can someone answer this in detail ?

Question

what is hpv and what are the syptoms or effects of it or is it just a virus in your body with no sypmtoms

Answer 1

What are genital warts?

Genital warts are skin growths in the groin, genital, or anal areas. They are considered a sexually transmitted disease (STD) because they are caused by a virus that can be spread by sexual contact.

Genital warts occur in women, men, and children.

In women, the virus that causes genital warts (human papillomavirus, or HPV) can infect the cervix, vagina, vulva, urethra, and the groin or anal areas. HPV can cause abnormal changes in cells of the cervix. Women who are infected with certain types of HPV are more likely than other women to have an abnormal Pap test. The types of HPV that cause visible warts usually are not the same types that cause abnormal cervical cell changes.
In men, HPV can infect the penis, scrotum, urethra, groin, or anal area.
In children, HPV can infect the genital area. A child can get genital warts in several ways. Any child with genital warts needs to be evaluated by a health professional to determine the cause and to assess for possible sexual abuse.
HPV infection can cause cell changes that increase the risk of anal or rectal cancer.

What causes genital warts?

Genital warts are caused by infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV). Of the many types of HPV, types 6 and 11 produce visible genital warts. Usually, they eventually disappear without treatment. Other HPV types, such as 16 and 18, usually do not produce visible genital warts. However, they are associated with precancerous and cancerous changes to the cervix.

Risk factors for genital warts include:

Having unprotected sexual or genital contact (not using condoms).
Having multiple sex partners or a high-risk partner(s) who has had multiple sex partners or HPV-infected sex partners.
Starting sexual activity before age 18.
Having an impaired immune system.
What are the symptoms?

Infection with HPV usually does not cause symptoms. Most HPV infections are latent, meaning the virus is present but is not multiplying or producing any signs of infection. Visible genital warts appear only during active infection. (However, you may spread the virus even if you do not have warts.) Warts may look like tiny bunches of cauliflower or like flat, white areas that may be difficult to see.

When symptoms do develop, they usually occur 2 to 3 months after infection. However, they may develop from 3 weeks to many years after infection. Possible symptoms include irritation, itching, and bleeding.

How are genital warts diagnosed?

A health professional usually diagnoses genital warts using a medical history and a physical examination. During the medical history, your health professional will ask about possible risk factors for warts, such as whether you have recently had unprotected sex.

He or she will do a physical examination to look for signs of genital warts or other sexually transmitted diseases. Women will have a gynecological exam, including a Pap test. If the exam reveals abnormal tissue but a definite diagnosis cannot be made, your health professional may take a sample of tissue (known as a biopsy) for laboratory tests to identify the tissue.

How are they treated?

Genital warts caused by the most common types of HPV often go away on their own without treatment. After you are diagnosed, if you do not have symptoms or cosmetic concerns, you may observe your condition without using treatment. This is called watchful waiting.

Experts sometimes differ on how to treat the condition because genital warts often go away without treatment and because treatment does not eliminate the HPV infection.

Treatment will depend on:

The number of warts and their size and location.
Any problems the warts are causing.
The side effects and costs of treatment.
Your health professional's skill in treating warts.
Your preferences.
Even if you are treated to remove visible warts or your warts go away without treatment, the HPV infection is not cured; it remains in your body's cells.

Even with treatment for genital warts, you still may be able to spread the infection. Condoms may help reduce the risk of spreading the infection, but they do not fully protect against genital contact.

Answer 2

Lots of good answers so I won't go over it again HOWEVER HPV isn't just genital warts. There are hundreds of types of HPV, cold sores are an example. It is sexually transmitted, it can stay dormate for years before showing up so you can't really blame your current or last sexual partner (unless they're the only one).
Not sure if you're a female, your pap results can come back abnormal because of it. You just have to follow up every 3 - 6 months depending on the results.
Most people (extimated 70%) that are sexually active have been exposed to to the virus. It's not a bad thing.

Answer 3

HPV is a virus. It is the most common STD. You can have symptoms, or not. Most people don't know they have it, which is one reason it's so prevalent. You could also have tiny little itchy bumps. Bottom line, if you're sexually active, you should be seeing an OB-GYN, and they can do a test for it when you get a pap.

Answer 4

Human Papiloma Virus called HPV is detected by a Pap smear and or physical exam. Acutally it is something that non symptomatic but very important to detect. There are many strains of HPV some of which can cause cancer., This is not to scare you but to make you and everyone aware that annual Pap smears are important.

