Sarah Yu | On 08, Oct 2014
You probably already know about STDs such as gonorrhea, syphilis and herpes, but what about HPV? If you don’t know about it, you’re not alone.
What is HPV?
HPV stands for human papillomavirus and it has many different strains.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it is the most commonly transmitted STI in the U.S. with approximately 20 million infected people and an estimate of 6.2 newly-infected every year. There have been over 100 types of HPV that have been identified.Who can get it?
Though there are more cases of women contracting it, men are still at risk of getting the virus too.
Signs & Symptoms
Many people who are infected don’t even know they have it and may not exhibit or suffer from any health problems or signs of the virus.
How Is It Transmitted?
Similar to other STIs and STDs, you can get HPV through sexual intercourse. The thing about HPV is that virgins can get it as well. Yes, sexually active people are at a higher risk of getting it, but virgins are not protected from it without proper preventative measures.
Preventative Measures
Speaking of preventative measures, lucky for us, there is a proven effective way to protect yourself and to reduce the risk of getting HPV, for both sexually and not sexually active people. Though condoms are an absolute must when having sex, there is a more solid way to keep yourself healthy.
Vaccinations
Unlike other STIs and STDs, there are vaccinations for the most common HPV strains.
Doctors recommend that girls from ages 9-13 receive it, but it’s never too late to get it, whether you’re sexually active or not. The sooner, the better though. I received my three-part HPV vaccination when I was in high school from my pediatrician.
Both men and women are recommended to get vaccinated for HPV.
Screening for Cervical Cancer
The more proactive way to prevent HPV is to get a routine screening for cervical cancer performed. This is because it’ll help you track your health and if you contract HPV, you’ll detect it easier and therefore, won’t lead to cancer.
Are There Any Tests to Determine My Status?
Unfortunately, there is no medical test that can definitively confirm whether you have HPV or not. You can get screened for cervical cancer, and get Pap smears but it will be useless in directly determining your HPV status.
Types of Vaccines
There are two vaccines that you can get. Both vaccines can only be fully effective in protecting you when all three doses are administered in the required amount of time.
Gardasil
This vaccine protects you from four types of HPV, all of which are sexually transmitted, so it is recommended to receive this before you become sexually active. But even if you are sexually active, you can still be vaccinated, just get it as soon as you can.
Cervarix
This vaccine protects you from getting cervical cancer that stems from infections including the high-risk strains of HPV. It’s strongly recommended to get this whether you’re sexually active or not.
Treatment for HPV
Most strains of HPV infections can be fought off by your immune system, just like the way that it fights off the common cold. According to the CDC, there is no treatment for the virus, but you can treat any symptoms that comes with it, such as genital warts.
Myths & Facts
There are always misconceptions and misinformation that is spread, so here are some myths and facts relating to everything HPV.
MYTH 1: All strains of HPV can lead to cancer.
There are strains of HPV that cause cancer but even high-risk HPV infections disappear within 1-2 years and don’t lead straight to cancer. For low-risk HPV infections, you may see warts on different parts of your body such as your genitals, mouth or feet. The fact of the matter is, is that even if you do get HPV, it can take years or even decades for cancer to form.
MYTH 2: The HPV vaccine is dangerous and includes small doses of the virus.
Not at all! Of course there are side effects such as pain, redness or swelling, just like any other vaccine. But the HPV is FDA-approved and is perfectly safe to receive. They also do not have small doses of the virus so your body has a chance to fight it off. Nada. After I was vaccinated, for all three times, I didn’t feel nauseous and had no side effects.
MYTH 3: HPV is fatal and life-long.
Thanks to our hard-working, strong immune system, HPV is not fatal, if it doesn’t lead to cervical cancer. So even if you contract it, it can be destroyed by your own body, kind of like the way you recover from a cold.
MYTH 4: Genital warts is a sign of having cancer.
Low-risk strains of HPV cause genital warts on different parts of your body, but it does not automatically mean that the next stage is cancer. So don’t freak out and go to your gynecologist if you get them.
MYTH 5: The HPV vaccine is only for us ladies.
HPV vaccinations are for both men and women.
(Feature photo via Women Plus)