The doctor warned about the danger of human papillomavirus

The abbreviation HPV (human papillomavirus) hides more than 200 types of human papillomavirus, obstetrician-gynecologist Maria Sotnikova told "Izvestia". Most of them are harmless — certain types, for example, are caused by warts on the hands, familiar to many since childhood. However, there are those that can lead to serious consequences.

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"For a gynecologist, about a dozen and a half types of high oncogenic risk that can trigger the tumor process are important. The main ones — the 16th and 18th - are responsible for about seven cases of cervical cancer out of ten," the specialist explained.

The danger, according to the expert, is that a person may not know about the infection for years. In most cases, a woman's body gets rid of HPV itself in a couple of years. The danger appears when a high-risk virus lingers in the cells of the cervix for a long time.

"Then dysplasia begins (cells grow and divide incorrectly). And if you don't notice it, then in 15-20 years it can turn into cancer. In Russia, cervical cancer is found in more than 15,000 women every year, and there are many relatively young women among those who have fallen ill," the source said.

At the same time, HPV is also associated with cancer of the anus, vulva, vagina, penis and oropharynx, so the danger also applies to men, Sotnikova warned.

Read more in the "Izvestia" article:

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