Human Papillomaviruses (HPV)

For women, most of them infect themselves with HPV some time during their lives. Children may get infected as well as for example via smear infection by the hands. However, most infections stay unrecognized because our immune system successfully eliminates the HPV. Some HPVs however are able to settle permanently in humans, specifically in mucosa cells. Thus, they disturb cell division and cause the formation of dysplasia (abnormalities of cell development). Often those dysplasias are regressing on their own. In rare cases, however, the altered tissue may cause cancer.

How does infection work? All HPV-types that cause genital warts or cancer are transmitted by vaginal, anal or oral sex as well as any form of sex play. After infecting the cell, the HPV integrates its DNA into the genome of the host cell and is thus reproduced by the host cell.

How is the presence of HPV diagnosed? After the infection, it can take years or decades until cancer or another disease caused by HPV develops from the initial HPV infection. The presence of HPV in women can be detected through a pap smear. However, the smear does not identify HPV infections in other areas like the mouth or the throat . Women aged older than 25 often do HPV DNA tests that are specifically designed for the detection of cancerous strains of the virus. However, if a woman already has cervical cancer, the HPV-test results are often negative.

Not only women are affected by HPV, even though the rate of diseases caused by HPV is lower for men than it is for women. Thus, HPV-infections rarely produce symptoms and diseases in men which is why there is no clinical test for the detection of HPV in men available.

Which diseases can be caused by HPV? HPV can cause cervical, penile , vulvar, vaginal, anal, and throat cancer, as well as genital or skin warts. HPVs are divided into high-risk and low-risk-HPV-types with high-risk-HPV-types can cause the types of cancer listed above, especially cervical cancer, which will be the topic of a separate paragraph, and low-risk-HPV-types can cause genital and skin warts as well as benign tumors or are eliminated by the immune system before causing any disease. Approximately 10 percent of the adults in developed countries are infected with HPV.

Prevention The safest way of protection against the most common types of HPV is vaccination . The first vaccine was discovered by the immunologist Ian Frazer and firstly approved in 2006 for the use in women and girls aged 9 to 26, and later for boys as well. It prevents two types of high-risk-HPVs and two low-risk-types if the person has not been infected with HPV yet. In 2009, another vaccine was approved that only prevented the two high-risk-HPV-types. An HPV vaccination is most effective for children aged 11 or 12 but can also be used for women until the age of 27 and men until the age of 22. Some people report side effects such as pain in the arm where the shot was given, fever, headache and nausea . In Germany, the cost of the vaccination is covered by health insurance until the age of 18.

Additionally, circumcision has been proven to be an effective way to reduce the risk of infection of men.

Condoms are a safe way to prevent most sexually transmitted diseases and decrease the risk of HPV infection by 70 percent. However, even if condoms are worn correctly during each sexual activity, they do not provide a 100 percent protection against HPV infection.

Unfortunately, abstinence is the only 100 percent effective way to prevent any infection with HPV.

Due to the fact that no vaccine prevents all types of HPV, it is necessary to go to cancer screenings regularly that will be further explained when focusing on cervical cancer.

Treatment There is no cure for HPV itself. The treatment used after being infected with HPV primarily focuses on relieving the symptoms and curing the diseases caused by HPV such as genital warts .

Cervical cancer and cervical cancer screenings Cervical cancer develops by abnormal cell growth. From the infection until the actual development of cancer, usually 10 to 20 years pass. Symptoms may be vaginal bleeding, pelvic pain or pain during sexual intercourse .

50 years ago cervical cancer was one of the most often occurring diseases in Germany. Today after establishing cancer screening programs and the discovering of an HPV vaccine there are 75 percent fewer cases of cervical cancer. Cervical cancer screenings help in discovering the formation of cervical cancer early enough to be treated which is still possible before cervical cancer is fully developed. They are only recommended for women over the age of 30.

EXERCISE: 1. How many papillomaviruses do we already know?

a. About 10 b. About 1000 c. About 200

2. What diseases can you get after HPV-infection?

a. Cervical cancer b. Vaginal cancer c. Vulvar cancer

3. The safest way of protection against the most common types of HPV is vaccination.

a. True b. False

You’ll find the answer on: http://tinyurl.com/weiterbildung-englisch

BIBLIOGRAPHY 1.http://dict.leo.org. 2. HPV-Elternbroschüre, Bundeszentrale für gesundheitliche Aufklärung. 3. Padubidri VG, Daftary SN: Shaw’s Textbook of Gynecology, Howkins & Bourne, 2014. 4. www.dict.cc. 5. www.webster-dictionary.org.

CARMEN LOBITZ Carmen Lobitz ist freie Trainerin, Lehrerin und MTA. Sie gründete 1998 in Berlin lobitz seminare, die unter anderem Englischseminare für Health Professionals anbieten. Kontakt: mail@lobitz-seminare.de www.lobitz-seminare.de

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Lösung für Exercise: Answer: 1. c Answer: 2. a, b, c Answer: 3. a

Human Papillomaviruses (HPV)

How does infection work?

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Human Papillomaviruses (HPV)

How does infection work?

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