Reference no: EM132670061

CASE HISTORY

Sean was a 19-year-old college sophomore, a member of a fraternity at a large Midwestern university. Sean visited the campus health center, where he told the nurse practitioner that the shaft of his penis had a raised spot. The spot caused no discomfort yet, but Sean knew it was abnormal. The practitioner told Sean that he probably had human papillomavirus (HPV), a cause of genital warts. Although some HPV strains cause warts on external skin, genital HPV is transmitted only by sexual intercourse. The practitioner conducted a physical exam and discovered additional raised spots on Sean's anus. Sean told the practitioner that he had recently had vaginal sex with women, and had also experimented sexually with other men. The practitioner told Sean that the warts would probably go away on their own if he maintained good sleep and health habits, keeping his immune system strong, but some HPV strains can persist for years without symptoms. The warts could be removed by freezing or chemical treatment, but the virus would persist. Meanwhile, the presence of HPV suggested that Sean was likely to contract related strains causing cancer of the penis or anus. The practitioner recommended use of condoms, although HPV may infect areas that condoms do not protect. She also suggested that Sean recommend the Gardasil HPV vaccine for his younger brother and sister before they become sexually active.

Which of the following is true of papillomavirus infection?

• Freezing or otherwise removing genital warts eliminates the infection.
• The HPV vaccine can prevent infection with cancer-causing HPV strains.
• Condoms provide full protection against genital HPV.
• Genital HPV can be contracted via contact with warts on another person's skin, for example a wart on the fingers.