Not true. You can and you should get vaccinated, whether you're male or female, between the ages of nine and 26, regardless of whether you've been sexually active or not. Gardasil vaccinates against four types of HPV - two high risk types that cause 70% of all cervical cancers, and two low risk types that cause 90% of genital warts. And even if you do have one type, it's possible you don't have the other three, so you can and should still get the Gardasil shot.
The myth about only being able to get vaccinated if you're a virgin probably stems from the minimum age that boys and girls can get the vaccine - nine years old. The reason the vaccine is available at nine? To reduce the likelihood that the recipient of the shot has already been exposed to one of the types. It definitely doesn't mean that once you've been sexually active, it's too late. It's just that the sooner you're vaccinated, the better, because the vaccine has the best chance of protecting you against all four strains when the likelihood of having already been exposed is lowest. And parents, don't forget: even though your kids might not be having sex yet, HPV can be transmitted without actual intercourse.
Also related to 'the sooner the better' theory when it comes to this vaccination: The #1 risk factor is lifetime number of partners. And that little factoid is probably why Alan Evans refused to report his number of partners - repeatedly - prior to trial.
This is Post #11 in the series, Debunking HPV Myths. For other parts of the series, click here.
12.17.2010
Misconception #10: The HPV test is always run as part of your pap smear.
Nope. You usually have to ask for the HPV test in addition to your pap, unless your pap came back abnormal!
I've heard that some doctors will suggest it without the patient asking, and others don't. Really, I can't think of one good reason not to be tested every time you get a pap smear.
So yes, ladies - in addition to getting your regular paps, you need to ask for the HPV test while you're at your appointment. Make sure you ask the doctor treating you directly. Double check to make sure they actually add the HPV test to your pap, because sometimes they forget.
Update: I recently went to my gyno for a pap smear and for an HPV test. I do it every 6 months. I made it very clear to the doc that I wanted the HPV test included with my pap, and made sure it was understood that that part, in particular, was pretty important to me. And of course, I later found out that the HPV test wasn't added as I'd asked. My doctor is excellent - comes highly recommended and is well-respected in the medical community. But it just goes to show that even if you say exactly what you want, and get assured that all the right boxes have been checked, there's still a chance a mistake will be made. Always follow up and ask specific questions to make sure you got the information you asked for.
This is Post #9 in the series, Debunking HPV Myths. For other parts of the series, click here.
I've heard that some doctors will suggest it without the patient asking, and others don't. Really, I can't think of one good reason not to be tested every time you get a pap smear.
So yes, ladies - in addition to getting your regular paps, you need to ask for the HPV test while you're at your appointment. Make sure you ask the doctor treating you directly. Double check to make sure they actually add the HPV test to your pap, because sometimes they forget.
Update: I recently went to my gyno for a pap smear and for an HPV test. I do it every 6 months. I made it very clear to the doc that I wanted the HPV test included with my pap, and made sure it was understood that that part, in particular, was pretty important to me. And of course, I later found out that the HPV test wasn't added as I'd asked. My doctor is excellent - comes highly recommended and is well-respected in the medical community. But it just goes to show that even if you say exactly what you want, and get assured that all the right boxes have been checked, there's still a chance a mistake will be made. Always follow up and ask specific questions to make sure you got the information you asked for.
This is Post #9 in the series, Debunking HPV Myths. For other parts of the series, click here.
Misconception #9: I had a normal pap, so that means I don't have HPV.
Not necessarily. A pap smear and the HPV test are two different things. The HPV test is run from the same sample that a pap is, but it's a separate test. The pap smear itself isn't looking for the HPV virus, it's looking for cancer, cell abnormalities, and infections - in other words, it's looking for symptoms - not just of HPV, but of all kinds of problems.
It's entirely possible to have a normal pap (no symptoms in the visible/tested area) and still have HPV. Having a normal pap just means that those particular sample cells looked normal when viewed microscopically. It's also important to remember, a pap won't indicate cancer in , say, your mouth - or anywhere else HPV causes problems - because it's only testing one area of your body. See Part 1, Misconception #1 for a breakdown of where else HPV can affect your body.
On the flip side: having an abnormal pap doesn't always mean you do have HPV, either, which shows why it's important to get tested and to follow up to find out for sure what's going on. Up to 10% of paps showing abnormalities are false positives. Check out this excerpt from an article entitled "Should We Abandon Pap Smear Testing?" by Dr. Richard DeMay:
This is Post #9 in the series, Debunking HPV Myths. For other parts of the series, click here.
