Facing the Facts About HPV and Other STIs
You have probably heard about sexually transmitted infections or STIs at some point in your life, but how much do you really know about them? Even now, young women are frighteningly uninformed about HIV, HPV and other forms of sexually transmitted infections. This is doing them a huge disservice, especially since education is the best way to prevent most of these problems. Most STIs are surprisingly easy to avoid as long as people can recognize what they can do and why they need to use protection if they're sexually active.
There is a large number of STIs out there, just like there are countless diseases that people can contract. They all deserve to be discussed at some length, but the one we're going to talk about is the human papillomavirus, or HPV.
What is HPV?
Human papillomavirus is a term that actually refers to over 100 different viruses that occur in humans. Just about everyone will become infected with one of these viruses during their lifetime, and most cases will go away without incident. Forty of these human papillomaviruses are transmitted through sexual contact. It is estimated that half of all sexually active people will have HPV at some point, making it the most common STI. Women under the age of 30 are particularly vulnerable to infection.
Low-Risk and High-Risk HPV
Genital HPV can be either low- or high-risk. Low-risk HPV often resolves without causing any symptoms, although it can cause genital warts. Genital warts in women can grow on the groin, vulva or cervix, and particularly bad cases can grow on or in the vagina or anus. Some genital warts are flat and flesh-colored, while others can look inflamed or like cauliflower. They often itch or burn.
High-risk HPV can infect the mucous membranes around the cervix. These infections can cause cells to change and sometimes result in cervical cancer. This is by far the biggest threat that HPV infections have to a young woman's health.
Treatment and Prevention
Genital HPV is spread through skin-to-skin contact, usually through vaginal and anal sex. Using condoms does reduce the rate of infection, but they aren't 100 percent effective.
The body's immune system usually fights off HPV infections within two years; however, this will not guarantee future immunity. It is very possible to be infected more than once in your lifetime.
If you believe you have genital warts, make an appointment with a gynecologist as soon as possible. Depending on the severity of your case, your gynecologist may recommend a treatment for you such as ointments, laser surgery or burning off the warts through electro cauterization. If you have a relatively minor case, you can also wait until the problem clears up on its own.
Preventing Cervical Cancer
Cervical cancer is by far the most severe complication of HPV, but it is one that can be prevented. The best way to prevent and treat cervical cancer is early detection, either with a pap smear or an HPV test. A cervical cancer screening can be done by your gynecologist.
HPV is a very common STI, and testing positive for it does not mean you will get cervical cancer. It simply means that you are at a higher risk and that you should be tested regularly.
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