Genital skin and mucus warts are not easy to see and do not have any noticeable symptoms. This contributes to them not being detected early. Early detection is important especially if the HPV has progressed to cancer.

Cervical cancer is a slow-growing condition that can take years to progress. This is why women should have annual gynecological exams if they are sexually active or age 21 and older. Pap Smear tests are performed at regular intervals as determined by her health care provider.

Persons Most At Risk For The HPV That Causes Cell Changes

1. Any sexually active person

2. A large percentage of people are exposed to someone who has the cell-changing type of HPV, but not everyone, especially those who are male will actually have abnormal cell change – which is also called dysplasia.

3. The HPV that is associated with cell changes are usually spread by skin-to-skin contact during sex (anal, oral or vaginal). It is rare to contract it through oral sex, but it can happen.

HPV that causes cell changes do not usually cause warts on hands and feet.

When to Screen for Cervical Cancer?

The American Cancer Society states that females should receive their first screening by gynecological exam and Pap Smear Test by age 21, or within 3 years of becoming sexually active (which ever comes first).

If women have had a conventional type Pap smear (where the cell sample is taken and put on a glass slide to be examined) and the test result is "normal" than she should receive Pap Tests once a year as long as results remain "normal".

If a liquid-based Pap test is used and the result is normal than she should have a screening once every two years.

If a Pap-HPV DNA test is done on women over 30 years of age and the result is normal or negative, then the next screening test should be done once every three years.

There is at present no test that can determine cell changes in men who have been exposed to HPV. The screening tests are designed to detect cell changes in a woman's cervix. The skin on a male's penis is too thick to test for cell changes in the same manner that a woman's cervix is tested.

Treatment

HPV as all viruses do not have cures. What can be treated are the genital warts associated with HPV. Abnormal cells found in the cervix can also be treated and removed. Doing so will lessen the risk of an unexposed partner to being exposed to the cell-changing HPV.

The healthcare provider will consider location, size of the lesion, and previous treatment history, the severity of the test results, the age and or pregnancy status of the patient and the patient and health care provider preferences.

Unfortunately, many of the signs and symptoms of cervical cancer only manifest themselves after a woman has been afflicted with the disease for a lengthy period of time. Some warning signs that you might want to look out for may include a discharge from the vagina that is not like common menstrual discharge. It may consist of fluids with blood spots within it and it may occur in between periods. Your menstrual periods may also fluctuate due to cervical cancer, and you may discover a heavier discharge than normal if you have the disease. One common sign of cervical cancer that leads many women to visit the doctor's office for a diagnosis is when you experience feelings of pain while having intercourse. Bleeding post-intercourse may also be indicative of a case of cervical cancer. Although these signs may be caused by cervical cancer, if you are experiencing any of them, don't jump to any conclusions. All of the symptoms can also be caused by other problems within the body so the most important thing that you can do is to pay a visit to your doctor's office as soon as possible in order to get the problem properly diagnosed. The longer that you wait to diagnose cervical cancer, the more opportunities it has to spread to other parts of your body. Catching the disease early in its progression is important so that doctors will be able to attack the problem while it is still a minor one.

Of course, one of the best things that you can do with regards to cervical cancer is to take as many preventative measures as you can. Always remember to practice safe sex as to limit your exposure to the human papilloma virus and be sure to get pap tested at least once every two years in order to make sure your cervical cells don't indicate any pre-cancerous cells. As with many diseases, proper preventative measures can save you a lot of trouble in the end.

Cervical cancer is a type of cancer that has been described as having five principle stages – stage 0 to stage IV. During stage 0, the cancer is undetectable and some pre-cancerous cells are present around the cervix. As the stage number rises, the disease progresses more and more, until stage IV, where the disease is said to have spread to other parts of the body such as the lungs or the bladder.