It's entirely possible to have a normal pap (no symptoms in the visible/tested area) and still have HPV. Having a normal pap just means that those particular sample cells looked normal when viewed microscopically. It's also important to remember, a pap won't indicate cancer in , say, your mouth - or anywhere else HPV causes problems - because it's only testing one area of your body. See Part 1, Misconception #1 for a breakdown of where else HPV can affect your body.
On the flip side: having an abnormal pap doesn't always mean you do have HPV, either, which shows why it's important to get tested and to follow up to find out for sure what's going on. Up to 10% of paps showing abnormalities are false positives. Check out this excerpt from an article entitled "Should We Abandon Pap Smear Testing?" by Dr. Richard DeMay:
"At the individual level, if a healthy woman were screened every 3 years from age 18 through her mid-70s, for a total of 20 Pap smears, and the false-positive rate were 5%, there is an almost 2 in 3 chance (64.2%) that she would experience at least 1 false-positive result.4,6 (If screened every year, for a total of 60 Pap smears, there is approximately a 95% chance of at least 1 false-positive result.)"Hormonal and bacterial changes, yeast infections, recent sexual activity, and other harmless things can cause a pap to be abnormal as well.
This is Post #9 in the series, Debunking HPV Myths. For other parts of the series, click here.
Misconception #8: Having a positive HPV test and having symptoms are the same thing.
No. They're. Not.
People make this mistake all the time. Drives me nuts.
Keep 'em separate: the thing that we're looking for (HPV) and the effects that thing can have (symptoms). You can have the thing without seeing the effects. In other words, you can have the virus and not have symptoms. You can even transmit the virus without symptoms. This is why it matters whether you've been exposed, guys and gals. This is why it matters that you ask for the test, gals. The fact that it's present and the fact that it is or is not doing something to your body are two different things.
The moment you're exposed to HPV is simply the time that the virus enters your body. Again, the HPV test looks for the virus, not the symptoms. You don't start showing symptoms immediately, because symptoms take various amounts of time to develop. The virus has to invade your cells, replicate, and take over - which doesn't happen immediately. Some people will show symptoms within weeks or months after exposure (even pre-cancerous lesions can come on really fast, like they did for me), and for others, it can take years.
This is Post #8 in the series, Debunking HPV Myths. For other parts of the series, click here.
People make this mistake all the time. Drives me nuts.
Keep 'em separate: the thing that we're looking for (HPV) and the effects that thing can have (symptoms). You can have the thing without seeing the effects. In other words, you can have the virus and not have symptoms. You can even transmit the virus without symptoms. This is why it matters whether you've been exposed, guys and gals. This is why it matters that you ask for the test, gals. The fact that it's present and the fact that it is or is not doing something to your body are two different things.
The moment you're exposed to HPV is simply the time that the virus enters your body. Again, the HPV test looks for the virus, not the symptoms. You don't start showing symptoms immediately, because symptoms take various amounts of time to develop. The virus has to invade your cells, replicate, and take over - which doesn't happen immediately. Some people will show symptoms within weeks or months after exposure (even pre-cancerous lesions can come on really fast, like they did for me), and for others, it can take years.
This is Post #8 in the series, Debunking HPV Myths. For other parts of the series, click here.
Misconception #7: I might've been exposed to HPV, but it'll take months/years for me to find out, because I have to wait and see if I get symptoms.
Not true! Women can request the HPV test at any time following exposure and the test is capable of detecting the virus, even if it hasn't had time to invade cells. The test is looking for the virus itself, not cancer, warts, or lesions - so it will indicate the presence of HPV regardless of whose cells (yours or a recent partner's) were grabbed in the sample. The test is also super sensitive, meaning that it'll detect a relatively small number of HPV virions, in chemical terms. The test is so sensitive, in fact, that if you test negative for HPV, your chance of developing a high grade lesion on your cervix in the next three years is close to zero!
And guys and gals, if you think there's a chance you were exposed to HPV, that should be all the warning you need. Please don't ever represent that you're free of the virus if there's a chance that you're not.
This is Post #7 in the series, Debunking HPV Myths. For other parts of the series, click here.
And guys and gals, if you think there's a chance you were exposed to HPV, that should be all the warning you need. Please don't ever represent that you're free of the virus if there's a chance that you're not.
This is Post #7 in the series, Debunking HPV Myths. For other parts of the series, click here.
12.16.2010
Misconception #6: If you wear a condom, you won't get HPV.
I hear about people who love to talk about condoms as an ultimate solution to everything. Yes, condoms might help to a degree. Studies even suggest that condoms can actually help people "clear" the virus once someone already has it (and note that clearing is defined in different ways within the mentioned studies).
