When people talk about HPV, the first reaction of many people is danger, because persistent infection of high-risk HPV can lead to the occurrence of most cervical cancers.
And the infection base of HPV may be far beyond your imagination…
80% of women have been infected with HPV
but most can be cleared automatically
There are about 200 known types of HPV. Among them, the dangerous molecules with higher risk of cancer are classified as high-risk types; the relatively safe types are classified as low-risk types, and the diseases they can cause are also different:
The high-risk types are represented by types 16 and 18, which cause about 70% of cervical cancers. [1]
The low-risk types are not carcinogenic, but they are also very annoying when they infect the human body. Especially types 6 and 11, they can cause genital warts.
Many people think that HPV is out of our reach, but in fact, HPV infection is relatively common, and 80% to 90% of women will be infected with HPV at least once in their lifetime.
However, having HPV does not necessarily mean you will get cervical cancer. Most HPV infections are transient, and the body’s immunity is stronger than you might think.
It can ward off diseases and prevent viruses, bacteria, etc. from invading the body. With the help of the immune system, the body can clear most of the HPV virus on its own, and 90% of HPV infections can be cleared within 2 years. [3]
Image source: Visual China
But our human body is not omnipotent. In the face of persistent infection of some high-risk types of HPV virus, we will be helpless, and the dangerous types of cervical cancer are precisely among them— – 16 and 18 types. Study found: 99.7% of cervical cancers are related to HPV infection. [4]
The good news is that there is already a preventive method against cervical cancer—vaccination. Studies show that vaccination can effectively prevent 89.5% of cervical cancers from developing. [5]
Your body is already “struggling to detoxify,” and we can’t sit still. We must engage in the “battle” to protect ourselves from the risk of disease.
Early vaccination, early prevention
23 city 4/9 price spot vaccine is coming
This article reviewer
Wang Xi
Associate Chief Physician of Public Health
Shanghai Minhang District Center for Disease Control and Prevention
References
[1] Expert consensus on clinical application of HPV vaccine
[2] Fan Lingyun, Wang Huan, Han Yimin. Research progress on new detection and typing methods of human papillomavirus [J]. Modern Oncology, 2022, 30(03): 525 -528.
[3] Sun Yanan, Qi Manli. Analysis of the natural process and reliability of HPV in the human body [J]. Bulletin of Dermatology, 2021, 38(05): (451-458)+ 7.
[4] WHO1. Cervical cancer. Accessed April 8, 2022.[5] Serrano B, de Sanjosé S, Tous S, et al. Human papillomavirus genotype attribution for HPVs 6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52 and 58 in female anogenital lesions. Eur J Cancer. 2015;51(13):1732-1741. doi:10.1016/j.ejca.2015.06.001
Planning
Planning: Qiuqiu
Producer: Shuiyi
Typesetting: A Zhe
