出版社：Grupo de Pesquisa Metodologias em Ensino e Aprendizagem em Ciências
摘要：Genital HPV infections are extremely common, most of them are asymptomatic and do not cause any tissue alteration, and consequently are not detected in the Pap smear test. When they do occur, the most common symptoms are abnormal vaginal bleeding, bleeding after sexual intercourse, and vaginal discharge (liquid, mucous, foul-smelling, or even purulent). The prevalence of HPV in cervical smears in women with normal test results peaks between the ages of 20 and 24 years, a relationship that is connected with the onset of sexual activity, while the subsequent decrease in prevalence reflects the acquisition of immunity and the preference for monogamous relationships with age. Thus, low education, advanced age, obesity, smoking and low socioeconomic status are independently related to lower rates of cervical cancer screening. In addition, the initiation of sexual activity at a young age, which increases exposure to the risk of HPV infection, in addition to immunosuppression, multiparity and prolonged use of estrogen oral contraceptives are factors associated with the development of uterine cervical cancer.
