The incubation period of HPV varies greatly and can be missed without regular testing. Annual PAP smears are recommended for women with multiple partners to detect unusual skin growths on the cervix and aid in early diagnosis of cervical cancer. Those with genital warts are at greater risk for cancerous forms of HPV. The best prevention is abstinence or monogamy, but condoms and inoculation can also help reduce risk.
The incubation period of HPV is the time between exposure to one of more than 100 human papillomaviruses and the first onset of symptoms. These symptoms are usually warts on the genitals or abnormal skin growths that cause cancer on the penis or cervical region. It is difficult to determine a precise incubation period because this varies significantly, even among the same types of viruses. Although many patients may show symptoms within two to three months of exposure, sometimes the first symptoms do not occur for several years. Secondly, the end of the incubation period of HPV can be missed if regular tests such as the PAP test are not done, as the cancerous forms of these viruses may not have obvious signs, initially. This is why women who have sex with multiple partners, usually in their 30s, are advised to have annual PAP smears, which can detect the types of HPV that cause unusual skin growths on the cervix and can help in the early diagnosis of cervical cancer.
The irregularity of the HPV incubation period is challenging. People exposed to the virus may have to wait several years before they know they are or are not contagious. Alternatively, when patients show signs of one of these viruses, they may have no way of knowing when they have contracted it. The patient may have been exposed a month ago, a year ago or more, suggesting that all partners for at least the last two years should be informed.
In general, it is much easier to detect early signs of these viruses than to determine a stable HPV incubation period. The recommendation for regular PAP testing is an important part of detection, but it’s also helpful to examine the external genitalia and report any signs of warts to doctors, which may be single or may grow together. Those who think they may have been exposed to HPV should see their doctors early, and a physical evaluation of the internal genitalia or vagina and anus may reveal warts that aren’t immediately apparent.
It is easy to assume that the presence of warts suggests that the incubation period of HPV has ended in a non-cancerous form of HPV. Conversely, the presence of genital warts puts people at greater risk for cancerous forms of these viruses because they increase the overall risk that patients have been exposed to more than one form of HPV. Doctor’s recommendations about continued checkups if any type of genital HPV is found should be followed carefully.
The people least likely to get HPV are those who aren’t sexually active or who are in long-standing monogamous relationships. Those most likely to contract one or more of these viruses have multiple sexual partners. Using male or female condoms can help reduce your risk. Another approach is to inoculate people against the virus, which can help prevent some of the more cancerous forms of HPV, but is only available to women.
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