV infection can lead to genital warts, cervical precancer, and sometimes to cervical cancer.
HPV的类型
目前已经发现了100多种HPV亚型. Many of these subtypes cause no symptoms, while others may cause foot and hand warts.
其中40种亚型会影响生殖器区域. These 40 subtypes have been numbered, and are divided into low-risk and high-risk strains. A person has an 80 percent chance of contracting one of these subtypes by the time he or she is 50 years old. For most people, the virus is at undetectable levels within two years.
低风险的子类型
- 与高危亚型相比，患子宫颈癌的可能性较小.
- 可能导致生殖器疣. Two common low-risk subtypes (6 and 11) cause 90 percent of all genital warts.
高危亚型
- More often associated with precancerous tissue changes of the cervix that may lead to cervical cancer, 如果多年不治疗的话. 关于 70 percent of cervical precancer and cancer are caused by HPV subtype 16 and 18.
HPV的症状
大多数接触HPV的人没有任何症状. The infection will often pass without the person ever knowing that he or she had an HPV virus.
Some subtypes do cause symptoms including genital warts and precancerous tissue changes of the cervix, also known as cervical dysplasia or CIN (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia). Such changes can lead to cervical cancer in women if not treated. 通过治疗，CIN是100%可治愈的.
关于轻度宫颈发育不良(轻度癌前病变，或CIN)
Mild cervical dysplasia is often a temporary condition, especially in adolescents and young women. 它不再被认为是癌前病变. 它现在只被视为HPV感染. In about 70 percent of such mild cases, the condition clears without any treatment.
Moderate to severe cases of cervical displasia or precancer (CIN II or CIN III) are usually treated to prevent the development of cervical cancer.
我的医生如何判断我是否感染了HPV
An abnormal pap smear may suggest HPV or precancerous tissue changes of the cervix. Your doctor or care provider may recommend a procedure called colposcopy, which uses a microscope to carefully examine the cervix for abnormal cellular patterns.
A cervical biopsy is often performed to make a diagnosis of HPV. 宫颈活检是一个简单的办公室程序. Most women tolerate the procedure well with only minimal cramping.
因为HPV被称为性传播疾病, there is a tendency for people diagnosed with HPV to feel they have been contaminated, 或者很脏. We try to encourage our patients to think of it as just another germ, like bacteria on the skin. 这些细菌被认为是我们正常生物的一部分.
如果你被诊断患有HPV病毒, your doctor will want to make sure that you do not have any precancerous conditions.
Genital warts can be diagnosed by physical examination and usually do not require a biopsy for diagnosis.
治疗
Genital warts can be treated with a chemical to destroy the warts, with cautery, or with a laser. There are topical medications available by prescription that can be used at home to treat warts.
Cervical dysplasia in the moderate or severe category (precancerous tissue changes of the cervix) is treated most frequnetly with a Loop Elctrosurgical Excision Procedure (LEEP) procedure which uses cautery to remove the affected cells. A LEEP procedure begins in the same way as a standard pelvic exam. You will receive some local anesthesic and a mild iodine or vinegar solution to show any abnormal cells. your doctor or nurse will look at the cells through a magnifying device called a colpocscope. A think wire loop running very high frequency electrical currents will allow your provider to remove the abnormal cells very precisely. 然后将组织送到实验室寻找癌细胞.
同样有效的办公室治疗包括细胞疗法, 或冻结, 哪一种会破坏癌前细胞.
防止传播
Condoms can reduce the transmission of HPV by more than 50 percent. 然而, they do not offer complete protection as the virus is also prsent on the outer skin of the genital area.
吸烟会影响女性对抗病毒的能力, so we encourage women to quit smoking to help their immune system better clear the virus from their system.
HPV疫苗
HPV (GARDASIL) is an effective and safe vaccine which protects against four sub-types:
- “低风险”亚型6和11. 这些亚型通常不会导致癌前病变. 90%的生殖器疣是由它们引起的.
- HPV亚型16和18. These high-risk subtypes cause 70 percent of precancerous tissue changes of the cervix and cervical cancers.
该疫苗对其他亚型没有保护作用.
疫苗是连续注射三针. You will receive the second shot two months after the first shot. 第三针是在第一次注射后六个月注射的. The vaccine has been approved by the FDA for treatment of girls and women ages 9 to 26. Many insurance plans will cover the cost of the vaccine for these age groups.