Introduction
There are many diseases in the world today, including the Human papillomavirus (HPV), which is a sexually transmitted infection (STII) obtained during the first time of oral, anal, and vaginal sexual activities. HPV affects many people globally, as it is estimated that in 2007, there were 291 million women diagnosed with the disease (Kombe et al. 2). In the United case, 79 million people have the virus. Every year, 14 million new cases are added (Smith par. 1).
One of the reasons for high infections is a sense of invisibility where people believe they cannot get an STI (Grimes n.p). However, there are a few HPV strains that cause reproductive abnormalities, miscarriages, and cancer (Gholizadeh et al. 2). Although mild HPV heals faster, some variants are more severe and can reduce the patient’s quality of life. Moreover, HPV with a poor prognosis has a high burden on society as it can lead to outbreaks of infections, economic costs, mortality, and negative socio-psychological consequences.
A Foreign Virus and The Human Body
Description of HPV
HPV is a foreign organism that interferes with the body’s normal functioning. It is the most common infectious sexually transmissible infection (STI) globally. It is estimated that men and women who are sexually active will get infected with the virus at least once without necessarily developing pathogenesis (Kombe et al. 1). The HPV belongs to the Papillomaviridae family characterized by being double-stranded and small in structure (Komber et al. 1).
I think different variants of HPV present with a variety of challenges to the human population. The low-risk HPV causes cutaneous and anogenital, and the high-risk one is responsible for oropharyngeal penile, cervical, and other forms of cancer. More than 120 isolated types of HPV are categorized with numbers to determine their risks and severity (Ardekani et al. 1932). Infections that are not fatal are likely to cause benign warts, which disappear for people with average to solid immunity after some time.
How People React to HPV
In my opinion, a positive diagnosis of HPV is likely to cause stress among patients because of the associated stigma. People always feel shame for having STIs because the disease is associated with immorality. Moreover, the symptoms of the disease can cause discomfort to a person and make them shy away from interacting with others.
Therefore, it is a good idea to help the patient understand their disease and provide counseling if they feel distressed. The other important factor is ensuring that the patient talks to all their active sex partners to get tested since HPV is a contagious disease. Tracking other people with the disease is essential to ensure they do not transmit it to others.
The Stigma and Shame of HPV Diagnosis
Many adults are sexually active and are at risk of getting HPV, transmitted through penetrative sex with a person who tests positive for the virus. A person may feel shame because of the stigma of being promiscuous. However, it has other transmission routes, as evident in young people, including neonates testing positive for the infection.
For instance, mothers can transmit the infection to their children during conception and pregnancy or after birth (Ardekani et al. 1932). Moreover, children can get the infection following sexual abuse by an infected person. There are a few instances where HPV is transmitted through skin-to-skin contact with an infected person.
The Burden of Vulnerability
In my opinion, the more vulnerable a person is, the higher the burden of disease they bear after infection. Notably, some individuals are at an increased risk of getting HPV infection due to immune suppression and sexual behavior. For example, people with multiple sexual partners have an increased risk of getting HPV and transmitting it to others (Permanente).
A person who has one sexual partner who is promiscuous has the same risk. People who have not received the HPV vaccination are more likely to get the disease compared to those with vaccines (Smith par. 15). Moreover, those with other STI-causing wounds or weak immune systems can quickly get the HPV.
Hope for Restoration Upon Diagnosis
Although a diagnosis may seem like a death sentence, there is hope for people to find healing and restoration. The truth is that diagnosis of HPV for symptomatic patients who have visible lesions and warts is possible through physical, positive pap smear, biopsy, or DNA test (Smith par. 15). Sexually active women are often encouraged to go for regular pap smears to check for any cancer development.
The government can establish a policy for partner notification, expedited partner therapy, and name reporting (Norman et al. 311). However, getting a vaccine is the best way to prevent the infection. In addition, it is vital to use a protective barrier during sexual intercourse, limit the number of partners, and avoid having sex while the warts are present.
Impact of HPV on Society
Societal Socialization Upon HPV Diagnosis
Humans love bonding with each other and forming meaningful relationships with families, colleagues, and friends in society. The implication is that when one person is infected with HPV, the impact is on many people. The negative implications may be more significant on those close, like the sex partners and nuclear family members. However, most of the time, the disease burden negatively affects the entire society. Therefore, treating the sick is vital to address the disease holistically while providing public education to enhance prevention.
Burden of Infection
HPV is a contagious disease that can be transmitted from one person to the other. For example, when many people are sharing their sexual partners, such as in orgies and prostitution, many infected people can transfer the virus to others within a short time. Moreover, mothers can transmit the infection to their unborn children, leading to fetal death, low birth weight, and preterm babies (Rapado-González et al. 1305). The burden of disease is intense on society because sickness causes people to limit their functions.
