Info on HPV

With human papillomavirus (HPV) being one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases (STD) in the world you would be wise to educate yourself with all of the info on HPV available.

There are more than 100 types of HPV, with many of them being high- risk types 16 and 18 that advance to cancer of the cervix, vulva and vagina as well as penile and anal cancer. The HPV infection from 16 and 18 usually occur during sexual activity involving vaginal, oral or anal sex. You can also become infected with HPV while engaging in intimate skin to skin contact with an infected person. Types 6 and 11 are the more common infections that cause low-grade abnormalities such as warts.

Statistics state that 1 out of 5 sexually active men and women will become infected with some form of sexually transmitted disease within their lifetime. As yet there is no known cure for HPV.

The best way of protecting yourself against HPV is to limit your sexual partners and by using condoms. Both of these practices will help protect you against HPV, but condoms do not cover the entire genital area or the anus therefore they are not guaranteed. While reading info on HPV you will find that your partner can be infected with HPV up to 5 years without any signs or symptoms. Therefore it is recommended that sexually active men and women with more than one partner be tested for sexually transmitted diseases STDs once a year. Women need to educate themselves with info on HPV and cervical cancer, the best prevention against cervical cancer is for women to have a (Pap test) once a year.

Women that become pregnant will find during their pregnancy their outbreaks may increase due to their higher levels of hormones. During the pregnancy health care providers will monitor the mother’s outbreaks to make sure that she and her baby are safe.

Gardasil is a vaccine that is now given to young women 9 to 26 in 3 doses over a period of 6 months , which protects them from the type of HPV that causes cervical cancer. The vaccine will not have any effect on women that are already infected with HPV and is not recommended for pregnant women.

Never try to control an HPV outbreak with over the counter treatments, you could cause irreversible damage. Ask your health care provider for info on HPV and the treatments available to you.