HPV Part II
HIV & HPV

HIV and HPV
The good news is most women who have HPV (human papilloma virus) never develop cancer. But if you are co-infected with HIV, there may be bad news. Recent studies have shown that HIV-positive women are more likely to develop HPV warts more quickly than HIV-negative women. Other studies suggest that because HIV-positive women also develop HPV warts 16 times more frequently than HIV-negative women, they are at an increased risk of developing cancer of the deeper tissues of the vagina or vulva. Add all this up and it becomes clear that HPV can add to the health concerns for women living with HIV.

Treatment
If you have warts caused by HPV, the first thing to do is talk to your doctor about the different treatments available. Treatments vary, depending on the size and location of the warts. Two common methods involve applying a liquid to the affected area, and washing it off later. One therapy uses undiluted trichloracetic acid. The second therapy uses a 20 percent solution of podophyllin. Both are applied directly to infected area and washed off later. Note that podophyllin should not be used by pregnant women because it can cause birth defects in babies.

Other treatments for HPV warts are creams applied to the infected areas. The most common cream contains about 5 percent 5-flurouracil, but is available only by prescription. Pregnant women should also avoid using 5-flurouracil because of the risk of causing birth defects in children. The newest cream, called Aldara, uses imiquimod. It is the first new treatment for genital warts approved by the FDA in the last 5 years. Its advantage is that it is a vanishing cream that can be applied in the privacy of your home.

If there are only a few small warts to be treated, other options are available. Warts can be frozen off (cryosurgery) or burned off (electrocautery), and some doctors also use laser surgery to treat warts. Larger warts may require surgery if they do not respond to the other therapies listed above.

None of the treatments can cure the virus that causes the warts, so the warts can come back. If this happens, you can try a different treatment, or you might consider using a drug called alpha interferon. Alpha interferon therapy requires that you receive injections directly into the warts three times a week for several weeks. Some people require more than one series of alpha interferon treatment.

Take Charge of Your Health
Co-infection with HPV can cause serious health problems for women living with HIV, so it is important to know if you are infected with HPV. Talk to your doctor about HPV. While you might have to be the one to bring it up first, remember, it is in your own best interest.

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