If you are sexually active, it’s important that you know about sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and how to best protect yourself from getting them. There are many different STIs, but HPV is the most common one. Even though HPV is quite common, there is a lot of misinformation out there about it.
At New England Women’s Healthcare in Woburn, Massachusetts, our dedicated team of knowledgeable and experienced physicians is available for all your health care needs. We understand that you may have a lot of questions about your body and what’s going on with it, and we have the answers. We offer a range of services that support you living your healthiest and best life.
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a common sexually transmitted infection. About 79 million Americans are infected with HPV. There are over 100 types of HPV, some of which cause symptoms, but many of which don’t provide any noticeable signs of infection.
HPV can be spread through oral, vaginal, or anal sex. Many people who have HPV aren’t aware that they do, because they don’t have any symptoms, but they can still spread the disease to others. The infection will often go away on its own, but in some cases, you may need to seek treatment.
If I have HPV, I will get cancer.
There are over 100 types of HPV, and only 13 of them cause cancer of the penis, cervix, anus, throat, vagina, or vulva . Even if you do have one of the cancer-causing types of HPV, these types of cancer typically are slow-growing, take years to develop, and have high survival rates, especially if caught early.
If I have HPV, I will get genital warts.
There are two main types of HPV that cause genital warts. The other 98 kinds of HPV don’t cause warts. Some genital warts do not cause pain or irritation, but if they do cause you distress, medications or surgery are available to remove them.
If I got the HPV vaccine, I don’t need HPV testing.
There are over 100 types of HPV. There are a number of vaccines available, but they only protect against the most common 5-10 types of HPV. Even if you have gotten an HPV vaccine, you still need to be careful and get tested for HPV regularly.
Only women get HPV.
You can get HPV whether you are a man or a woman. For women, there is an HPV test that is a routine component of a Pap smear exam. Although men can also get HPV, there is no test to determine if a man is infected with it.
Condoms prevent HPV.
It is important to use condoms during all all types of sexual contact, as they greatly reduce the chance of pregnancy as well as transmission of STIs. Condoms can provide some protection against HPV, but they don’t provide complete protection because the virus can be transmitted via skin to skin contact. Any areas not covered by the condom can transmit HPV.
If you are sexually active, it’s important that you know about the many different types of sexually transmitted infections as well as how to protect yourself against acquiring or transmitting them to others. Learn to separate the HPV facts from the myths.
To make an appointment with one of the knowledgeable and compassionate doctors at New England Women’s Healthcare, call our office, or use our online booking tool.
