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An Essay On The Importance Of Hpv

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IMPORTANCE
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately half of all sexually active individuals will acquire some strain of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection in their lifetime [7][8]. Transmission for this virus can be conducted via skin-to-skin contact and does not favor one global location over another [7]. Cervical HPV type infections are the most studied and understood pathology of the viral infection leading to tumorigenesis, but is gaining clinical relevance in oral cancer pathology. To fully understand HPVs pathology, researchers have tried to identify risk factors associated with individuals infected with this virus. Some risk factors associated with HPVs infection include, but are not limited …show more content…

The cervix and oral cavity exhibit similar mucosal linings making HPVs cervical infections a model of comparison for HPVs infecting the oropharynx. Approximately 25 percent of all oral cancers are due to a previous HPV infection [4]. Having such a large impact on the development of both cervical and oropharyngeal cancer, developing diagnostic tools are crucial in the overall success of treatment.
The majority of HPV infections go undetected due to an absence of inflammatory response from the host, majority of infections are asymptomatic [2]. Although most of these infections are asymptomatic eliciting no host response, this viral infection has the potential to cause detrimental disease in their host [2]. This type of viral infection was studied in the 1970’s by a scientist who dedicated his studies to understanding herpes simplex virus and its role in cervical cancers ultimately led to the discovery of HPVs [1].
Harald zur Hausen began his studies in medicine, and following his medical internship began studying microbiology [1]. Zur Hausen had a passion for understanding how cancers could result from bacterial infections. He was determined to understand how certain bacteriophages incorporate their DNA into host DNA and how this would alter the overall proliferation of a cell. Zur Hausen focused his research on

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