HPV (Human papillomavirus)

[Maya]

During my workout yesterday I was able to watch Dr. Oz and the topic was about Human papillomavirus that mostly affect women around the world or what is commonly known as HPV.

I have learned the common misconceptions about the said virus:

- It is commonly known that men don't have to worry about HPV, but guess what, it's wrong! Men are as likely to contract HPV as women. when transmitted sexually, the viruses can infect men’s genital areas, including the skin on and around the penis, scrotum and anus.

- Only sexually active people get HPV is another myth! - Although it is true that mostly sexually active people are more likely to acquire HPV (multiple sex partners), you can contract HPV during your first sexual experience whether you use condom or not.

- Condoms prevents against HPV - Condoms reduce the risk of getting HPV, but they don’t eliminate your risk entirely. Even virgins who engage in sexual activities besides intercourse can be infected with HPV by skin to skin contact and areas not covered by a rubber.

So gentlemen but mostly ladies, please do your best to prevent HPV by doing a routine checkup (paps smear) yearly to detect as early as possible for vaccination and treatment. Your thoughts on this topic including experiences are greatly appreciated!

 

[ilikestims]

My thoughts are the same as all my thoughts regarding STDs:

The risk is massively overstated.

Curious how he didn't (or you didn't provide, anyway) give infection rates.

 

[Maya]

Oh my bad, dr oz mentioned that around 80 percent of women are infected with hpv in United States.

 

[ilikestims]

Sorry? Hahaha, you have nothing to apologize for! It's just one man's thoughts. I get checked up every couple of months (I'm a health freak in many respects, but am just a straight up freak when it comes to the bedroom) to make sure I stay on top of things nonetheless. Just giving my two cents; it's no more or no less valuable than anyone else's! =P

 

[Maya]

^Thats good that you do! One of my aunts passed away last year of cervical cancer and if she was only educated about this it would have saved her life and would have been detected earlier.

 

[Wobblier]

Human Papillomavirus Doubles Risk of HIV infection

 

[laugh]

It's frightening people are gettin their information from shows like dr oz.

Is that kind of like taking SLR advice from Gerry Springer?

 

[BlueHues]

It's frightening people are gettin their information from shows like dr oz.

Is that kind of like taking SLR advice from Gerry Springer?

That's funny, but not quite that bad....Now Dr. Drew is the true cunt of the Hollywood celebrity doctors, I think Dr. Oz is legit, annoying but legit

 

[Wobblier]

It's frightening people are gettin their information from shows like dr oz.

Is that kind of like taking SLR advice from Gerry Springer?

Yes and self diagnosing from the internet. If you have a headache and put the symptoms into google, you will find that you have meningitis, rabies and a brain tumor and only 2 and a half hours to live. Or maybe my search engine skills are lacking

 

[Maya]

It's frightening people are gettin their information from shows like dr oz.

Is that kind of like taking SLR advice from Gerry Springer?

Do you have any information you can share with us Laugh? Any links that you can contribute to this thread? Legitimate sources that you have read about the said topic?

 

[Foreigner]

The media is very focused on the STD strains of HPV - and I think this has to do with vaccine marketing - but there are many others that people regularly come into contact with. If you've ever had any kind of wart in your life, even a plantar's wart, you have HPV. Most humans in general have been infected by any least one strain, even if they show no signs. People who use public showers in locker rooms without wearing shower sandals probably have it too. It's so common.

The risk comes from the warts themselves but even if the wart isn't there, there may be viral shedding from the infection site which makes it contagious. A lot of people who pass HPV on sexually either have really tiny warts that they weren't even aware were warts, or there isn't even a visible wart yet but there is viral shedding. It's hard to lab test for HPV unless there is a physical wart to swab.

In this day and age, it would be pretty dumb to not use a condom unless you are in a long-term monogamous relationship. Kind of sad that even sex carries so many risks now.

 

[ilikestims]

Do you have any information you can share with us Laugh? Any links that you can contribute to this thread? Legitimate sources that you have read about the said topic?

it's funny whenever your opinions are challenged you revert to "i'm a moderator" status

i mean your OP didn't really say much of anything other than appeal to authority.

the most basic question is left unanswered:

what is the infection rate? source?

 

[Foreigner]

^ There was nothing in Maya's post that talked about her being a moderator. She was just asking for more substance from another poster, that's all.

