Papillomavirus infection is widespread throughout the world. HPV infection occurs regardless of age and gender, but the course of the disease and its development have their own characteristics in men and women.
For representatives of the stronger sex, the papilloma virus can cause certain disorders in sexual life and provoke the appearance of related health problems.
Reasons
The human papillomavirus has such a microscopic structure that it can enter the body through the smallest microcracks in the skin and mucous membranes.
In this regard, there are several possible HPV infections:
- Sexual transmission. You can get infected not only through normal intimate contact, but also through oral contact. In homosexual men, HPV is transmitted through anal contact through cracks in the skin and rectum. Mucous membrane injuries during sex increase the risk of infection.
- Household route of infection. The virus can be viable for a long time in a moist environment, so there is a high probability that it will be transmitted in baths, saunas, through a personal towel. Cases of infection have been described in beauty salons where the rules for disinfecting manicure sets and other tools were ignored. Transmission of the virus through instruments in dental or surgical offices is possible.
- From mother to baby during childbirth.
Men who frequently change sexual partners are more likely to contract HPV.
It is believed that the younger a girl is, the more likely she is to have the papilloma virus in her body - the highest number of cases of infection is detected before the age of 25. Virgins can also become infected with HPV, because oral and other sexual relations are often performed before traditional sex.
Unfortunately, barrier contraception, which is a condom, does not provide a 100% guarantee that it will prevent HPV infection. This is due to the fact that this microorganism, due to its minimal size, easily penetrates through the pores of the latex. Naturally, a condom reduces the chance of possible infection, but does not completely eliminate it.
It should also be remembered that a certain amount of the microorganism is found in saliva, so it can be transmitted through kisses.
The risk of possible HPV infection increases in men with bad habits. The probability of infection increases when the body's defenses are weakened, after long-term treatment with antibiotics.
Symptoms
A person may not suspect that he is a carrier of the papillomavirus until the vital activity of this microorganism is activated. The reason for this change is often a weakening of the immune defense function.
Latent transmission of infection lasts from two weeks to a year, in some cases this interval is significantly longer.
Activation of the virus leads to the fact that part of it accumulates in a certain area of the skin or mucous membrane. The accumulation and development of the papilloma virus alters the functions of epithelial cells, resulting in a tumor-like process.
Papillomas can form almost anywhere on our body, they usually appear in the armpits, on the face, neck, and genitals. Sometimes the process of papilloma formation is accompanied by itching and burning.
Formations of the papilloma virus grow on the body in the form of plaques, warts, filiform bumps on the legs. The greatest danger is caused by genital warts, in men they are located on the penis, they can grow around the anus or inside the urethra.
At first, these growths usually look like small pimples, in advanced cases they can merge with each other, forming a cauliflower-like growth.
Genital warts themselves are unpleasant only because of a cosmetic defect. But if they are not removed and the papilloma infection is not treated at all, there is a risk that the changed epithelial cells will degenerate into cancer.
Sometimes papillomas are injured during sexual intercourse or careless movements, which causes slight bleeding and pain. When the immune system is strengthened, self-healing often occurs, that is, the papillomas disappear or become smaller.
Effects
The consequences of infection with the papillomavirus for men are very unpleasant and depend on the strain of this microorganism.
If the inside of the urethra is affected, there is a threat of rapid growth and spread of genital warts inside the urethra. This leads to its partial or complete blockage, which negatively affects the flow of urine and affects the development of disorders of the urinary organs.
The appearance of growths on the head of the penis, around the anus and in the rectum increases the likelihood that a benign growth will become malignant.
Rectal cancer is more often found in men who practice non-traditional sexual relations. When engaging in oral sex, there is a risk of the formation of papillomas in the throat, which manifests itself in various unpleasant sensations.
A man infected with HPV also poses a certain risk to the women in his environment. For a wife or other sexual partner, such a man will be the most likely source of infection. Sisters, mothers, and daughters are also at risk of getting infected by using one towel and bathroom accessories in the family.
Diagnostic methods
Diagnosis begins with an examination of the external genitalia and the patient's entire body.
The doctor must collect the anamnesis, that is, find out when the formations appeared on the body, what the patient associates their growth with, and determine whether there are certain complaints.
To confirm the diagnosis, the patient must undergo several tests:
- A swab or scraping from the mucous layer inside the urethra.
- PCR test for the type of virus, to determine its quantity. This analysis is performed after taking a smear, prostatic secretion or blood.
- Biopsy - examination of a tissue sample taken during the removal of genital warts or from the site of a change in the mucous layer.
- Ureteroscopy helps to visually examine changes in the urethra.
Men with homosexual contacts are advised to examine smears taken from the anus area.
Methods of treatment of male papilloma virus
The selection of treatment methods for human papillomavirus in men depends on which strain of the virus is detected in the person.
If a causative agent of high oncogenic activity is identified, then effective antiviral treatment is prescribed, and in the future it is necessary to constantly repeat the tests.
Papillomas and condylomas are removed from the skin and mucous membranes in several ways. It can be either conventional cutting with a scalpel or more modern methods - laser treatment, electrocoagulation, radio wave method.
After removing papillomas, it is necessary to increase the body's resistance to infections, which will reduce the risk of contracting another type of HPV.
Prevention
Prevention of human papillomavirus infection - understanding sexual relations and, if possible, sexual contact only with trusted partners. Prevention methods include following basic rules in everyday life, that is, only using your own towel and underwear, following a healthy lifestyle.
Infection can be prevented by vaccination. A special HPV vaccine has been developed and is given three times at a certain interval. Vaccination causes the body to develop immunity to certain strains of the papilloma virus.