Chlamydia, syphilis and gonorrhea are common sexually transmitted diseases that people often hear about and often get tested for. But there is another STD that many people may overlook: the human papillomavirus, or HPV.

Growing amongst the US population, the STD is a silent attacker and almost always goes undetected for up to several years.

According to www.cdc.gov, HPV is the most commonly sexually transmitted infection. It is transmitted through physical contact with the genital area. There are more than 40 types of HPV that can infect the genital areas, mouth or throat. Although it is the most common disease, many people are unaware of its existence.

The Center for Disease Control states that many cases of HPV do not have any symptoms and about one out of every four women has the disease. There are normally no health problems that are developed from it, so there is usually no way to tell that a person may have it.

In about 90 percent of HPV cases, the disease can be controlled and destroyed by a healthy immune system within two years of contracting it. But there are some cases that can be extremely dangerous because it can lead to other serious health issues.

Unlike other sexually transmitted diseases, there is no treatment for HPV. The only way that it can be detected is through a Papanicolaou Exam, a pap test. This exam is a routine procedure and is a necessary part of women’s health because it checks for any issues in the cervix that may lead to cancer.

The disease occurs in different levels. The higher risk cases cause cervical cancer in women, according to www.cancer.gov.

Prevention of this disease is the only way to keep it from spreading.

Practicing safe sex is important in any case, but when it comes to HPV, it is vital. Testing negative for all common STDs is not an indication that one does not have HPV because men cannot be tested for the disease at all. There is no existing test for men to determine if they have HPV, so they could be spreading it unknowingly. Once the disease is contracted, there is no way to indicate who a person may have contracted it from.

Currently, there is a prevention method known as Gardasil. Gardasil is a vaccine that helps protect both men and women from contracting the disease. According to www.gardasil.com, it protects against four types of HPV and two types of cancers that result from contracting HPV.

Young men and women, ages nine to 26, are able to get the vaccine, but it vaccine is for preventative measures only – it isn’t a cure.

HPV is serious and common, with currently 20 million Americans infected with the disease. Every year, an additional six million people contract the disease. Studies show that over 50 percent of Americans will contract HPV at some point in their lives.

It is extremely important that women who are sexually active and over the age of 21 undergo regular pap exams. Detection is one more step to prevent it from spreading in addition to safe sex.

For more information on the prevention of HPV, visit gardasil.com.
 

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2 comments

Anonymous

Fri Apr 2 2010 10:48

There are many women living with HPV, I'm sure you know that it cannot be cured, but many low risk cases do go away on there own, it just takes time and having regular pap exams. Don't let the disease get you down :).

Anonymous

Tue Mar 16 2010 23:07

I hate HPV....... I must say I am cute.
But I got HPV 6 months ago, my boyfriend left me. I had to date singles living with HPV on Positivefish.com =.
Thank god, I finally met someone!!

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