These behaviors are also prone to infecting with the HPV virus.
1. Sauna, swimming, hot springs
Dr. Liu Yanchun, the chief physician of the dermatology and venereology department at Beijing Ditan Hospital, shared a case in the People’s Daily Health account in 2022: a female patient was found to be infected with HPV type 16 during her hospital visit. She was very surprised, as there were no issues during her company’s health screening the previous year, and she had not had sexual intercourse in the past year; she had only been swimming frequently and had visited a hot spring once during that year.
Could swimming and visiting hot springs also lead to HPV infection? Dr. Liu Yanchun stated that environmental pollution factors cannot be ruled out for women infected with HPV.
Although sexual activities are an important route for HPV infection, since the HPV virus tends to exist on skin and mucosal membranes, and many people now visit public places such as saunas, swimming pools, and hot springs, if the disinfection in these places is not thorough, infections may occur there. Particularly, the use of public items can more easily lead to infections.
Source: Health Times
2. Frequently going barefoot, prone to foot sweat
According to a report by Urban Express in 2022, a 10-year-old patient named Xiao Jun (pseudonym) was treated at Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine. His soles were covered in dense little bumps, each roughly the size of a soybean, with several darkened on the surface, and there were more than ten on each foot.
Diagnosis showed that the little bumps on Xiao Jun’s feet are called plantar warts, commonly known as warts. This is a common foot disease, mostly caused by HPV infections, which can be transmitted through tiny skin lesions, leading to more and more infections.
Dr. Luo Hongbin, the deputy chief physician of the dermatology department at Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, stated that cases like Xiao Jun’s are not uncommon. Most patients are around ten years old, and some get infected after practicing Taekwondo or dance barefoot during summer classes. Additionally, teenagers who like to play basketball are prone to sweating on their feet, which can lead to numerous plantar warts on their soles.
Most patients with plantar warts share a common characteristic: they like to go barefoot and have sweaty feet. Therefore, such patients noticeably increase in number during the summer, predominantly among young people.
3. Infection through shared items among family members
In households, if an infected person does not properly handle their underwear, towels, etc., it can lead to infections in those who come into contact with these items.
Dr. Liu Yanchun mentioned that there have been cases in outpatient settings where a mother’s infection resulted in HPV infection in her three to four-year-old child. Some infected individuals show no symptoms and do not seek treatment, leading to environmental contamination.
Preventive measures for HPV infections include the following points:
HPV is classified into low-risk and high-risk types. Low-risk HPV infections cause flesh-like growths on the skin’s surface, known as “warts,” or inflammation due to infection; high-risk infections, if present for a long time, can lead to abnormal cell proliferation on the cervix, and when uncontrolled, may result in cervical cancer and other genital cancers.
1. Scientifically implement safety measures
Using condoms is crucial for preventing HPV infections and even HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) infections. Furthermore, having a monogamous partner is equally important.
2. Regular disinfection of underwear
Underwear for both women and men should be thoroughly disinfected, utilizing hot water for disinfection, since HPV is cold-resistant but heat-sensitive. After disinfecting underwear, it should also be exposed to sunlight for proper drying.
Additionally, it is not recommended for women to wear overly tight and non-breathable underwear, as maintaining cleanliness and dryness in the intimate area is also an essential method of preventing virus infections.
