A Simple Guide to Human papilloma virus Infection

A Simple Guide to Human papilloma virus Infection
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What is Human papilloma virus Infection ?
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Human papilloma virus infection is a sexually transmitted disease that is caused by human papilloma virus (HPV).
Human papilloma virus includes more than 100 different strains.
About 30 of these viruses are sexually transmitted.
They can infect the penis, vulva, anus in men, and the linings of the vagina, cervix, or rectum in women.

Some of these viruses may also cause cancer of the cervix, vulva, vagina, anus, or penis.

How is Human papilloma virus spread?
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The types of HPV that infect the genital area are spread primarily through sexual contact.
Because most HPV infections have no signs or symptoms, many infected persons are unaware they are infected and may transmit the virus to a sex partner.

Very rarely, a pregnant woman can pass HPV to her baby during vaginal delivery. If that happens, the baby usually develops warts in the throat.

What are the Symptoms of Human papilloma virus infection?
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Most people who have a genital HPV infection do not know they are infected.
The virus lives in the skin or mucous membranes and do not usually cause any symptoms.
Some people get visible genital warts in the vulva, vagina, cervix or rectum in women and on the penis, scrotum, or anus in men.

Genital warts are single or multiple growths or bumps that appear in the genital area, and sometimes are cauliflower shaped.

After sexual contact with an infected person, warts may appear within weeks or months, or not at all.

Some may cause pre-cancerous changes in the cervix, vulva, anus, or penis.
Very rarely, HPV infection results in anal or genital cancers.

How do you diagnose Human papilloma virus infection?
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Genital warts can be diagnosed by visual inspection especially in men.

Most women are diagnosed with HPV on the basis of abnormal Pap tests which can detect cervical cancer or pre-cancerous changes in the cervix.
Many of these changes are related to HPV.

There is also a specific test is available to detect HPV DNA in women.
The test may be used in women with mild Pap test abnormalities.

No HPV tests are available for men.

What is the treatment for Human papilloma virus infection?
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There is no cure for HPV infection.

In most women the infection goes away on its own.
The treatments provided are directed to the warts and pre-cancerous changes in the cervix(Surgical coning of the cervix).

Visible genital warts can be removed by medications the patient applies such as Podophyllin,Imiquimod cream, 5-fluorouracil cream ,Trichloroacetic acid (TCA) .
Podophyllin and 5-fluorouracil cream should not be used in pregnant women because these may cause deformity in the baby.

Small warts can be removed by one of three methods.
Freezing (cryosurgery)
Burning (electrocautery)
Laser treatment

Large warts may require surgery.

Although the above treatments may remove the visible warts, the virus may still be in the body and recurrence may occur.

Sometimes the warts will disappear on their own.
If that happens, nothing else need to be done.

What are the complications of Human papilloma virus infection?
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All types of HPV can cause mild Pap test abnormalities which may not be serious.
In most cases (90 percent), cervical HPV infection in women becomes undetectable within two years.
Only a small proportion of women have persistent infection.
About 10 of the 30 identified genital HPV types can lead to the rare development of cervical cancer.


How do you prevent Human papilloma virus infection?
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Education and counseling of persons at risk on ways to avoid STDs through changes in sexual behaviors:
1.The surest way to eliminate risk for genital HPV infection is to refrain from any sexual contact with another individual.

2.A long-term, mutually monogamous relationship with an uninfected partner is the prevention for future genital HPV infections.

3.The use of a latex condom has been associated with a lower rate of cervical cancer which is related to HPV disease.

4.Follow up is important in order to watch for recurrences which can occur most frequently during the first 3 months after treatment.
Pap smear screening of women every 3-6 months is important to check for recurrences.

5. preexposure vaccination of persons at risk for HPV infection.
The new vaccine Gardasil is effective against HPV types 16 and 18 which cause approximately 70% of cervical cancers, and against HPV types 6 and 11 which cause approximately 90% of genital warts.


Added 4th October 2008
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The most common HPV types causing 70% of all cervical cancers are the HPV 16,18, 31 and 45.

Both new vaccines against HPV Cervarix and Gardasil are equally effective in producing high antibodies against HPV 16 and 18 and preventing these infections over a 5 year period.

However prevention of the HPV 16 and 18 does not mean the cervical cancer can be abolished totally.

A Simple Guide to Gonorrhea

A Simple Guide to Gonorrhea
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What is Gonorrhea?
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Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted disease caused by the gram negative bacteria Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

How is gonorrhea spread?
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Gonorrhea is a very common infectious disease, a bacterium that can grow and multiply easily in the warm, moist areas of the reproductive tract, including the cervix, uterus and fallopian tubes in women, and in the urethra in women and men.
The bacterium can also grow in the mouth, throat, eyes, and anus.