Here is a link that answers your questions:

t is estimated that 75% of Canadians will have at least one HPV infection in their lifetime. The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada estimates that 10% to 30% of the Canadian adult population is infected with HPV. This is in line with research from the US and Europe which has shown that 10% to 40% of sexually active women are infected by HPV at any one time.

According to the American Social Health Association, approximately 5.5 million new cases of sexually transmitted HPV infections are reported every year. Based on Canadian population statistics an estimated three to nine million Canadians are infected with HPV.

In Canada it is estimated that:

The highest rates of HPV infection are found in people under the age of 25.
2% of sexually active young women have genital warts.
The prevalence for cancer-causing types of HPV in different groups of females ranges from 11% to 25%.

I don't know the American or European statistics. I'm using the Canadian ones because that's where I live.

 

[Maya]

it's funny whenever your opinions are challenged you revert to "i'm a moderator" status

i mean your OP didn't really say much of anything other than appeal to authority.

the most basic question is left unanswered:

what is the infection rate? source?

Like what Foreigner said, nothing indicates that I was talking about my moderator status so could you please read carefully before you assume?

To answer your question here is the link I found:

http://www.ashasexualhealth.org/std-sti/hpv/overview-and-fast-facts.html

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is an extremely common STD, with an estimated 80 percent of sexually active people contracting it at some point in their lives; 14 million new infections occur yearly in the United States. About 79 million people -- men and women -- are thought to have an active HPV infection at any given time.

If you have other links and information you can provide us with that will be much appreciated.

 

[laugh]

Do you have any information you can share with us Laugh? Any links that you can contribute to this thread? Legitimate sources that you have read about the said topic?

 

[Dtergent]

One of my friends with HPV recently sent samples to another country to run a quite expensive test to determine if it was a potentially cancerous strain, which unfortunately, it was. The guy who gave it to her didn't have it show up in his standard tests, but when he got a different (more painful) test involving tissue samples, results were positive. I would be extra careful about getting tested if I had multiple partners (or if you think your partner does), because the cancer bit is obviously no joke. It's not just about warts, right?

You can get HPV even when you wear condoms, as mentioned. As much as I'd like to think that the odds are slim, four of my friends have it, and they aren't particularly promiscuous. Perhaps more people are getting tested for it now because awareness is higher, but I wouldn't take any chances at all!

 

[Foreigner]

^ Several people I know have it too.

 

[What 23]

I have it. I have no symptoms, but I did after breaking up with my ex, when I was really stressed. That's when I found out I had it- and only after she contacted me, blaming me for it. She however had the most recent sexual contact, before us... And never used protection. But I had more partners. The "blame-game" is stupid, unless someone knew they had it, and kept it to themselves. We were both tested before contact on the big things.

It makes me go for the no-sex before marriage idea. Condoms don't prevent it so well, as it's skin to skin not fluid transmission.

If we find a way to cure these things/make them a non-issue, and perhaps only reproduce when we want to, then sex before marriage all the way. Massive orgies, all the way. All the way...

But it has prevented me from engaging with some. Even though they probably had it too. I had guilt about it. One I told, and she still seemed interested but I still felt dirty. Another I didn't tell, and didn't try anything with. And it just played negatively psychologically, as I think she also wanted contact/seemed confused that I didn't try for it. And she probably had it too. The 80% figure is actually comforting.

Smoking increases the risks of this disease, and also makes symptoms more likely to show.

It's as I'm sure many have read/heard, implicated in throat cancers, from oral sex. Smoking definitely increases it.

I've wondered though if you can contract it by receiving oral sex? I can't seem to locate a clear answer. If it can effect your throat, I don't see why the mouth can't effect the genitals, but I don't know. Risk may be less.

 

[desertshore]

So gentlemen but mostly ladies, please do your best to prevent HPV by doing a routine checkup (paps smear) yearly to detect as early as possible for vaccination and treatment. Your thoughts on this topic including experiences are greatly appreciated!

Here there is a campaign to get free vaccination against HPV, but I believe it's only for girls and preferably before they start having an active sexual life... Also, I thought that pap smears cannot detect the virus (you also need to test for HPV virus), and that HPV infection is not treated (unless you've got warts).

I found this link about the prevalence of HPV
http://www.cdc.gov/std/stats11/figures/52.htm
80% is probably too much, but the number is probably around 50% (which is still a lot)

 

[desertshore]

, because the cancer bit is obviously no joke. It's not just about warts, right?

actually the wart-causing strains do not cause cancer. Anyway being infected with HPV is a risk factor but not a death sentence Yes, get pap smears as suggested before, but this is something that women should do regardless of HPV.