Xavier Fritel, obstetrician-gynecologist at Poitiers University Hospital, recalls that the papillomavirus is a virus that circulates a lot: 80% of the population has been in contact with a papillomavirus.
HPV infection
A very common virus, the papillomavirus has many variants. It circulates a lot, because men and women, men and men or women and women who have sex get infected very quickly. In some people the virus can be present for a very long time. But most of the time, people get rid of the virus on average in 2 years.
The effects of the virus
The first contact of the virus is contact between the mucous membranes, it has no immediate immune response. There are two forms: low-risk papillomaviruses (benign lesions) and high-risk papillomaviruses (long-term risk of developing cancer without follow-up, over 10 to 20 years). The papillomavirus is often associated with cancer of the uterus. Smoking is an aggravating factor in the development of pre-cancerous cells.
Being 25 and 30 years old, research on a smear will focus on looking for pre-cancerous cells (condylomas that may be present on the cervix, vulva, vagina, anus or penis) .
Between the ages of 30 and 65, research on samples focuses on the presence of papillomavirus.
The vaccine
Currently, there is a vaccine to fight the papillomavirus. It is recommended to vaccinate young boys and girls between 11 and 14 years old with two injections.
There may be a catch-up vaccination between 15 and 19 years old, with 3 injections of the vaccine. Since January 1, 2021, this vaccine is also reimbursed for boys.
Monitoring a papillomavirus infection
Most of the time, the papillomavirus is eliminated by the body. In case of lesions, women go to the gynecologist, men a urologist. There is no screening for papillomavirus in men.
Wearing a condom does not necessarily protect against papillomavirus, since the presence of this virus can be very old and the partner is already protected, if he or she has not developed symptoms.
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