HPV or the Human Papillomavirus and Some Things to Know About It

hands with a syringe in a hpv vaccine bottle

Getting vaccinated might help prevent HPV or the human papillomavirus.

HPV or the human papillomavirus is a condition that is quite hard to diagnose. Also, it seemingly still brings stigma to the person who contracted it. Studies have shown that this stigma around sexual health problems is a barrier that makes it harder both to diagnose and to manage such conditions.

Experts mentioned that the most important thing is to educate people about sexual health issues including the human papillomavirus (HPV). Once people know more and let go of the stigma, they might stop being afraid to get tested and to inform their partners about this condition. There are a few things everyone should know about this condition. For example, one of them is that HPV is rather common.

Almost 79 million Americans are believed to have it. The CDC mentioned that most of the people who got infected are in their 20’s. HPV is a condition to which a lot of people will be exposed at least once in their lives, claim specialists.

The human papillomavirus is considered a sexually transmitted infection. According to the CDC, this condition is an infectious one, and it can be transmitted through intercourse. It could be transferred even if one of the partners doesn’t show any signs.

People Should Ask to Be Tested for the Human Papillomavirus

Many doctors don’t test their patients for this condition unless they notice signs or traces of its presence. HPV can be tested during a Pap smears. As pointed out by some but not all, this infection affects both women and men. A 2014 study showed that 69% of the male participants had HPV and they could pass it to their partners. As it is, men don’t present the same symptoms as women.

Besides its own effects on the health, HPV might also increase a person’s risks of oral or cervical cancer, for example. Some types of this virus can cause genital warts. There is no need to panic because it takes years before this can happen and regular check-ins could help prevent this.

Most people assume that this virus stays in their system for ever. This is not the case. Most such infections are cleared from the system in around two years. There is also a possible prevention method against catching it. People can get vaccinated to lower their risk of infection. Preteens are instructed to take the vaccine because it works better when activated before exposure.

Image Source: StaticFlickr

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Roxanne Briean

I am a geek, a gamer and a writer. I have always been fascinated with the online community. At the moment I work as a full-time writer and study interior design. When I'm not scouring the net in search of interesting new gadgets and software I spend my time in MOBAs or drawing.