For the past six months there has been a lot of talk around the term “HPV.” Ever since the vaccine Gardasil came on the market every newspaper and women magazine has been mentioning “HPV”. HPV stands for the Human Papillomavirus. It is virus that includes more than 100 different strains which lives in the body’s epithelial cells. These are flat and thin cells found on the skin surface. According to the CDC, HPV effects 20 million Americans, and every year there are 6.2 million new cases of HPV.
You can break down HPV into two subgroups. One subgroup affects the hands, fingers, and feet which is passed on through skin to skin contact. It causes warts on the hands, fingers and feet which is treated with medications or other forms of treatment. The other subgroups effects the genital area, which is transmitted through sexual contact. This subgroup has received much of the attention within the media and within the medical community. Even though the majority of HPV strains are not harmful, and most of the infections are usually cleared up by the person’s immune system. There are forms that are at high risk which have been linked to vulva, and cervical cancer in women.
One of the misconceptions regarding HPV is that it only effects women. Which is not true. It also effects men but unfortunately there is not a test available to see if men have HPV. But, what males can do is watch for genital warts around the penis, and go to the doctor to receive treatment to get rid of the genital warts. Genital warts are usually a sign that a man or woman have HPV. Another way that woman can test for HPV is having a Pap Smear. The Pap Smear basically test for any abnormal cells in the uterus. If any abnormalities are showed upon the test biopsies are taken for further testing for HPV, or other types of cancers. Even though there is no cure for HPV there is a vaccine on the market called Gardasil. Gardasil blocks the HPV strains that causes cervical cancer in women. It is recommended for women between the ages of 9 to 26. It is given as a series of three injections over a 6-month period.
The ways that people can protect themselves from HPV through sexual contact is to avoid having multiple sex partners. Abstinence, or having a sexual partner without HPV also cuts down on the transmission of HPV. For more information regarding HPV you can go to the following websites: WebMD.com, CDC.gov(Center for Disease Control), and www.hpv.com. Don’t forget to talk to your personal Physician also.
Trinicha Hussain