The National Cancer Institute conducted a study in 2005 that showed that only forty percent of women knew what human papilloma virus infection was. If you were unaware, human papilloma virus is the virus that causes genital warts to occur, and it is also a major risk factor for the development of cervical cancer in women. During the same study, women were also asked if they realized the connection between the human papilloma virus and cervical cancer; a mere twenty percent said that they knew the connection was there. This clearly illustrates the lack of public knowledge regarding the disease.

There are over fifty different types of human papilloma virus strains that we have discovered so far. Some of them are very insignificant and may result in warts appearing on the hands or the feet of an individual (known as plantar warts). There are approximately fifteen 'high risk' types of the virus, and the vaccine that has been created in order to limit women's exposure to the virus work towards eliminating the possibility of the woman developing strains 6, 11, 16, and 18, which are among the most commonly found strains of the virus.

In order to make sure that you are safe against cervical cancer, the best course of action that you can take is to be responsible when it comes to sexual activity and to ensure that you are getting pap smears on a regular basis. Though the recommended amount of time between pap smears is often quoted as between one and five years, most doctors recommend that the procedure be undertaken at least once every two years.

The link between cervical cancer and the human papilloma virus wasn't always known. In the early days of the twentieth century, many physicians noticed that cervical cancer was more prevalent in women who were sex workers, which was a prominent step in establishing where the problem of cervical cancer stems from.

Hopefully this article taught you some things that you didn't know before about cervical cancer. The more that you learn, the better off you are when it comes to keeping cervical cancer out of your life.

There are not many conditions involving cancer that can be identified in such an early state that the deadly form can be prevented as modern medicine can with cervical cancer. This condition can be diagnosed 10 years or more before the actual malignant cells develop. This is accomplished with regular pap smears.

The early risk factor of cervical cancer seems to be the virus known as HPV but the immune system seems to be able to fight this condition if the person has a strong immune system and practices good nutrition.

HPV is a contagious virus that most all people in the world have had at one time or another. How does a person catch HPV?

Human papillomavirus or HPV is contracted via direct skin-to-skin touching. However it is not transferred to another person via the blood. It infects males and females and is a very common infection that is often transmitted sexually. It is known as a silent infection because there is usually an absence of symptoms. The body can hold off this virus for years and years before any sign or symptom occurs.

This virus is rampid and comes in more than 100 different types. It is a huge family and a very diverse group that is DNA based. Some are very low risk while others are the higher risk viruses that are known to lead to cancer.

The virus can develop symptoms such as

* Benign skin warts

These warts can be transmitted via the skin or the environment.

However there is no proof that any of the following can spread HPV.

The list is as follows:

* Towels

* Swimming pools

* Toilet seats

* Hot tubs

* Doorknobs

* Soaps

Conversely, there are reports of strange occurrences of hpv so as mentioned there isn't proof but you should not necessarily rule the chance that this virus can spread without sex.

This virus can cause skin cancer or warts and all the types of hpv are different from each other in their genetic makeup. This difference seems to be associated with what the virus will affect. Such as the location or the type of lesion.

Of the various hpv virus types, some only affect the genital tract while others infect areas such as:

* Feet

* Hands

* Various areas of skin on the body

However the effected areas such as the genital area will not spread to the hand or vice versa.

Sometimes Hpv can be spread to an unborn baby during delivery but this is rare.

With the extensive promotion of pap smears cervical cancer has declined over the years even though it is the biggest killer next to breast cancer. The early screening that detects pre-invasive lesions or abnormalities in the cells gives enough time to perform a definitive treatment program.

By having regular checkups to detect HPV and cervical cancer you will be taking the most effective medicine for the treatment of cervical cancer and detection of hpv. That is called early detection and prevention.

The types of the human papilloma virus that cause genital warts are also the same strains that cause cervical cancer to develop in women. For that reason, it is of the utmost importance for females to be careful when it comes to their levels of sexual activity in order to ensure that they are protected against the virus. Statistics have shown that in America alone, approximately 6.2 million people become infected with genital warts per year. Some statistics even state that approximately eight out of every ten women will become infected with the genital warts strain of the virus by the time that they reach the age of 50.