But look at the numbers. The potential for protection that condoms provide is not good, statistically speaking, because condoms aren't designed for preventing the spread of HPV. They're designed for preventing pregnancy. The probability that you will still get HPV even if you use a condom every time you have sex is unacceptably high. If condoms failed that much at preventing pregnancy, people wouldn't use them for that purpose nearly as often as they currently do.
According to the CDC’s Report to Congress: Prevention of Genital Human Papillomavirus Infection:
This is Post #6 in the series, Debunking HPV Myths. For other parts of the series, click here.
But look at the numbers. The potential for protection that condoms provide is not good, statistically speaking, because condoms aren't designed for preventing the spread of HPV. They're designed for preventing pregnancy. The probability that you will still get HPV even if you use a condom every time you have sex is unacceptably high. If condoms failed that much at preventing pregnancy, people wouldn't use them for that purpose nearly as often as they currently do.
According to the CDC’s Report to Congress: Prevention of Genital Human Papillomavirus Infection:
The available scientific evidence is not sufficient to recommend condoms as a primary prevention strategy for the prevention of genital HPV infection.And: Rep. Dave Weldon (R-FL) and family physician, said this at the hearing:
The scientific evidence is clear that condoms provide little protection fromSo hey there, this is reality speaking: Unless you wear a wetsuit as a condom, it's impossible for a condom to serve as a barrier for all the skin that can transmit HPV during sexual contact. Keep in mind that you don't have to have penetrative sex to get HPV, either. The virus can be transmitted through oral sex, use of sex toys, and any type of skin-to-skin contact, so even lesbians are at risk. And ask yourself this: do you wear a condom when you're intimate but not having intercourse?
infection by HPV. Yet agencies and organizations are fighting to keep that
fact from the public.
This is Post #6 in the series, Debunking HPV Myths. For other parts of the series, click here.
Misconception #5. I know I have HPV, but I never developed a symptom, or I don't currently have symptoms, so I don't have to tell my partners.
I touched on it before, but I want to hit it harder. It's selfish, cruel, and/or stupid to say or think that you don't have to tell partners you have HPV. Oh yeah, and a legal risk. Although someone didn't develop symptoms (yet?), that doesn't necessarily mean they they won't develop symptoms, are 100% clear of HPV, can't transmit HPV, or that their partner won't develop a symptom upon contracting it. Yes, HPV can be transmitted even if you don't have symptoms. It's hard to predict whose HPV will progress, and there are a lot of risk factors. But just because you're asymptomatic doesn't mean your partner will be.
And if you're reading this thinking that no one could be so treacherous, have a look at this comment by matterofopinion, random kook:
The bottom line is that it's not for one person to decide whether or not to put someone else's health at risk, especially when it comes to something as intimate and personal sexual health and cancer. Realize that if you're going to be intimate, the decision as to whether or not your partner gets exposed is not yours to make. It's theirs. This is called basic human decency. Have some.
This is Post #5 in the series, Debunking HPV Myths. For other parts of the series, click here.
And if you're reading this thinking that no one could be so treacherous, have a look at this comment by matterofopinion, random kook:
I don't need to tell anyone I sleep with that I have it, I don't have to worry about anyone suing me, my names [sic] not plastered over the Internet, and don't have a million dollars sitting in the bank. And like I said it's a Domino [sic] effect, [sic] not too many virgins out there. And there's no test or cure for a male, they don't have a cervix, won't get cervical cancer, or should I say pre-cancerous cells. And, my ex's [sic] won't know whom they got it from, or have to worry about it unless their girlfriend/wife gets it.Not only does matterofopinion have no idea how it affects men, she seems to be fully aware that she's risking the health of others. She even discusses the potential for future partners of her partners to contract the virus thanks to her. She seems to have no problem whatsoever hiding the fact that she's had HPV from the people she's with. So basically what she's saying is that she'll never get caught transmitting the virus, so she's not going to let the cat out of the bag, except online, anonymously. It would be funny if it wasn't so pathetic. matterofopinion also referred to surgery to remove pre-cancerous lesions as "the price a woman has to pay for having sex." With that kind of backwards thinking, the poor girl should hurry back to her time machine and hightail it to the 1950s before it's too late.
The bottom line is that it's not for one person to decide whether or not to put someone else's health at risk, especially when it comes to something as intimate and personal sexual health and cancer. Realize that if you're going to be intimate, the decision as to whether or not your partner gets exposed is not yours to make. It's theirs. This is called basic human decency. Have some.
This is Post #5 in the series, Debunking HPV Myths. For other parts of the series, click here.
Misconception #4: It's impossible for men to know they have HPV. Or, HPV doesn't affect men.
