NR 283 Week 6 Assignment; RUA; Pathophysiological Processes; Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Infection

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Infection Chamberlain University College of Nursing NR283: Pathophysiology January 31, 2021 Epidemiology In the United States, there are about 80 million individuals that are diagnosed with the human papillomavirus (HPV), and every day there are 14 million new cases of HPV that are contracted by people between the ages 15 and 59 years (Schub & Parks-Chapman J, 2017). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) informs that human papillomavirus is a virus with a double stranded DNA that affects the epithelial tissue and is derived from the family Papovaviridae (Meites et al,. 2020). In addition, more than 200 strains of HPV have been identified for which nearly 40 HPV strains can be sexually transmitted and affect the genital area and the mucosal epithelium (Hubert & VanMeter, 2018). On the other hand, the remaining strains infect the cutaneous epithelium that can cause warts in the hands, fingers, and feet (Meites et al., 2020). HPV infection is one the most prevalence diagnosed infection throughout the world, in which nearly all sexually active individual develop an HPV infection at some point during the course of their lives without being aware of the infection (Meites et al., 2020). Etiology and Risk Factors HPV infection can be acquired when the virus penetrates the body, typically through an open wound, cut, or tear in the skin. In other words, it can be spread through skin-to-skin interaction with an infected individual. Although, the most common spread of HPV infection is during oral, penile, vaginal, or anal sex (Meites et al., 2020). Common warts are prevalence in children and genital warts are occurs mostly in teenagers and young adults. Schubs (2017) explains that there are many risk factors to acquire HPV infections related to sexual activities. For instance, having unprotected sex, having sex with a person that has had multiple sex partners, having different sex partners, and having intimate sexual relations at an early age. However, in very rare cases HPV can be transmitted from an infected mother to her infant (Meites et al., 2020). Other cofactors for HPV infection include the lack of knowledge of the disease, damaged skin, personal contact, immune suppression, HIV, tobacco use, pregnancy, ultraviolet radiation, and immunosuppressive drugs (Gearhart, 2020). A recent study shows that after HPV vaccine in 2006, the HPV of any of the 37 genital prevalence types evaluated was 2-35% among men age 18-59 years, and 22-35% among women of the same range, which gives the female-to-male ratio to be 1.4:1 making female a prevalent factor (Gearhart, 2020). Pathophysiological processes Although HPV is highly species-specific, humans are the only reservoir and other species cannot be infected (Gearhart, 2020). Gearhart also explains that most HPV infect specific epidermal sites such as the basal keratinocyte, where it remains latent in the cell. Hence, autoinoculation of the virus can be easily spread through skin-to-skin contact if there is any lesion on the skin without any blood borne infection (Gearhart, 2020). Hubert & VanMeter (2018) explains that HPV strains 6