The human papillomavirus is a sexually transmitted disease and infection that is one of the most widespread throughout the United States that males and females can obtain. It is linked to many health problems, the most severe being cervical cancer in women. Other affects of this infection include warts on and around the genital area, on the cervix and on the tongue.

Types of Warts

There are multiple places that a person with HPV may see warts, as already explained. There are different forms of warts that can be present as well.

• Genital: they are typically flat and resemble cauliflower with a stem-like feature.
• Pre-malignant lesions: they are what cause cellular changes and make precancerous lesions noticeable. These can have low-risk or high-risk abnormalities.
• Oral/upper respiratory lesions: these are typically found on the tongue, in the throat and in your nose.
• Plantar: these are hard formations found on the foot, usually on the heel or on the ball.
• Flat: dark colored flat warts can be found on the face, knees and hands.

The warts can be treated with creams, medications and supplements. If left untreated the warts can be present for up to two years. There are no remedies that guarantee the warts will not return after completely disappearing for a certain amount of time. HPV does not disappear completely from some people’s bodies, making the occurrence of the warts return possible. Repeat exposure to HPV from another person also increases the chances of the infection returning.

Are HPV Sufferers Prone to Warts?

The signs and symptoms of HPV vary from person to person. Many people that have had HPV have not even known they have had it. It is possible that any person who has ever had sexual intercourse is at risk for having it. HPV has come and gone from some people without the person ever knowing it was present. Some people’s immune systems are able to fight the infection off, which is unexplainable to the medical community. There is currently no explanation to how or why it happens.

Protecting yourself

Although many males and females contract HPV, not everyone with HPV gets warts, which is also true for cancer related to HPV. Not everyone with HPV gets cancer either. It just depends on how severe the HPV is and what strands of it someone comes in contact with. The best way to be sure that you do not get warts is to protect yourself, get checked regularly (either a pap test or an HPV test) and do not come in sexual contact with someone with an outbreak.

Learn more about ways to boost your immune system naturally here.

Sources:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hpv-infection/DS00906/DSECTION=2
http://health.discovery.com/encyclopedias/illnesses.html?chrome=None&article=2029&page=1