iVillage
I Can See Clearly Now... =
One of my favorite topics to discuss is STDs. What can I say, =
I=E2=80=99m a bonafied=20
germaphobe. Most of the time I can answer friends=E2=80=99 questions =
with ease. But when=20
it comes to HPV, I=E2=80=99m often stumped. I know =
=E2=80=9Chigh-risk=E2=80=9D types can cause cervical=20
cancer, and =E2=80=9Clow-risk=E2=80=9D types can cause genital warts. I =
know there are many=20
other types that might not cause any symptoms at all. But I also know =
that
Q. The odds are that most of us will get HPV in our=20
lifetime. So should we even worry if it=E2=80=99s inevitable? Gynos seem =
pretty lax=20
about it.
A. Gynos need to be educated too. Some =
must think=20
that since almost all women get HPV, then all women will test positive. =
Wrong. A=20
positive HPV test in a young woman most of the time simply =
means she=20
has been exposed to the virus (many of us have been) but has not yet =
gotten rid=20
of it. But when checking women 30 and over, only a small =
percent will=20
still test positive. Cervical cancer and serious cell changes only occur =
in=20
women who test persistently positive for HPV.
Q. So that must be why the HPV test is only =
recommended once=20
you=E2=80=99re over 30. Will insurance cover it =
then?
A. Most (if=20
not all) insurance companies now pay for the HPV test as part of routine =
screening or preventive health as long as you are 30 or over. About =
90-95% of=20
women at age 30 or more will have gotten rid of HPV naturally and the =
test will=20
therefore be negative.
Q. So let=E2=80=99s say you test positive. Is there =
any way to get=20
rid of HPV?
A. For most women, they can be reassured =
that it=20
can take up to 2 years but eventually the immune system gets rid of =
it.
Q. What about preventing it in the first place? =
Isn=E2=80=99t=20
Gardasil only for girls who aren=E2=80=99t sexually active =
yet?
A.=20
Gardasil is 100 percent effective against HPV 16, 18 (the =
strains that=20
cause 70% of cases of cancer) and against HPV 6, 11 (cause 90% of =
genital warts)=20
if the vaccine is given in all three doses before the woman/girl has =
been=20
exposed to the strains. If you have ever had the types [of HPV] in the =
vaccine=20
before, the shot will not help.
Q. So why don=E2=80=99t doctors just test sexually =
active women for=20
those 4 types of HPV before beginning Gardasil?
A. =
There is=20
no easy available test to determine whether a woman/girl had HPV 6, 11, =
16 or 18=20
in the past (once you get rid of infection, your blood and cervix =
testing for=20
HPV will turn negative with standard tests).
Q. Then it seems like a crapshoot for women who are =
already=20
sexually active to get the vaccine. Should we bother?
A.=20
Only with special research testing can they determine who had =
what HPV=20
in the remote past. There=E2=80=99s no practical way women can be =
checked for previous=20
infections. So even women with abnormal Paps should get the vaccine as =
it will=20
protect her against the other strains that she presumably has not yet =
had. Less=20
than 0.1% of women in the research were exposed to all four types.
Q. What if you have a so-called =
=E2=80=9Clow-risk=E2=80=9D type of HPV=20
(which can cause genital warts, but not cervical cancer)? Will those =
ever go=20
away?
A. Low-risk types go away as well over time =
when the=20
immune system finally kicks in, but for an occasional woman it takes a =
long=20
time.
So there you have it. Still have more questions? Leave a comment = below!
Posted by Marissa Gold on September 14, 2007 09:41 AM=20
Comments
Good to know!
Posted by: Lauren |
I'm glad that this is posted! I am 27, a complete = hypochondriac/germaphobe=20 and have been tested for every STD under the sun. Thank goodness my = doctor=20 decided that if I was getting every other test done, I should have the = HPV done=20 too - because, I have HPV and have been testing positive for it for over = a year=20 now. I've had atypical PAP smears and of course fear the worst. It is = good to=20 know that my body is most likely to deal with the virus on its own, and = probably=20 has in the past too. I love my doctor, but he has not always been = communicative=20 with me and my STD. I thought about being an egg donor before I turned = 28, but=20 since I have an STD that idea had to be abandoned. THAT alone is what = makes me=20 sad.
Posted by: Pamela |
i need to know how as a women with no job and no free clinics in my = area in=20 no health inssurance from the goverment how i can get rid of hpv i have = had it=20 for about a year and a half and the warts have gone away but i still = itch and=20 got a few here and there
Posted by: kyla |