Women really should know about the HPV virus and its risk to cervical cancer because among the victims, every year there are 13,000 women recorded to be diagnosed with cervical cancer which is observed that the possibility of the cancer occurred through cell changes that develop in the cervix while the virus severely infects. Years of abnormal cell conditions further increases the danger to cervical cancer as tested by the traditional pap tests. Basically, women aged 30 years are recommended to attend Pap tests because of their sudden cell changes. The Pap test is done by taking small sample of cells from the cervix through a soft brush, usually during the pelvic test routine. Samples are taken into the lab for couple of microscopic observations and evaluations. HPV test can also be done from the Pap test samples wherein once the 13 types of the virus can be seen which are common to cervical cancer. Thus, early treatment is suggested to decrease the occurrence of the cancer.

Symptoms of HPV virus in women depend on where the virus occurred and otherwise may not cause any signs at all. Though with over 100 varieties of HPV types, there are also different effects that most women are unaware of. Skin-to-skin contact increases the spread of the HPV, stressing the cases of women who are highly active in sexual intercourse although there are few reports to include close contact but without the intercourse. Known factors to show the occurrence of the HPV are genital warts which look like flesh-colored, moist and soft swellings frequently found in the vagina, anus, and the vulva and some are precancerous changes that lead to genital cancers. HPV 6 and 11 are the wart-causing types or the so-called “low risk” HPV virus in women. Meanwhile, those “high risk” HPV types cause the most common risks to cervical cancer including the HPV 16 and 18. The immune system of the body can eventually clear the infection by itself but if the body would not resist, the cells continue to change and act abnormally leading to precancerous stages and to genital cancer.

Among these severe reports, women should better yet be precautious of having close contact with the other sex. Safe sex for instance is a basic way of prevention. As discovered by experts, HPV in women increases occurrences of genital cancers so taking care of the body in and out is the key to avoid being one of the victims.