Human Papilloma virus - Essay Example

Prof. Seth Bio 125 Zoriada Martinez Human Papilloma Virus Human Papilloma Virus( HPV) is a virus that causes the growth of the common wart, a very common condition that we are all continuously exposed to. It is spread by skin contact, shaking hands is a common way. There are also 25 types of HPV that will grow on genitals and anus and these are normally sexually transmitted. The most common form of transmission, though, is through contact with towels, face washers and even carpets.

However, the wart can grow on any part of the human body depending on what type of wart it is and there are over 100 different types of HPV. They each have their own surface that they prefer to attack. Some like the moist areas such as the mouth, anus and genitals while others prefer the hands, face and scalp. “When HPV does take hold, it grows a lump of thickened skin. Thats the wart.”(Davis,2011). The wart will shed its skin in time and that skin will carry, and transmit the virus.

They will form painlessly on the hands, face or scalp. The “Plantar” wart will form on the soles of the feet and are the only painful form of wart. On the genitals a painless cauliflower like growth will form. In extreme cases HPV can cause cancer of the cervix, penis, vagina or anus. The wart will cultivate its own blood supply and nerve and this makes it very difficult to just go away on its own. The body will eventually recognize and fight the virus by creating its own antibodies to HPV and will cause the wart to drop of, but, this takes time and normally will take one to two years.

There are over the counter remedies including Salicylic Acid which will irritate and eliminate the wart. There are also prescribed therapies such as Antiviral Creams that stimulate the immune system and stunt the growth of warts and you can also have the wart surgically removed. Vaccinations are available for girls at 11-12 years of age and for boys from 9-26. I am not a medical expert, but it seems to me that warts are just a relatively innocent, annoying part of human life in much the same vane as pimples.

We have medical experts who like to dramatize some aspects of medicine and try and frighten us with their fancy words and researches. “HPV Infection is Usually a Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) and is Easily Spread by Having Sex with an Infected Person”.(Mayo Clinic,2010.) .There is a stigma as soon as “Sexually Transmitted” is quoted. Well guess what? you can catch the common cold if you have sex with someone who has the Flu. Does that make the common cold a sexually transmitted disease?

, I think not. A wart is a wart, nothing less and nothing more and we will deal with as we do a pimples, blackheads and any other minor cuts and bruises we may suffer. Research Mayo Clinic (2011).Human Papillomavirus Vaccine, Quadrivalent (Intramuscular Route).retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/drug-information/DR602017Davis, Dawn.(2011).Medical Edge Newspaper. Virus That Causes Warts Can Be Passed to Others. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.org/medical-edge-newspaper-2011/may