What are the symptoms of HPV in women

HPV is the human papillomavirus. This virus can cause genital warts on the skin surface, mainly around the sexual organs. This virus is mainly transmitted through unclean sexual intercourse. The virus is very contagious and is mostly transmitted through contact. Genital warts appear as red protrusions in the early stage, and slowly become cockscomb-shaped in the later stage. Let's learn about the symptoms of HPV in women.

The early symptoms of HPV in women are low genital temperature, and the lesions in dry areas are often small and flat, while those in warm and moist areas are often filamentous or papilloma-like. At the beginning, they appear as a few tiny light red papules, which gradually increase in size and increase in number.

The surface is uneven, moist and soft, with nipples of varying sizes, which are shaped like cauliflower or fused into large clumps, and are red or dirty gray. The early symptoms of HPV in women are often stalked at the root, which is prone to erosion and exudation. It is easy to bleed when touched. There is often turbid serous or purulent secretions in the cracks of the skin lesions, which emit a foul odor and cause itching. Scratching often causes secondary bacterial infection.

The average incubation period of HPV in women is 2-3 months. The development of the lesions is not self-limiting. The early symptoms are local itching and pain. A few patients have no early symptoms of HPV in women. Growth sites: vulva, vagina, cervix, and perianal area. It often occurs in two sites at the same time. Local manifestations include small reddish or gray papules, which are wart-like protrusions and often fuse to form cauliflower-like growths. There is a history of sexual promiscuity. The lesions turn white after application of 5% acetic acid.

Three major effects of HPV infection on women

1. May induce cervical cancer

HPV virus can induce cancer, although the possibility is very low, it still exists. In comparison, men are much less likely to develop HPV cancer. Therefore, women should still pay attention to preventing HPV infection.

2. Possible infection to family members

In addition to sexual transmission, HPV can also be transmitted through contact, which is very dangerous. If anyone in the home comes into contact with an HPV-infected object, they may be infected.

3. Impact on pregnancy

Generally speaking, it is not recommended for HPV patients to become pregnant, because if pregnant women encounter many inconveniences during the treatment process, it may affect the health of the fetus if they are not careful. Therefore, doctors recommend that if HPV infection is detected in early pregnancy, abortion should be recommended to reduce the risk; on the other hand, when the cervix is ​​infected with the HPV virus, the chance of conception will also be reduced. If the damage is severe, the early fertilized egg will stop developing, causing miscarriage and infertility.