Can I get pregnant if I have HPV infection?

HPV is a type of virus. It is a very scary virus. If a person with a weak constitution is infected with this virus, it is very difficult to treat. After being infected with this virus, the body will develop some corresponding symptoms. Low-risk diseases can cause warts on the surface of the human skin, while high-risk HPV virus infection can cause tumors in women's bodies. Let’s take a look at whether it is still possible to get pregnant if you are infected with HPV.

HPV virus is the abbreviation of human papillomavirus, which is a spherical DNA virus. The main areas of infection are the human epidermis and mucosal epithelium. HPV is the most common sexually transmitted virus. Some data show that more than 70% of sexually active women have been infected with HPV in their lifetime. HPV is divided into low-risk subtypes and high-risk subtypes. Low-risk subtype HPV infection mainly causes the growth of warts on the skin and mucous membranes, such as genital warts; high-risk subtype HPV infection mainly causes the occurrence of cervical cancer and vulvar cancer. However, for most women infected with high-risk HPV, the virus is cleared by the body's immune system within 2 years. Only a very small percentage of women will have persistent HPV infection. A very small proportion of women with persistent HPV infection may develop cervical cancer, vaginal cancer, or vulvar cancer in the future. A considerable number of women with persistent infection have the desire to have their first or second child. If women who are continuously infected with HPV are to develop cervical lesions in the future, it will be a relatively slow process. That is, cervical precancerous lesions first develop into cervical cancer. The shortest time is 7 to 10 years. So if you are infected with high-risk HPV virus, especially women infected with type 16 or 18. If you are married, please get pregnant and have children as soon as possible. Among pregnant women, many are also HPV-DNA positive.

It is recommended that women of appropriate age have annual gynecological examinations as it can detect and treat early cervical cancer in a timely manner. Especially before pregnancy, it is advisable to do a cervical cancer prevention test such as HPV virus and liquid-based cytology such as TCT or LCT. If precancerous lesions of the cervix are found. You can treat cervical precancerous lesions before pregnancy and then get pregnant. If there are problems with the cervical cancer prevention examination, a colposcopy can be done to rule out cervical lesions. If the examination rules out the disease and the patient is just carrying the virus, then it is completely possible to get pregnant and have a baby. After HPV infects the host, it does not enter the human blood circulation and will not affect the development of the fetus during pregnancy (newborns are infected with HPV mainly due to contact with amniotic fluid contaminated with HPV). Therefore, although it is possible for newborns to be infected at birth, many babies will clear it themselves within more than two years after birth. We recommend that pre-pregnancy check-ups should include checking the condition of the cervix and screening for HPV infection.

If you have not had a cervical cancer prevention check before pregnancy, you can do a cervical cancer prevention smear and HPV test during the early pregnancy physical examination. There is currently no link between HPV and miscarriage or premature birth. HPV infection will not cause teratogenesis. Please rest assured about your pregnancy.

Interestingly, although studies have shown that the probability of transmitting HPV through cesarean section is half that of natural birth, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists still recommends that, in light of the various benefits of natural birth and the high rate of HPV-free newborns, there is no need to deliberately request a cesarean section for fear of HPV.