HPV is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections in the world today. The bad news is that you don’t even need to be sexually active to have it, as some strains are also transmitted by simple skin-to-skin contact and even congenitally from mother to child during birth.
To make it look even worse, there are no actual treatments for HPV, but only for its signs.
On top of these, it looks like most people will experience some form of HPV infection at some point in their lives. It sounds like a grim scenario, like something that you simply can’t avoid. But then, there’s some good news too, since the HPV infection isn’t as harsh as others.
Now, do you have HPV for life? Here’s everything you need to know.
Do You Have HPV for Life?
There are all sorts of stories, myths and controversies about the HPV infection. To answer directly, no, you won’t normally have the HPV infection for life, but there’s a chance it can linger.
About 90% of all people can clear it naturally within a year or two. There are no treatments for it though. Therefore, you’ll have to let your immune system handle it. Sure, you can boost your system with AHCC for HPV immune response, but that’s pretty much it.
There are, however, some effective treatments for potential symptoms or issues caused by the HPV infection, such as genital warts.
So while most people can get rid of the HPV infection, the virus isn’t always 100% clear from everyone’s body.
Clearing the HPV Infection
So, do you have HPV for life? Not really, but there’s a chance. Most HPV infections are completely cleared by the immune system. They’re less likely to cause any major health issues. Once the immune defense successfully neutralizes the virus, it typically becomes entirely undetectable in regular screenings.
However, you should still focus on boosting your immune system. After all, HPV is associated with a few forms of cancer in both men and women. The good news is that such issues are very rare, so chances are you won’t be affected.
When HPV Stays for Life
There are times when HPV could become a long-term issue as well. For instance, if you see signs of HPV and clear it out, it doesn’t mean that the virus is completely out of your system. Instead, it can also become dormant.
When HPV becomes dormant, it turns inactive. In other words, it’s still in your system, but it won’t cause any health issues, symptoms or signs whatsoever. It could stay in your system for months, years or even decades. Theoretically, you could have HPV in your body forever. It acts much like the chickenpox virus, resting quietly without making its presence known.
The problem is that it can’t be detected in a dormant stage. There are no tests to identify it. It can also become active later on in life. If your immune system drops in strength due to age, stress, or illness, HPV can reactivate and cause symptoms.
Meanwhile, you can still transmit it unknowingly to others.
When HPV Infections Persist
Despite most HPV infections clearing out, there are times when they can become a bit of a nightmare. They could persist in the body and lead to all sorts of issues. Again, such cases are extremely rare, so you’re less likely to be affected.
If this happens, the virus can resist the immune system. It doesn’t clear, but it becomes persistent. And it will show. It can alter the structure of some of your cells. It can also cause the apparition of warts. These consistent infections are more likely to lead to cancer, yet this isn’t always the case.
Therefore, if you do end up with a persistent HPV infection, it pays off to consult a specialist doctor. Again, there are no treatments for it, but your doctor can assist with the signs and symptoms, let alone boosting your immune system with all kinds of supplements and treatments. By regular checkups, you can catch abnormal tissue changes early and manage long before they turn into a dangerous situation.
Reinfecting With HPV
HPV is extremely varied, so being infected once doesn’t mean that you won’t get infected again. Even if the virus is completely cleared and not dormant (not that you can check anyway), you could still contract a different strain of it.
After all, there are more than 100 different strains of HPV. You could potentially jump from one infection to another. In fact, many patients with recurring infections are likely to face a different strain of it.
Regular screenings are important for women to keep an eye on potential infections. When it comes to men, signs and symptoms are usually the most obvious reasons to consider the infection.
In both genders, a strong immune system is the only way to get rid of the infection, yet doctors can also help with treatments for symptoms.
As a short final conclusion, do you have HPV for life? Hard to tell. Most people get rid of it within a couple of years, but the virus could be dormant in their bodies. You’ll never know, since there are no tests for it. Besides, with so many HPV strains out there, you could contract a different form of it at some point.