High risk HPV: Types, treatments, and more - Medical News Today
There are many types of HPV. Most resolve on their own and are unlikely to cause health problems. However, some types are high risk if the infection remains in the body. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted virus, with doctors diagnosing roughly 13 million new cases every year. The virus can pass on through skin-to-skin vaginal, anal, or oral sex. A person may not realize that they have the infection because it sometimes causes no symptoms. Read on to learn about the types of HPV, as well as testing, treatments, and methods of prevention. Some types of HPV can cause cancer. This means that they are "high risk." When a high risk type of HPV infects cells, it changes how they communicate with one another. It also causes the cells to multiply. Usually, the immune system becomes aware of these cells and regulates them. However, if these abnormal cells remain, they can continue to change and become precancerous. HPV infects the thin, flat squamous ce