While there is no cure for the human papilloma virus, many times, the virus will fade away after a woman is infected with it for a while. There are some types of treatments that can be helpful for genital warts, but they merely work to help treat the visible symptoms of the virus and not the virus itself.

Two different vaccines have been created in order to help women to decrease their risks of developing a case of genital warts. They are marketed under the trade names Gardasil and Cervarix, and they work to protect the body against some of the more 'high-risk' strains of the virus.

There are approximately thirty different strains of the human papilloma virus that cause genital warts. Of these thirty, approximately ten are considered high risk when it comes to the development of cervical cancer that they may bring on.

Although it is unlikely to occur, there is the possibility that a mother may be able to pass on an infection of the human papilloma virus to her child during childbirth. This only may occur through a vaginal delivery, so if you are particularly concerned about the risk, you may want to consider opting for a c-section delivery.

If you have a partner who is afflicted with a case of genital warts, oral sex will probably not cause an infection. There are two types of genital warts human papilloma virus strains that may be transferred through oral contact, strains 6 and 11, but it is unlikely that they would.

In this article, our intent was to help to fill you in on some facts about the human papilloma virus that you may not have been familiar with before. Hopefully, this taught you something about the virus and the way that it affects humanity and the world. Remember to stay safe when it comes to sexual activity so that you can decrease your risk of becoming infected with the human papilloma virus.

The purpose of the vaccine is to prevent infection with HPV. In order to achieve this purpose the vaccine must be given BEFORE the female is sexually active. The target age to receive the vaccine is between 9 and 12 years of age. Girls who are 13 to 26 should receive the vaccine if they are not sexually active or if they started the series of vaccines and did not previously finish the series. There is not enough research yet, to determine if the vaccine is effective for females who are older than 26 years of age.

The vaccine is given to girls in a series of three injections over a six-month period of time. Females who are pregnant should not receive vaccines until their baby has been delivered.

The target recipient of the vaccine has been selected to be young girls because between the ages of 9 and 13 there is a higher chance that they have not been sexually active yet. Once a female is sexually active there is a high probability that they have been exposed to 1 – 4 of the HPV viruses. Research has yet to be finished regarding the effect of the vaccine on boys. Research has also not been concluded on the safety factor for the unborn baby when giving the vaccine to pregnant females.

Cost

The cost per injection is about $120 and the cost per series (3 in 6 months) is about $360. Some not all commercial insurance companies are covering the recommended vaccines along with the cost of administration. There are also federally funded programs that will assist those who qualify in paying for the cost of the vaccine. One program involved in the federally funded programs is "Vaccines for Children Program". You can find out more about this particular program on this Website: http://www.cdc.gov/nip/vfc/

How does the Vaccine Impact Cervical Cancer?

Cervical cancer results from HPV. It is a sexually transmitted disease. By targeting females before they become sexually active (not having been exposed to HPV) their immune systems can be protected from the threat of the virus should they become exposed once they do become sexually active. Anytime you target the prevention of what causes a cancer, you are effectively reducing the occurrence of future cancer. Those females who are vaccinated and someday are sexually active will not be contracting HPV and therefore not passing it on to sexual partners who have not previously been sexually active. Thus those partners should be protected as well from spreading HPV should they decide to engage in sex with any other females. Once having sex with women who have not been vaccinated that male loses any associated protection he had. Vaccinated females will reduce the occurrence of cancer in them and in those they partner with who have remained sexually inactive prior to that association.

What about protecting males from cancer caused by HPV?

Although there is no conclusive research available at this time to aid in preventing HPV in males; vaccinating females between the ages of 9 – 26 who have not been sexually active will prevent the spread of HPV, which will have an impact on the males they have sex with in the future. HPV is spread by skin-to-skin contact as well as sexual contact in the genital areas. If the male is partnering with a female that has been vaccinated and he is not previously sexually active and he remains with this partner for life; then he is more assured that he won't contract HPV. The risk factors for contracting HPV are shared sexual partners and having sex with those who are infected. Most people do not know that they are infected because there are no symptoms other than the genital warts. Warts are not always visible or detected and therefore your sexual partner does not usually know the existence of HPV and therefore having sex is risky.

