Human papillomavirus is a sexually transmitted infection. Known in short as HPV, the virus is transmitted through unprotected sexual intercourse. HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the world.
About 80% of people carry HPV at some point in their lives, because there are more than 150 different types of HPV in total. The great majority of them cause no symptoms and clear up without any need for treatment. In fact very few people notice that they are carrying HPV. However, about 40 types of HPV cause infection in the genital area. This appears as warts or cancer in the cervix, the vagina, the vulva, the penis or the anal area.
HPV and Pregnancy
There is no HPV test that is performed routinely during pregnancy without a reason. HPV is usually diagnosed through the lesions called warts noticed during regular check-ups or through the results of the Pap smear test. In the Pap smear test a small sample of cells is taken from the cervix with a brush and sent to the laboratory.
When precancerous cells are found in these cells, the likelihood of HPV is high. Even so, the great majority of women need no treatment during pregnancy. Instead, where there is a treatment process, it is planned to make the symptoms easier to manage. Even when warts appear, they are not treated if they are not very large or troublesome. In patients with clinical complaints, however, they can be treated safely with various methods.
Does HPV Pass to the Baby in Pregnancy?
HPV does not affect the baby’s health. Cases in which HPV passes to the baby during birth are quite rare. In very rare cases genital warts can be transmitted to the baby. In such cases HPV lesions (warts) can develop in the baby’s larynx or vocal cords.
When warts form in this area the condition is called “recurrent respiratory papillomatosis”. The warts that develop can be removed by surgery. HPV is not an obstacle to breastfeeding. Although there are cases in which the virus passes to the baby through breast milk, this is very rare, and considering the value of breast milk for the baby it can be said that it is not a reason to avoid breastfeeding.