Many people who have never been exposed to human papillomavirus are advised to undergo appropriate testing to detect the disease, if possible. If pathological symptoms begin to appear, delivery of such an analysis is a mandatory measure. In men and women, this type of viral illness can be transmitted from one person to another in the following ways:
- Unprotected sex (kissing is also possible - when there are sores in the mouth and lips).
- At birth - to the newborn.
- The virus can also enter a person's body in the home, in crowded places: public toilets, swimming pools, baths. Therefore, it is strongly recommended not to use other people's hygiene products.
The disease is not genetically transmitted through DNA. Therefore, the main risk of infection is neglect of basic hygiene rules, unprotected sex, unprotected sex, as well as a weak immune system. A certain increase in the risk of infection occurs when a person has bad habits.
It is important!In the absence of a carrier, the HPV pathogen in nature cannot survive for a long time (less than 1 day), but it is usually sufficient to infect a person.
If you want to have a blood test for HPV, you should first go to the clinic, because one of the highly qualified doctors can give you an appropriate referral.
There are more than 100 types of HPV, and more than half of them pose no threat to humans, but some species are considered oncogenic, so they can cause cancer when they develop over a long period of time.
Papilloma virus is incredibly sexually transmitted from person to person. In addition, unprotected contact is more likely to transmit this particular virus (compared to other STDs). In recent years, according to doctors, the number of patients is growing exponentially every year.
This disease is a special threat to the weaker half of humanity, as it often leads to the development of cervical cancer, as well as other cancerous pathologies in women. The older a woman is, the higher the risk of cancer. In men, the papilloma virus, which develops in the genitourinary system, often causes erection problems, irreversible infertility, as well as cancerous pathologies of the genitourinary system. Therefore, preventive tests are the right and rational decision.
What tests should be performed on human papillomavirus?
A highly qualified specialist can determine what type of analysis you need to undergo and what actions you need to take to do so. You can get professional advice on this issue from a number of doctors: dermatologist, urologist, gynecologist.
Currently, there are several popular and effective methods that allow not only to determine the presence of a viral disease in a person, but also to immediately classify it as a specific type - a safe or dangerous type.
It is important!You can't decide for yourself which test to take to find HPV - only a doctor should do it. It will show the name of the analysis.
We emphasize the following applied methods:
- Colposcopy. A colposcope is used to examine the cervix in detail. During the procedure, the doctor can carefully examine the mucous membrane of the body, get a high-quality image of all the interesting places and even find miniature papillomas and warts (if any).
- Cytology. Cytology is a common method for detecting various pathological diseases of an infectious nature with a smear examination under a microscope. As a result of the research, you can get the results of different classes: the first and second classes will show that a person has no problem with this virus; the third class is the reason for clarifying studies (histology is usually determined); fourth and fifth grades will indicate the presence of pathological cells. If specially altered cells are found in a human swab, HPV is diagnosed using cytology.
- Histology, study of biopaths. Using this technology, the specialist takes a small piece of tissue from a person to examine the sample (it is difficult to say how he received it, because it is different in each case). Studies are performed under a microscope - looking for altered cells affected by a viral infection.
- Look for antibodies to HPV. It is one of the most modern and useful types of research. This is due to the fact that the method involves the search for antibodies to this infectious disease in human blood (in part, this is the diagnosis). Antibodies will appear in the human body long before the virus becomes active. The method does not allow to determine the type of HPV pathology with high accuracy, nor does it show the concentration. Human blood is examined in vitro, not tissue.
- Digen test. A modern innovative way to detect papilloma virus. With this technology you can learn all the features of the disease. A sample of the mucous membrane of the urethra (men) and vagina (women) is taken to obtain material for the study. Often such tests are prescribed in conjunction with cytology to obtain the most accurate information about the existing pathology.
- PCR. The method is most required in cases where it is necessary to investigate the pathology of papillomavirus with suspected oncology. According to this technology, a person gives a smear of blood, urine, mucous membranes (the doctor will show it). The method is based on the detection of HPV DNA, so the results obtained in the presence or absence of disease in a person are incredibly high accuracy. It is difficult to study the material using this method, so if the work is carried out by an inexperienced specialist or there is a violation of the technology, it is likely to get wrong results.
It is important! Regardless of the type and method of test chosen, the study will be simple and painless for people of all ages.
In cases where the test involves taking material from the urethra or vagina, it should be prepared in a certain way: you should stop taking any medication that has an antiviral or antibacterial effect for a few days. You should refrain from any hygiene procedures for a few hours before taking the biomaterial, do not go to the toilet.
If blood is used to detect the virus, the test should be performed on an empty stomach. If you are very thirsty, you can drink some clean water without sugar and gas. You should abstain from alcohol and fatty foods for a few days before the study to avoid incorrect results.
It is important!It is recommended to temporarily abstain from sexual intercourse for two to three days before sampling any biomaterial.
Any test for the papilloma virus is not difficult for both patients and doctors: they can be passed quickly and easily, and the results obtained will most likely indicate the presence or absence of pathology. At the same time, it is extremely important to diagnose the presence of the virus as early as possible, because the sooner treatment is started, the lower the risk of the oncological form of this pathology.
You can get this type of test at any private laboratory or get a referral from the state clinic at the place of registration. Interpretation of the obtained results can be carried out only by a qualified specialist. You should not take the results of the analysis and learn using the Internet - there will be nothing better - you will not be able to correctly diagnose yourself.