HPV is extremely contagious through skin-to-skin contact as well as by sexual contact. HPV's one noticeable sign are the appearance of genital warts. Not all genital warts can be seen. Some of these warts are inside the vagina, cervix or anus of infected women. These women can become pregnant after or during exposure to HPV. Warts will appear within 3 months of HPV infection. During pregnancy your immune system gets suppressed, making the pregnant woman more susceptible to viral infections such as HPV. This causes genital warts during pregnancy to grow quicker and larger. The pregnant woman will experience difficulty urinating if the warts have affected the urinary tract.

Genital warts are like regular warts that appear on hands and the soles of feet but they are contained to the genital areas of male and female individuals. These genital areas include: anus – inside and outside; in and around the cervix, vagina, vulva, penis and scrotum.

Genital warts are painless; appear as moist, flesh-colored raised growths that may resemble a cauliflower. Genital warts are spread by having direct contact that is sexual in nature through the anus, or vagina or by having oral sex. It is very difficult for sexual partners to know if they themselves or their partners have HPV as warts are not always visible. Pregnant women cannot assure themselves of being with a safe partner if they have sex with someone who has had previous sexual partners.

The vagina is an important organ to pregnancy and delivery. HPV can be transmitted from the pregnant mom-to-be to her unborn child by way of these genital warts that may be inside her vagina. The threat of passing HPV on through the genital warts are minimal, but it does exist. The genital warts can obstruct the vaginal passage used during normal vaginal birth because during pregnancy these warts can enlarge. As the baby passes by the warts that are in the vagina, there could be skin-to-skin contact between the baby and the vaginal warts.

Should your baby become infected with HPV during the passage through the vagina during delivery, there may appear genital warts or there may be warts on the throat which is known as laryngeal papillomatosis.

Laryngeal papillomatosis is a rare disease that is caused by HPV infection. The two types of virus that are associated with this disease are: HPV 6 and HPV 11. The growths or warts from this disease grow rapidly and vary in size. When they grow in number and size they may affectively block the air passageway. This makes it difficult for your child to breathe when sleeping and they can also experience difficulty in swallowing.

Testing for Laryngeal papillomatosis

There are two tests that can be conducted to determine if your child is suffering from this disease. The first one is indirect laryngoscopy. This procedure is done in the office by a speech-language pathologist or by the child's doctor. A small mirror is placed in the back of the throat and is angled to see down towards where the larynx is. The second test is the direct laryngoscopy and is performed in the operating room. General anesthesia is used for this procedure. This procedure allows the doctor to directly view the vocal cord folds and other parts of the larynx using high magnification. Samples of tissue may also be taken during the procedure. These samples are then examined to determine their constitution and to identify the existence of HPV.

Cervical cancer is one of the few types of cancer that women are encouraged to be tested for on a regular basis. That is due to the fact that many of the cases of cervical cancer that exist in society today are due to a virus known as the human papilloma virus. There are several different strains of the virus, and some are harmless, merely causing warts to appear on the fingers or feet. Certain strains, however, can result in a case of genital warts, which can be a precursor to cervical cancer for women. To that end, if you are a woman who has engaged in sexual behavior, you should visit your doctor at least once every two years in order to have a pap test done. This test will check the composition of the cells located on and around your cervix so that doctors will be able to detect any pre-cancerous cells that are developing. The best way of preventing cervical cancer is to ensure that you engage in safe sexual practices and avoid any kinds of sexual activity that may expose you to the human papilloma virus. Luckily, these days, medical advancements are on the way that will make it quite hard for women to develop a case of cervical cancer. Two different vaccines have been created that work to help women's bodies to successfully defend against the human papilloma virus, rendering them immune to it and drastically decreasing the risk of cervical cancer.

