HPV AND SEXUAL LIFE
Human Papilloma Virus, which is referred to as wart virus among the sexually transmitted diseases all over the world, occupies the most important place. 80 million new contaminants are reported every year in the world.
While this is the case, the rate of transmission with wart virus seems to be quite high at some point in the life of women and men.
Up to 45 years of age, the lifetime transmission rate for women is 85%, and 90% for men.
In these conditions, we clearly understand that there is no escape from the virus.
Then how will our sex life be protected from the virus or if we have received the virus?
The only correct attitude in individuals who have started their sexual life is using condoms. A condom is recommended for men and women who have already received the virus, so as not to increase the virus load of their partner. A condom cannot close the entire sexual organ in a man, but it blocks the entire surface of the penis and blocks the passage of the virus, which can reach the vaginal walls and cervix. The inevitable deficiency with the use of condoms is that it does not prevent the passage of wart viruses that are found in the skin of the penis and the scrotum surrounding the testicles, which we call.
After cervical surgeries such as cervical biopsy, cauterization, and especially conization, condoms should be used, especially in the first years, until HPV DNA becomes negative, and then rigorously.
If we know the presence of HPV in women or men and there is a possibility of a new partner, it is appropriate to vaccinate the new partner, who is thought not to be infected before sexual intercourse. Again, the use of condoms should be recommended whether or not vaccinated.
We can give the statistics on this subject as follows.
There is 38% transmission in couples who use condoms and 90% in couples who do not use condoms.
If the couple definitely chooses a contraceptive pill for protection; The opinion that birth control pills increase cervical cancer is now abandoned and does not contribute negatively in this sense. There are publications that only in women who have been infected with the wart virus and the virus has gone into the latent (sleep) phase, after 10 years of use it is difficult for the virus to be removed from the body. The most important detail here is that if a birth control pill is selected, a barrier method such as a condom is no longer used, and the virus load and virus load will increase in the recurrent relationship. This issue, which is much less important in the presence of a single partner, means that when the number of partners increases, virus transmission and burden will naturally increase.
During oral sex, wart virus infection can occur in many areas such as oral cavity, pharynx, entrance of breathing paths, including vocal cords, inside the cheeks, lips. Treatment of lesions occurring in these regions is sometimes difficult and the risk of cancer is also likely if the type of virus is high-risk (such as Type 18, 18). 31% of oropharyngeal cancers occur with HPV Type 16 and 18. It is recommended to use dentaldem, which is also used by condoms or dentists during oral sex.
Anal sex can also follow a course from warts and cancer precursors to anal cancers, depending on the type and load of the virus within the anal mucosa and rectum. Apart from the wart virus, condoms must be used during anal sex, which has a high risk of infection.
There are also publications on the transmission of the virus by hand. Although it is mentioned about the 3-4 times increased risk of spreading to the genital area of the infected partner and spreading to his or her other genital area during sexual intercourse, the main contamination is always from the genital area to the genital area in sexual intercourse.
Now let’s come to the point where couples ask the most and try to understand the most?
When was this virus transmitted to me?
Has the infection occurred recently?
How long have I been carrying this virus?
The hardest time of diagnosis is these question moments for couples and physicians. I want to say immediately that the virus is most often transmitted in the years when you are young, and if it does not affect the cell nucleus, it is immediately excreted with cellular immunity. However, I must tell the couples that the process, which is much more than this possibility, virus remains latent (latency, drowsiness). The virus can remain in the latent phase for years without any evidence or even being found and proven in HPV DNA scanning. The virus that remains latent also becomes active, which we call reactivation. That is, most virus infections are activated in the old acquired virus. Of course, it can be infected with the new partner and unprotected relationship, and of course one of the couples may have moved from another partner. However, the dominant possibility is more than you can imagine that the old infection was activated. It is obvious that turning suspicion of deception into a probability and crisis will cause great harm to relationships.
Knowing that the infection is mostly caused by the old virus will protect us from wearing down many body defense systems that also concern the immunity that stress will cause.
We know the possibility of having a painful sexual life experience in a woman with HPV transmission for a number of reasons. One of the reasons for this is the right concern that the virus is constantly being transmitted during sexual intercourse and the virus load will increase. If HPV DNA scanning is negative at regular follow-up, this concern can easily be left aside. Apart from this, the use of vaccines in primary protection and regular condoms in secondary protection will reduce this concern. In addition, pain may be felt in the sexual intercourse without any operation in the cervix infected with the virus or after biopsy, cauterization or conization. Your doctor will try to find a solution based on the severity of this complaint and your examination findings.
Finally I want to say again and again that please get vaccinated. Of course, the target in the vaccine is boys and girls who have not yet started sexuality. However, the vaccine is currently supported by countless publications all over the world, and it is recommended to every man and woman whether they start their sexuality at the age of 9-46, whether they are infected or not.