All that stuff about HPV not affecting men and about them not being able to know they have it, ever? It's false. And people say stuff like it all the time:
From Anonymous:
Men can know they have HPV because they can show symptoms: Genital warts are the most common symptom in men, and they are somewhat common and highly, highly contagious. Wrap your head around these stats: Every minute in this country, there's a new case of genital warts. In the last decade, genital wart infections in the U.S. have increased at twice the rate of herpes. If someone has had warts in the past but don't presently, that doesn't mean they can't transmit them, and it doesn't mean they're free of HPV.
Men get cancers from HPV too. That includes penile cancer, anal cancer, oral cancer, and cancers of the head and nec. In fact, oral cancers disproportionally affect men, and by 2020, HPV will be causing more oral cancer in men than cervical cancer in women.
It's true that there is no test for HPV in men exactly as there is in women. Men can't go to the doctor and ask for an "HPV test" to detect the presence of the virus as women can - yet. Men do get tested for the purposes of scientific study all the time, but these tests are not generally available to the public. However, men should start asking their doctors about it though, in the hopes that this will create some pressure in the medical community to get a common test out there. I have heard of some doctors swabbing men for HPV and submitting the test, as well - so again, it doesn't hurt to ask.
How can men protect themselves? And how can they try to be aware that they have or might have HPV if they're not showing a symptom at the moment?
There are two things to bear in mind about the world around us, and I'm amazed at how many men openly identify with this first fact. And that fact is that a lot of women talk openly about their health to the men in their lives. That means there's a very real chance for men to have a clue that the women in their lives may have been exposed to HPV. Remember when she told you she went to her gynecologist that one time to get a biopsy, or treated for HPV/HSIL/LSIL/CIN/some other technical medical word you didn't bother inquiring about further? Yep guys, that might have been your tip-off that she's been exposed and has symptoms of HPV, and so have you. Men can't just ignore it, and men can't not think about the implications it has for them.
And the other big thing to think about: even if she never brought it up like that, just like it's a good idea for women to ask about a man's sexual health and history, men should ask women about their sexual history and health. Why?
Because it affects men too,and it's just one more thing men can do to protect themselves. Remember that laundry list of cancers earlier? That's serious. Even if a man never shows a symptom, never develops cancer, and is just a carrier, he should care enough about the women in his life to try to be aware of his exposure so he can give them a heads up. Ignorance is powerlessness for both sexes. Add into the mix the fact that women have been going to the gynecologist less frequently than they should be in recent years for things like cervical cancer screenings and paps, and you've got a recipe for disaster. The more you know about what's at stake, the better the decisions you can make with prevention (like the HPV vaccine, men and women) and screening (like annual paps for women and regular doctor visits for men). Men who ignore HPV because they think they can't know or because they think it won't hurt them are mistaken. And guys, don't forget that Gardasil is available for you too!
Make no mistake: this is not simply about the women that a man personally decides to be intimate with. It's bigger than that. It's about setting an example for other men — like the men that are intimate with the other people we care about in the world. These cancers affiliated with HPV disproportionately affect women. Your sisters, wives, daughters, friends, coworkers... all of them. But this is absolutely a two-way street. Ladies, be up front about your health. It involves him too. And in the off chance that you're not together forever, maybe you should think about the women in his future as well. You'd want them to do it for you.
This is Post #4 in the series, Debunking HPV Myths. For other parts of the series, click here.
This blog was updated on 6/23/2011.
From Anonymous:
There is also no test for men to detect whether or not they have HPV, so unfortunately it's pretty impossible for men to know...That's just plain wrong. Not only does this encourage men to cast off conscientiousness when it comes to HPV, it encourages women to do the same, and it puts everyone's health on the line. It is a man's problem too.
Men can know they have HPV because they can show symptoms: Genital warts are the most common symptom in men, and they are somewhat common and highly, highly contagious. Wrap your head around these stats: Every minute in this country, there's a new case of genital warts. In the last decade, genital wart infections in the U.S. have increased at twice the rate of herpes. If someone has had warts in the past but don't presently, that doesn't mean they can't transmit them, and it doesn't mean they're free of HPV.
Men get cancers from HPV too. That includes penile cancer, anal cancer, oral cancer, and cancers of the head and nec. In fact, oral cancers disproportionally affect men, and by 2020, HPV will be causing more oral cancer in men than cervical cancer in women.
It's true that there is no test for HPV in men exactly as there is in women. Men can't go to the doctor and ask for an "HPV test" to detect the presence of the virus as women can - yet. Men do get tested for the purposes of scientific study all the time, but these tests are not generally available to the public. However, men should start asking their doctors about it though, in the hopes that this will create some pressure in the medical community to get a common test out there. I have heard of some doctors swabbing men for HPV and submitting the test, as well - so again, it doesn't hurt to ask.