Another thing that you can do as a woman in order to help to defend yourself against the risk of cervical cancer is to avoid smoking cigarettes at all costs. Smoking increases your risks of developing cervical cancer, as well as several other different types of health problems, including heart disease and emphysema. The birth control pill has also been shown to increase a woman's risk of developing cervical cancer if used for over five years, which is another fact to consider when weighing exactly how at risk you are for developing the disease. To safeguard your body against cervical cancer, you may also want to make sure that you have a healthy diet that contains plenty of vitamins and minerals in order to help your body to operate as healthy as it can.

In this article, we've attempted to help you to learn some of the most prevalent contributors to a risk of developing cervical cancer. The more that you learn about the disease, the safer you will be from it. Be sure to have a pap test at least once every two years if you have engaged in sexual activity in order to be sure that you are safe and sound.

Question: I heard that the human papilloma virus is responsible for all cases of cervical cancer. Is this true?

Answer: In a word, no. Indeed, the human papilloma virus is responsible for a large majority of the cases of cervical cancer that are found to exist in society, but it definitely does not account for all of them. In order to ensure that you will be able to cut off any problems with cervical cancer before they become to large, it is important to schedule pelvic exams and pap tests as recommended by your doctor. In this way, you can largely decrease your chances of developing cervical cancer regardless of whether or not you are afflicted with the human papilloma virus.

Question: How do doctors gauge the progression of cervical cancer?

Answer: Doctors have created a type of staging system that helps them to discuss how far a case of cervical cancer has progressed. The staging system that they developed consists of 5 principle stages – stage 0, stage I, stage II, stage III, and stage IV. As the number of the stage goes higher, the cancer grows and begins to spread to other parts of the body. During stage one, pre-cancerous cells may be found around the cervix, and as the disease progresses through stage IV, the cancer grows and grows and begins to spread to other areas such as the lungs or the bladder. Knowing what stage your cancer is at is an important thing to consider when it comes to figuring out exactly what types of treatments should be undertaken to remedy the problem.

Question: I've heard that a vaccine is currently in production that can help to limit a woman's risk of developing cervical cancer. What's the deal with it?

Answer: Actually, there are two different types of vaccines that are in development right now that can be useful in helping women to avoid falling victim to cervical cancer. They go by the names Gardasil and Cervarix, and they work by introducing weakened strains of the human papilloma virus to the body. In that way, the body can build up immunity to the virus, which limits the chances of cervical cancer developing. A woman who has received one of the vaccines may still develop cervical cancer, but the likelihood of that happening is slim considering it will be impossible for the woman to develop a case of the human papilloma virus which accelerates a risk of the disease.

As with any type of cancer, the treatments that are used for treating cervical cancer vary greatly depending upon the progression of the disease within the body of the affected individual. Your individual circumstances such as your age and your past medical history will also come into play when determining which type of treatments are the best for you. There are three main different types of treatment that are commonly used when dealing with cervical cancer; they are surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. Doctors may choose to have you undergo surgery in an attempt to remove the cancerous cells if your disease's development is at an early stage where it has not spread to the other organs of the body. Radiation therapy can be helpful for cases of cervical cancer in which surgery is not a good option. In radiation therapy, radioactive particles work towards killing the cancerous cells present in the body. Chemotherapy, the third option, involves the intake of harsh medicines that work by destroying rapidly-growing cells within the body. This type of treatment can damage other parts of the body that tend to grow fast as well, and a chemotherapy regimen can result in hair loss and other problems with the body. To that end, you need to be very cautious when discussing options for cervical cancer treatment with your doctor. Every different type of treatment has its own benefits and drawbacks and they need to be seriously considered when addressing a problem that is as serious as cervical cancer.

Luckily, the more and more research that we conduct into the field of cervical cancer study, the more results we end up with. We have been steadily increasing our knowledge of the disease and how to treat it, and statistics have shown that the death rates for people with cervical cancer tends to drop by approximately four percent per year due to medical advancements that are being made. When coupled with the fact that a human papilloma virus vaccine has been created in order to lessen the likelihood that women will become afflicted with the virus, eliminating the problem of cervical cancer seems to be just over the horizon.