Is HPV Contagious

The human papilloma virus is a group of different types of virus that cause oral or genital carcinoma in people. As nearly 30 types of HPV spread through sexual contact, it is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases (STD) in the world. It has been found that more than half of the reproductive population has been diagnosed with this disease. Both, men as well as women, can get affected by this disease. The milder types of the virus cause genital warts in people, whereas certain strains of it can also be responsible for cervical cancer, miscarriages, infertility, cervical dysplasia and prostate diseases.

Causes of HPV
Sexually transmitted infections or diseases, as the name suggests, are transmitted from an infected person to the other through direct skin-to-skin contact of any kind. The other types of HPV, which do not causes warts, are, however, not transmitted through sexual intercourse, but are very rare. On the other hand, sharing personal items like towels and clothes with an infected person can also help in transmitting of the disease. Sometimes, it is also seen when a person undergoes a test for HPV virus, the result may be negative initially but may later turn positive. These people are known as carriers of HPV.

Symptoms of HPV
Warts or papillomas on the skin is the most common symptom of diseases caused by HPV. However, the location of the warts helps in diagnosing whether the disease caused by HPV is sexually transmitted or not. HPV that cause genital warts are transmitted sexually, whereas warts developed on hands and feet are not. Sometimes it is also found that some people do not have any signs and symptoms of HPV infections. Similarly, there are hardly any early and prominent signs of other diseases caused by HPV, like cervical cancer. Any abnormal changes in the genital regions can be considered as the symptom of cervical cancer, if identified.

Is HPV Contagious
The answer to the question 'is HPV contagious' is YES! Similarly answers to all other questions like 'is HPV contagious to men' or 'is HPV contagious to women' are positive. If a healthy person has a sexual intercourse with a partner with genital warts, he definitely contract the infection. However, only the virus that is responsible for STD is highly contagious and not the other types. HPV can also be spread from a carrier to a healthy person even when no symptoms like warts are seen. There are also chances of a person contracting HPV infection during childbirth. However, there is no satisfactory answer to the question 'is HPV contagious forever' as it is not proven yet. Some people believe that the virus remains in the body forever, while some believe that it remains dormant or disappears with the growth of new cells.

Treatment of HPV
There is no cure for HPV infection. However there are several treatment methods used that are very complicated. The treatment also varies according to the type of virus. In some cases, the virus may go away on its own, whereas in other cases they may increase in number as time passes. There is no cure that helps in preventing the spread of the virus. However, the doctors recommend removal of the warts or the lesions caused by it. Cervical dysplasia can be treated with laser treatment and cone biopsy. However, boosting immunity is considered as the most effective treatment for HPV.

I hope one has gotten a satisfactory answer to the query, 'is HPV contagious'? As a concluding note, it can only be said that HPV infection can be prevented by having protected sexual intercourse. Using contraceptives like condoms are also considered as a safer option. There is also a vaccine available for some of the types of HPV. Lastly, sexually active people should undertake regular tests to detect the presence of STDs.