Answer 5

Human Papilloma Virus is a STD that has no overt, immediate symptoms. It CAN cause genital warts. It's usually discovered when other problems are going on.
The scary thing with HPV is that it can cause cervical cancer.
I am attaching a link for you.

Answer 6

SOMETIMES THERE ARE NO SYMPTOMS.THE DOCTOR WILL DO A PAP SMEAR AND IF THE PAP SMEAR COMES BACK ABNORMAL-THE RESULTS THEY WILL PREFER YOU TO A SPECIALIST WHO WILL THEN DO A TESTING BY TAKING SOME OF YOUR CERVIX TISSUE.AND IT GOES BY STAGES 4-1, 4 IS THE LOW STAGE 1 IS THE HIGH STAGE.IT JUST BASICALLY MEANS THAT YOU ARE AT RISK FOR HAVING CERVICAL CANCER.ANY MORE DETAILS YOU SHOULD SEEK THE ANSWER FROM YOUR DOCTOR.

Answer 7

I think it happens to everyone. The asker chooses an only OK answer over a much better. If that was my Q I would have picked your answer. Sometimes people pick their contacts/friends regardless if other answers are much better. It could have even been that they simply choose the female avatar answer over your male avatar answer. Very silly but I suspect sometimes people are gender-biased when picking a BA.

Answer 8

What are genital warts?

Genital warts are skin growths in the groin, genital, or anal areas. They are considered a sexually transmitted disease (STD) because they are caused by a virus that can be spread by sexual contact.

Genital warts occur in women, men, and children.

In women, the virus that causes genital warts (human papillomavirus, or HPV) can infect the cervix, vagina, vulva, urethra, and the groin or anal areas. HPV can cause abnormal changes in cells of the cervix. Women who are infected with certain types of HPV are more likely than other women to have an abnormal Pap test. The types of HPV that cause visible warts usually are not the same types that cause abnormal cervical cell changes.
In men, HPV can infect the penis, scrotum, urethra, groin, or anal area.
In children, HPV can infect the genital area. A child can get genital warts in several ways. Any child with genital warts needs to be evaluated by a health professional to determine the cause and to assess for possible sexual abuse.
HPV infection can cause cell changes that increase the risk of anal or rectal cancer.

What causes genital warts?

Genital warts are caused by infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV). Of the many types of HPV, types 6 and 11 produce visible genital warts. Usually, they eventually disappear without treatment. Other HPV types, such as 16 and 18, usually do not produce visible genital warts. However, they are associated with precancerous and cancerous changes to the cervix.

Risk factors for genital warts include:

Having unprotected sexual or genital contact (not using condoms).
Having multiple sex partners or a high-risk partner(s) who has had multiple sex partners or HPV-infected sex partners.
Starting sexual activity before age 18.
Having an impaired immune system.
What are the symptoms?

Infection with HPV usually does not cause symptoms. Most HPV infections are latent, meaning the virus is present but is not multiplying or producing any signs of infection. Visible genital warts appear only during active infection. (However, you may spread the virus even if you do not have warts.) Warts may look like tiny bunches of cauliflower or like flat, white areas that may be difficult to see.

When symptoms do develop, they usually occur 2 to 3 months after infection. However, they may develop from 3 weeks to many years after infection. Possible symptoms include irritation, itching, and bleeding.

How are genital warts diagnosed?

A health professional usually diagnoses genital warts using a medical history and a physical examination. During the medical history, your health professional will ask about possible risk factors for warts, such as whether you have recently had unprotected sex.

He or she will do a physical examination to look for signs of genital warts or other sexually transmitted diseases. Women will have a gynecological exam, including a Pap test. If the exam reveals abnormal tissue but a definite diagnosis cannot be made, your health professional may take a sample of tissue (known as a biopsy) for laboratory tests to identify the tissue.

How are they treated?

Genital warts caused by the most common types of HPV often go away on their own without treatment. After you are diagnosed, if you do not have symptoms or cosmetic concerns, you may observe your condition without using treatment. This is called watchful waiting.

Experts sometimes differ on how to treat the condition because genital warts often go away without treatment and because treatment does not eliminate the HPV infection.

Treatment will depend on:

The number of warts and their size and location.
Any problems the warts are causing.
The side effects and costs of treatment.
Your health professional's skill in treating warts.
Your preferences.
Even if you are treated to remove visible warts or your warts go away without treatment, the HPV infection is not cured; it remains in your body's cells.

Even with treatment for genital warts, you still may be able to spread the infection. Condoms may help reduce the risk of spreading the infection, but they do not fully protect against genital contact.