HPV & Genital Warts

Human papillomavirus is a family of over 100 strains. Most sexually active adults acquire at least one at some point, and the immune system clears the great majority within one to two years without any consequence. The strains that matter divide into two groups: low-risk types 6 and 11 cause the majority of genital warts, and high-risk types — chiefly 16 and 18 — cause virtually all cervical cancer plus a substantial share of anal, penile, vulvar, vaginal and oropharyngeal cancers. There is no general HPV blood test. Detection is through cervical screening: HPV DNA testing, increasingly used as the primary screen, with cytology (Pap smear) either alongside it or as a follow-up on positive samples. Genital warts are diagnosed visually and treated with topical medication, cryotherapy or minor procedures — treatment removes the warts, not the underlying virus. Vaccination is the substantive intervention. The nine-valent vaccine covers the main oncogenic and wart-causing strains and is most effective before first sexual exposure, which is why national programmes target adolescents; catch-up vaccination in adults still provides protection against strains not yet acquired. HPV vaccination programmes have already produced measurable drops in cervical pre-cancer rates in countries with high coverage.