Gonorrhea is spread by infected people through contact with the penis, vagina, mouth, or anus.
There is no life long immunity after tratment with Gonorrhea.
A person who has been treated for gonorrhea may get infected again if there is sexual contact with a person infected with gonorrhea.
Gonorrhea can also be spread from mother to baby during delivery.

Who is at risk for gonorrhea?
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Any sexually active person can be infected with gonorrhea if their partner has the disease.

What are the symptoms of gonorrhea?
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A high percentage of men with gonorrhea do not have any symptoms at all.
Some men have some symptoms that appear two to five days after infection.
Symptoms include
1.a burning sensation when urinating, or a white, yellow, or green discharge from the penis.

2. painful or swollen testicles.

In women the symptoms of gonorrhea are often mild.
Most women who are infected have no symptoms.
The initial symptoms in women include
1.a painful or burning sensation when urinating,

2.increased vaginal discharge,

3.vaginal bleeding between periods.

4.lower abdominal pain due to salpingitis(infected fallopian tubes)

Women with gonorrhea are at risk of developing serious complications from the infection.

Symptoms of rectal infection in both men and women may include discharge, anal itching, soreness, bleeding, or painful bowel movements.
Most of the time rectal infection do not cause symptoms.

Infections in the throat may cause a sore throat.
Usually there are no symptoms.

How does gonorrhea affect a pregnant woman and her baby?
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A pregnant woman with gonorrhea may give the infection to her baby as the baby passes through the birth canal during delivery.
This can cause blindness, joint infection, or a life-threatening blood infection in the baby.
Treatment of gonorrhea should be started as soon as it is detected in pregnant women.

How is gonorrhea diagnosed?
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There are several laboratory tests available to diagnose gonorrhea:

1. a swab may be taken from cervix, urethra, rectum, or throat for testing

2. A direct Gram smear test of a sample from a urethra or a cervix allows the doctor in the clinic to see the gonorrhea bacterium under a microscope.

3. blood test can also detect the presence of gonorrhea in the blood stream

What is the treatment for gonorrhea?
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There are several antibiotics(penicillin, tetracyclines, spectinomycin) which can successfully cure gonorrhea in adolescents and adults.

Drug-resistant strains of gonorrhea are increasing in many areas of the world and successful treatment of gonorrhea is becoming more difficult.

Sometimes people with gonorrhea also have chlamydia.
Antibiotics for both infections are usually given together.

Persons with gonorrhea should be tested for other STDs.

It is advisable to take all of the medication prescribed to cure gonorrhea.
People who have had gonorrhea and have been treated can get the disease a second time if they have sexual contact with persons infected with gonorrhea.

What are the complications of gonorrhea?
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Untreated gonorrhea can cause serious and permanent complications in both women and men.
In women, gonorrhea is a common cause of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).
Women with PID may not have symptoms.
Symptoms when present can be very severe and can include abdominal pain and fever.
PID can cause internal abscesses in the pelvis which can give rise to long-lasting, chronic pelvic pain.
PID can damage the fallopian tubes enough to cause infertility and the risk of ectopic pregnancy.
Ectopic pregnancy is a life-threatening condition in which a fertilized egg grows outside the uterus, usually in a fallopian tube, sometimes in the abdomen.

In men gonorrhea can cause epididymitis, a painful infection of the testicles that can lead to infertility if left untreated.
Prostatits(infection of prostate), seminal vesiculitis and chronic urethral infection may be associated with fever and lead to urethral strictures causing difficulty in passing urine.

People with gonorrhea are more likely to contract HIV the virus that causes AIDS.

Gonorrhea can spread to the blood, joints or eyes(uveitis).
Blood infection or septicemia can be life threatening.

How can gonorrhea be prevented?
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The best way to avoid transmission of sexually transmitted diseases is to abstain from sexual intercourse.
He or she should be in a long-term mutually monogamous relationship with a partner who has been tested and is known to be uninfected.

Latex condoms, when used consistently and correctly, can reduce the risk of transmission of gonorrhea.

Any genital symptoms such as discharge or burning sensation during urination or unusual sore or rash should be a signal to stop having sex.
A person who has been diagnosed and treated for gonorrhea should notify all recent sex partners so they can also be treated.
In this way there is less risk that the sexual partners will develop serious complications from gonorrhea.
It will also reduce the person's risk of becoming re-infected.
The person and all of his or her sex partners must avoid sex until they have completed their treatment for gonorrhea.