Recently, according to media reports, a 2-year-old boy in Hangzhou grew a "cauliflower"-like mass in his throat, and the hospital's pathology report suggested laryngeal papilloma, which is mostly related to infection with human papillomavirus (HPV).
After the news appeared on the hot search, it triggered a discussion among netizens about the routes and symptoms of HPV infection. As a common viral infection of the genital tract, how exactly is it transmitted?
Experts interviewed
Cao Zeyi, former vice minister of health and famous gynecological oncologist
Lun Wenhui, chief physician of the Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University
Li Yanli, chief physician of the Department of Gynecology, Hubei Provincial Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital
How is HPV transmitted?
HPV is one of the most common sexually transmitted pathogens worldwide, infecting both men and women.
It is contagious, and it is very common for women who have sex to be infected with HPV, and data shows that the chance of a woman being infected with HPV in her lifetime is as high as 80%.
Sex life transmission
This is its main mode of transmission, from the outside vagina to the cervix, and if the cervix happens to have a small wound, even if it is invisible to the naked eye, the virus will take advantage of the void and infect the cervical epithelium.
Indirect propagation
For example, unclean toilets, hotel bed linen, towels, toiletries, etc., the virus can be infected through skin contact with the daily necessities of infected people, and infected when personal immunity is weak.
Mother-to-child transmission
HPV may also be transmitted vertically, often when mothers infected with HPV in the genital tract infect their newborns during delivery.
In the above news, the boy was born naturally, and his mother had been infected with HPV, and Li Yong, chief physician of the Department of Otorhinolaryngology at Hangzhou First People's Hospital, said that infection caused by the birth was more likely.
high-risk vs. low-risk infection,
What's the difference?
Although almost all cervical cancers are associated with HPV infection, infection with the HPV virus does not necessarily lead to cervical cancer.
According to different viral nucleotide sequences, more than 200 HPV subtypes have been found, and the pathogenicity of HPV in different subtypes is different, divided into high-risk and low-risk, of which low-risk infections account for the majority.
Low-risk HPV
It can cause genital genital warts, scabs, etc., and the scientific name of foils is "warts", which is somewhat contagious.
Common warts, filiform warts, plantar warts, flat warts, etc. may be traces of HPV.
High-risk HPV
There are more than a dozen high-risk types of HPV, which can cause vaginal and cervical epithelial lesions, which are related to the occurrence of malignant tumors such as cervical cancer.
70% of cervical cancers are caused by persistent infection with high-risk HPV16 and 18; Long-term HPV infections, especially HPV16, are also at high risk of oral cancer.
What should I do if HPV infection is detected?
Screening for HPV infection does not need to panic excessively, because HPV infection is a necessary and insufficient condition for cervical cancer to occur.
As long as the immune function is normal, the vast majority of people can clear the HPV virus in the body within 2 years, without taking special measures, and it is not recommended to blindly use the so-called "turn yin" products.
However, if precancerous lesions are detected, they should be treated as soon as possible to avoid progression to cervical cancer.
There is a long process from HPV infection to cervical cancer:
HPV infection→ high-risk HPV persistent infection→ cervical intraepithelial neoplasia → invasive cervical cancer, generally takes years or even decades.
Moreover, the vast majority of women infected with HPV are transient.
For example, a healthy woman, especially a woman in her 30s, has better immune function, the body's ability to self-eliminate the virus is also strong, and has a strong "self-purification" ability for HPV that suddenly emerges in the body.
4 things to help you prevent and treat scientifically
Only by having a scientific understanding of the virus and establishing a correct concept of prevention and treatment can we avoid unnecessary health damage.
01
Pay attention to sexual hygiene
The more sexual partners, the more opportunities for infection with different subtypes of HPV virus, the more types of HPV viruses come into battle, the "self-cleaning" ability is overloaded, and the risk of cervical cancer is significantly increased.
Pay attention to the use of condoms throughout sexual relations, which can play a certain role in isolation; Clean the vulva daily and, if you have a sexual partner, ask your partner to clean the vulva before sex.
02
Get the HPV vaccine as early as possible
There are three types of HPV vaccines:
Bivalent vaccines can prevent high-risk HPV16 and 18;
Two subtypes, HPV6 and 11, were added to the quadrivalent vaccine prevention types, while preventing genital warts;
The nine-valent vaccine can prevent nine types of HPV6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52 and 58.
At present, imported vaccines are suitable for people aged 9~45, and some of the domestic vaccines are suitable for 9~45 years old, and some are suitable for 9~30 years old, and you can choose after consultation.
At present, the supply of vaccines in some areas is tight, and everyone can get vaccinated as soon as possible about what type of vaccine, without blindly pursuing the nine-price price.
In fact, the bivalent vaccine is enough to prevent more than seventy percent of cervical cancer, and there are domestic bivalent vaccines in the mainland, which are very cost-effective.
03
Regular screening
Women (after having sex) are best screened for cervical cancer from the age of 21, and only need to be screened once every 3 years at the age of 21~29, and HPV is not detected.
Combined cytology and HPV screening every 5 years, or cytology screening every 3 years, is recommended for 30~65 years old.
Women over the age of 65 who have no history of cervical cancer precancerous lesions in the past 25 years and have adequate negative screening in the previous 10 years (the last test is within 5 years) can stop cervical cancer screening.
04
Don't treat blindly
After infection with HPV, through autoimmunity, the natural clearance rate is about 70% within 1 year, about 90% in 2 years, and if it exceeds 2 years, the doctor will do specific diagnosis and treatment.
For high-grade precancerous lesions, it is recommended to do active treatment, according to the size of the lesion, choose the corresponding treatment mode, patients must receive standardized diagnosis and treatment in regular hospitals. ▲
Editor of this issue: Xu Menglian