HPV type 18 in men

Everyone thinks that the harm of papillomavirus infection can inflict only on the female body. At the same time, a strong sex may find that nothing threatens him, and HPV is a strictly female infection. But is it worth it to relax if the main way of transmission of the virus is sexual contact or mere contact of mucous sexual partners?

[1], [2], [3], [4],

Pathogenesis

In fact, the danger of infection exists and it is real regardless of the type of sexual contact (vaginal, anal or oral). Just lesions in this case will be located in different places (where there was contact mucous). If the infection has settled in the reproductive system of the female body, vaginal intercourse with HPV virions can penetrate the cells of the penis of a man. With oral sex, they can ply from the genitals to the mucous membrane of the mouth, and in the anal - to affect the anus, crotch and large intestine.

Men with hygiene are easier than women because of the peculiarities of the structure of the penis. If immediately after the sexual act to conduct hygiene procedures the risk of infection decreases. Protected sexual contact can also reduce the number of virions entering the mucosa.

But that's not all, doctors believe that men have a  lower risk of malignant degeneration of neoplasms caused by highly co-genic types of the papilloma virus ( HPV 18, 16,  HPV 31, etc.) lower than in women. The body of a young and healthy man is quite capable of coping with the virus. Its immunity can delay the spread of the virus for several years. The risk of appearance of external signs of the disease and the transition of warts to condylomas in cancer appears only with a strong weakening of immunity, which is facilitated by long-lasting chronic diseases and HIV infection, affecting mainly men who are not particularly picky in choosing a sexual partner.

[5], [6], [7], [8], [9], [10]

Symptoms HPV type 18 in men

In most cases, external manifestations of papillomavirus are observed in men no longer young with a certain stock of chronic diseases. As in women, the disease is manifested by the appearance on the penis and the anus region of genital warts and warts, which usually do not hurt and do not itch. Other symptoms have no illness.

But even with strong immunity, which holds back the spread of the virus, the man remains a virus carrier for a long time (we have already said that it is difficult for the immune system to cope with highly-co-genic strains of the virus) and poses a threat to its sexual partners of either sex, since it is considered infectious. The entire period during which the HPV 18 virus, HPV 16 and other oncogenic strains of it are present in the body of a man, a person should be registered with a specialist, because symptoms can appear at any time, and the risk of cell degeneration, although small, is .

What can be the external symptoms of HPV in a man? Usually it is about the appearance on the penis or around the anus of unusual growths, which are formed due to active, abnormal division of the mucous cells of male "dignity". Subsequently, organ tissues near the neoplasm can grow even more, but this happens only in rare cases. Usually everything is limited to condylomas and warts that do not turn into a malignant tumor, although the risk still remains if such growths do not remove for a long time.

Viruses of papilloma of 16 and 18 types can cause development of the following diseases in men:

• Bovenoid papulosis of the penis. A characteristic symptom of the disease is the appearance on the skin of the penis spots of red or purple with a smooth or warty surface. The latter usually indicates the viral nature of the disease. The behavior of such rashes is due to the work of the immune system. As soon as the immunity decreases, the spots appear again. In this case, most often in the perineal region, you can find not only spots, but also papillomas.

The disease can last for a long time, not bringing much discomfort to a man. But at the same time he remains contagious for his woman, whose similar rashes may later appear on the labia and vagina.

Bovenoid papulosis may seem a harmless disease, unless you take into account the fact that it is referred to as precancerous conditions. With a strong decrease in immunity or hereditary predisposition to oncological diseases, a man can eventually develop squamous cell carcinoma of the penis, a cancer of the genital organs, adenocarcinoma (glandular cancer) with localization in the prostate or large intestine, Bowen's disease. In women, the disease is fraught with the development of vaginal cancer.

• Cancer of the penis. This disease with aggressive course, which is able to give metastases already at the first stage of development. According to different data from 30 to 80% of patients with this pathology have in the body highly ionogenic strains of papillomavirus, which also provoke cell degeneration. Initially, the tumor looks like an ordinary wart or condyloma (usually they are often arranged in groups), but later it starts to grow rapidly.
• Bowen's disease. This disease is also regarded as a precancerous condition. First, red spots appear on the glans penis, which are not painful when pressed, and small erosions. Later, on the spot of these spots, convex compactions of a plaque shape can form. The red, scaly plaques appearing on the penis gradually grow, and if they are caused by HPV 18 or 16, they can eventually degenerate into a malignant tumor (invasive squamous cell carcinoma).

Prognosis of the disease suggests that the risk of degeneration of plaques into a cancerous tumor is quite large (according to different information from 15 to 80%).

• Adenocarcinoma of the prostate. This oncological disease in most cases is associated with papillomavirus infection, more precisely, with highly oncogenic her strains. This pathology, like any cancer, requires surgical treatment, since it is possible to germinate cancer cells in the bladder, rectum and other nearby organs.

As we see, especially men should not be relaxed. It must be remembered that the risk of their infection with papillomavirus is the same as that of women. However, young and strong men should not panic if they detect HPV type 18 or 16. Special treatment does not require a viral infection, until external symptoms appear in the form of genital warts and warts that need to be removed so that they do not develop into cancer. True, if immunity is maintained through immunostimulants and a healthy lifestyle, neoplasms in a couple of years may disappear on their own.

[11], [12]