HPV infections - medical and social problem

The research outlines information regarding infections caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV infections are among the most common sexually transmitted infections among humans. The frequency of
infections is highest among young women and the risk of infection during the first sexual intercourse is very high. The majority of HPV infections are asymptomatic, transitory and self-expiring. Around 40 types of HPV are related to genital infections; 15 types show relation to theformation of pre-tumour and tumour changes of the genitals and anus area. Apart from cytology and vaginal endoscopy, molecular diagnostics is perfor-med in order to identify the virus’s DNA. The most common HPV types which cause cervical carcinoma are HPV 16 and HPV 18. They are responsible for over 70% of all the cases of this tumour. The cervical carcinoma is, in terms of requency, the second cause of tumour cases among women (after breast carcinoma). One of the major medical revelations of the recent years was the discovery of a relation between the cervical carcinoma and the persisting infections by certain HPV virus genotypes. Currently, there are two vaccines available on the market - a quadrivalent vaccine containing L1 proteins of the 6, 11, 16 and 18 HPV types (Silgard/Gardasil) and a divalent vaccine inducing the production of antibodies against L1 proteins of the 16 and 18 HPV types (Cervarix). The development of vaccines against the HPV virus opens new possibilities of prote-ction against one of the most common tumours afflicting women, i.e. the cervical carci-noma.