What Every Woman Should Know About HPV
When it comes to women’s health concerns, human papillomavirus (HPV) should be at or near the top of the list. HPV touches the lives of most women — in both major and minor ways — so it’s important to understand all you can about HPV.
To that end, the highly knowledgeable women’s health experts here at Dr. Jose F. De Leon, M.D., takes a closer look at HPV, including some key points that every woman should know. Let’s take a look.
HPV infections are very common
When we refer to HPV infections as common, this might be an understatement. HPV infections are the most common viral sexually transmitted infections in the United States; about 14 million Americans are infected annually.
In fact, before the HPV vaccination was introduced — more on this in a moment — most sexually active women encountered HPV infections during their lifetimes.
There are many different types of HPV
HPV isn’t just one viral infection but more than 100 different strains, and more than 40 of them are associated with genital health.
These strains spread mostly through anal, vaginal, and oral sex, so infections can develop in each of these areas — around the anus, the penis, the vagina, and in the throat and mouth.
Most HPV infections go away on their own
Given the numbers we’ve been introducing, you might be wondering why there isn’t more illness tied to HPV infections.
The good news with HPV is that most women fight off these infections before any symptoms develop. To put some numbers to this, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 9 of 10 cases of HPV infections go away on their own without producing health complications.
If symptoms do develop, the most common outward sign of an HPV infection is warts — anywhere on your body, including genital warts.
HPV and cancer
Where HPV becomes a concern is its link to certain cancers, including:
- Cervical cancer, which is diagnosed in nearly 14,000 women in the US each year
- Vulvar cancer
- Vaginal cancer
- Cancer of the penis
- Anal cancer
- Head and neck cancers, such as oropharyngeal cancer
HPV infections aren’t a direct path to cancer. Instead, HPV infections that don’t go away can lead to cell changes, or precancerous cells. Given enough time and the right circumstances, these precancerous cells can turn the corner into cancer.
Testing for HPV infections
We want to cover a very important point now: Cervical cancer is rarely seen in women who are screened regularly.
By screening, we’re referring to Pap tests, HPV tests, and acetic acid (vinegar) tests, all of which are designed to detect abnormal changes on your cervix. This early detection allows us to take action and remove these cells before they have a chance to turn cancerous.
Vaccinating against HPV
While screening efforts have certainly done their part to safeguard women from HPV-related health issues, we now have an HPV vaccine, which is even better.
These vaccines work best for females between the ages of 9 and 26, so if you or a loved one is within this age range, please talk to us about this important HPV protection.
If you’d like to stay one step ahead of HPV, it’s a good idea to contact one of our offices in Dallas or Irving, Texas, to schedule an appointment so we can get you up to speed.