Development of Cancer and Economic Burden
HPV can lead to the development of different kinds of cancers, all of which are fatal unless discovered early. For instance, HPV is responsible for developing some types of Oropharyngeal Cancer (D’Souza et al. 1944). Similarly, HPV causes 70% of all cervical cancers, leading to an estimated 311000 women getting new infections every year (Abbas et al., e536).
Cancer treatment is costly, and most governments use taxpayers’ money to subsidize the treatment and provide insurance for the less fortunate. Moreover, sickness causes a significant burden to society because it causes people who could otherwise be active in building society to be helpless. Moreover, a lot of money is spent on medication and hospitalization of the infected patient.
Mortality
High-risk HPV has a high mortality rate, especially when the infection is detected after causing the development of cancer. Noteworthy, at least 250,000 global deaths occur due to cancerous HPV every year (Arrossi et al. 2). When people die, they leave a gap in society because of the social nature of human beings.
For example, the company would have to recruit new individuals if they were workers. The parents who die leave significant caregiving responsibilities to other people who were not prepared for such tasks, which causes the community to have orphans. The impact on society is that death leads to a shortage of human resources.
Socio-psychological Impact
In most places, there is a stigma towards all STIs, which implies that when a person has symptoms, they may fear seeking medical attention. The shame and guilt that comes with the infection is sufficient evidence of the HPV. A positive diagnosis causes psychological stress, which may be intense depending on the disease progression (Waller and Laura par.4).
If the person develops cervical or penile cancer, they are likely to experience isolation. The person’s family members may experience caregiver fatigue because they have to assume the responsibility of their patient. Noteworthy, when one member of the family is sick, others feel the stress and fear that the person may die.
Conclusion
In my opinion, people who get the low variants of HPV are lucky because they do not have to suffer from the high stress caused by Many sexually active people are at a high risk of getting HPV infection, the most prevalent STI. HPV is a tiny double-stranded virus categorized as either high or low risk. The former causes several types of cancer, which can be fatal when discovered at progressed stages.
However, early diagnosis through visual examination, pap smear, and genetics biopsy can help determine if a person has the infection. It is advisable to take a vaccine, use protection during sexual intercourse, and limit the number of partners. If HPV develops, it causes many negative impacts on society, including death, economic burden, and socio-psychological burden.
Works Cited
Abbas, Kaja M., et al. “Effects of Updated Demography, Disability Weights, And Cervical Cancer Burden On Estimates of Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Impact at the Global, Regional, And National Levels: A Prime Modelling Study”. The Lancet Global Health, vol. 8, no. 4, 2020, pp. e536-e544. Web.
Ardekani, Ali, et al. “Human Papillomavirus Infection DuringPregnancy and Childhood: A Comprehensive Review.” Microorganisms, vol. 10, no. 10, 2022, pp. 1932-1941. Web.
Arrossi, Silvina, et al. “Psycho-Social Impact of Positive Human Papillomavirus Testing in Jujuy, Argentina Results from the Psycho-Estampa Study.” Preventive Medicine Reports, vol. 18, 2020, p. 1-7. Web.
D’Souza, Gypsyamber, et al. “Case–Control Study of Human Papillomavirus and Oropharyngeal Cancer.” New England Journal of Medicine, vol. 356, no. 19, 2007, pp. 1944–1956. Web.
Gholizadeh, Omid, et al. “Review of the Evidence of the Effects of Human Papillomavirus Infection and Gardnerella Vaginalis, And Their Co-Infection OnInfertility.” Microbial Pathogenesis, vol. 175, no. 2, 2023, pp. 1-10. Web.
Grimes, Jill. Seductive Delusions: How Everyday People Catch Stis. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2016.
Kombe, Arnaud J., et al. “Epidemiology and Burden of Human Papillomavirus and Related Diseases, Molecular Pathogenesis, and Vaccine Evaluation.” Frontiers in Public Health, vol. 8, no. 1, 2021, pp. 1-19. Web.
Norman, Ishmael D., et al. “The Legislative and Policy Gaps in the National HIV and AIDS, STI Policy, 2004-2014, Ghana.” Beijing Law Review, vol. 06, no. 04, 2015, pp. 311–319. Web.
Permanente, Kaiser. “STIs: What you need to know”YouTube, uploaded by Kaiser Permanente. 2018. Web.
Rapado-González, Óscar, et al. “Association of Salivary Human Papillomavirus Infection and Oral and Oropharyngeal Cancer: A Meta-Analysis.” Journal of Clinical Medicine, vol. 9, no. 5, 2020, pp. 1305-1312. Web.
Smith, Lori. “Human Papillomavirus (HPV): Treatment, Symptoms, and Causes.” Medical and Health Information. 2023. Web.
Waller, Jo, and Laura Marlow. “The Psychosocial Impact of HPV.” HPV World, 2023. Web.
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