Human papillomavirus, or HPV, is the most common segxwally transmitted infection (STI), affecting more than 20 million people each year. “At this point, HPV is a sign a woman has [likely] had sex,” says Dr. Stephanie McClellan, a Southern California gynecologist and founder of the Doctor’s Office for Women. In other words, a lot of people either already have it or will eventually contract the virus.
But that doesn’t mean HPV is easy to understand.
Here are all the facts you need to know about this confusing and prevalent STI, including how to prevent it, how to deal with it, how much it really ups your odds of cervical cancer, and how effectively the new vaccine protects against it.
Chances are you’ve heard of the human papilloma virus (HPV) and certainly want to steer clear of the infection, but how much do you really know about this segxwally transmitted disease? It can be difficult to extract the basics from the steady stream of medical updates. But relying on a vague understanding of HPV can put your health at risk. Get informed and learn how to keep yourself healthy as LifeScript clarifies the facts of the HPV matter…
HPV is highly contagious, no doubt contributing to its status as the most common segxwally transmitted disease in the world. If you’re segxwally active, you have good reason to be aware of the virus, how it is contracted and the impact it can have on long-term health.
LifeScript spoke with Christine Miller, M.D., associate clinical professor of reproductive medicine at the University California San Diego, to get answers to common questions about HPV and shed some light on this important health issue. Here’s what she had to say:
1. What is HPV?
“HPV is a highly infectious virus,” Miller says. “There are a lot of different types of HPV, and some of them cause genital disease.”
In fact, there are more than 100 strains of HPV with approximately 30 different types affecting the genitals. Some HPV viruses are not associated with genital infections at all and affect other parts of the body. For example, HPV 1, 2 and 4 cause benign common warts typically found on the hands or feet. (See related article: The ABCs of HPV)
2. What are the different types of HPV that impact segxwal health?
“Among the strains of HPV that do affect the genital area, some are high-risk. It’s these high-risk strains that are associated with cervical cancers,” Miller says. “Low-risk strains of HPV can cause abnormal pap tests and genital warts.”
Genital warts are growths that appear in the genital area as single or multiple moist, pink or flesh-colored swellings and can be cauliflower-shaped. Two strains – HPV 16 and 18 – cause 70% of cervical cancers.
Who Should Get the HPV Vaccine?
Gardasil was approved by the FDA in June 2006 as a vaccine against certain strains of human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV is a real menace. A segxwally transmitted disease, HPV has infected around 20 million people in the United States to date, with more than six million new cases occurring annually. The virus can cause a range of health problems from genital warts to cervical cancer.
There are over 100 different types of HPV: About 60 cause common skin warts (plantar, hand) and around 40 types affect the genital tissues and are segxwally transmitted. Only a few of the genital types are considered high risk and can cause cancer.
segxwally transmitted strains of HPV are passed through direct genital contact. It cannot be transmitted by kissing or exposure to bodily fluids. But it is highly contagious. If you are segxwally active, the odds of getting infected are very high. In one study, more than 50% of college women contracted an HPV infection within four years of the onset of segxwal intercourse.
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