Hpv or human papillomavirus is a common sexually transmitted infection and affects around 20 million people in United States with 6.2 million fresh cases every year. As many as 50% individuals who are sexually active tend to suffer from hpv infection at some point of time in their lives. Hpv disease can cause warts in some cases while in many cases no symptoms may be observed.

In some cases of hpv disease serious problems like cervical cancer may also be observed. Genital warts are observed in around 1% of individuals who are sexually active. In the hpv condition the symptoms may be observed from weeks to months after exposure to the virus occurs. The hpv infection can be transmitted from direct contact with the infected area or through sexual contact including vaginal, anal and oral sex.

In rare cases a pregnant woman with hpv disease may transmit the infection to the baby during vaginal birth. There are around 30 different hpv strains that can cause problems associated with this condition. The disease is extremely contagious when warts are present. The warts are ordinarily observed in regions near the vagina and vulva or near the anus. Among men these may be observed on the penis, scrotum and the rectum.

In some cases of hpv disease the warts may also be observed in the mouth and throat regions particularly when oral sex is performed on an infected individual. These warts may be soft and may be flesh colored. The warts typically wary in size and may be raised or flat. These may grow in clusters in some cases and may be cauliflower like. The warts are typically quite painless though in some cases they may itch, bleed and burn.

In hpv disease cervical cell changes may be observed through a Pap smear in some cases and often these changes tend to be mild and resolve on their own. A high risk form of hpv strain may result in cancer. A vaccine is now available and this can now protect women from four kinds of hpv and these are responsible for causing most cases of cervical cancer and genital warts.

Using condoms can reduce the risk of getting the hpv disease but the protection offered by condoms is limited as the condoms cannot cover all infected areas. The only way to prevent hpv is to refrain from sexual activity except in a mutually monogamous relationship with an uninfected individual. Diagnosis of this condition can be done through a visual examination of the warts along with a Pap test.

The warts can be treated through application of some medicines. Some other treatments include freezing the warts and employing chemical treatment to remove them. In case of cervical cancer the treatment may include radiation therapy, chemotherapy and surgery depending on the extent to which the condition has progressed.