How can men protect themselves? And how can they try to be aware that they have or might have HPV if they're not showing a symptom at the moment?
There are two things to bear in mind about the world around us, and I'm amazed at how many men openly identify with this first fact. And that fact is that a lot of women talk openly about their health to the men in their lives. That means there's a very real chance for men to have a clue that the women in their lives may have been exposed to HPV. Remember when she told you she went to her gynecologist that one time to get a biopsy, or treated for HPV/HSIL/LSIL/CIN/some other technical medical word you didn't bother inquiring about further? Yep guys, that might have been your tip-off that she's been exposed and has symptoms of HPV, and so have you. Men can't just ignore it, and men can't not think about the implications it has for them.
And the other big thing to think about: even if she never brought it up like that, just like it's a good idea for women to ask about a man's sexual health and history, men should ask women about their sexual history and health. Why?
Because it affects men too,and it's just one more thing men can do to protect themselves. Remember that laundry list of cancers earlier? That's serious. Even if a man never shows a symptom, never develops cancer, and is just a carrier, he should care enough about the women in his life to try to be aware of his exposure so he can give them a heads up. Ignorance is powerlessness for both sexes. Add into the mix the fact that women have been going to the gynecologist less frequently than they should be in recent years for things like cervical cancer screenings and paps, and you've got a recipe for disaster. The more you know about what's at stake, the better the decisions you can make with prevention (like the HPV vaccine, men and women) and screening (like annual paps for women and regular doctor visits for men). Men who ignore HPV because they think they can't know or because they think it won't hurt them are mistaken. And guys, don't forget that Gardasil is available for you too!
Make no mistake: this is not simply about the women that a man personally decides to be intimate with. It's bigger than that. It's about setting an example for other men — like the men that are intimate with the other people we care about in the world. These cancers affiliated with HPV disproportionately affect women. Your sisters, wives, daughters, friends, coworkers... all of them. But this is absolutely a two-way street. Ladies, be up front about your health. It involves him too. And in the off chance that you're not together forever, maybe you should think about the women in his future as well. You'd want them to do it for you.
This is Post #4 in the series, Debunking HPV Myths. For other parts of the series, click here.
This blog was updated on 6/23/2011.
Misconception #3: HPV always stays dormant for years and years.
In some cases HPV does stay dormant for a long time, but it absolutely doesn't have to. In younger females, it's been observed that precancerous lesions can come on aggressively and rapidly. I, for example, went from no HPV and years of back-to-back perfectly normal paps to HPV positivity and CIN3 in less than a year's time. (CIN3, and HSIL — which stand for grade 3 cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions, respectively — are precursors to cervical cancer.)
Not only are lesions like these aggressive, but they "are common early events among women with incident HPV infection" and, interestingly, "the interval between incident HPV-16 or HPV-18 infection and biopsy-confirmed CIN grade 2–3 appears to be relatively short."
How short? According to a study by Winer et al.,
This is Post #3 in the series, Debunking HPV Myths. For other parts of the series, click here.
Not only are lesions like these aggressive, but they "are common early events among women with incident HPV infection" and, interestingly, "the interval between incident HPV-16 or HPV-18 infection and biopsy-confirmed CIN grade 2–3 appears to be relatively short."
How short? According to a study by Winer et al.,
Contrary to the theory that prolonged infection is necessary for progression to high-grade neoplasia [11–13], our results support the hypothesis that HSILs are often an early manifestation of HPV infection in young women. Half of the incident cases of biopsy-confirmed CIN grade 2–3 in our study occurred within 14 months of an incident HPV infection.And what about warts? They show up even faster:
The median time between detection of incident HPV-6 or HPV-11 infection and detection of genital warts was 2.9 months (IQR, 0–5.7 months).Something to think about, no?
This is Post #3 in the series, Debunking HPV Myths. For other parts of the series, click here.
Misconception #2: All about strains of HPV
Strains are a major source of confusion, even for some medical doctors and others in the health industry. Some basic questions for this blog: Are there different strains of HPV? (Yes! Many!) What do the strains do? (Depends on which strain.) Can you have more than one strain of HPV at once? (Absolutely.) Which strains are the most common? (High risk types 16 and 18.) Does Gardasil help if it only covers four strains? (Yup, and read on for explanation.)
Let's kick things off with the statements of a commenter going by the screen name Dr Williams, whose full name is probably Dr. Mark Williams, which we know thanks to another genius who replied to him by first name repeatedly. Do you think this is the guy? Anyway, it all began with Dr Williams proudly proclaiming his medical background:
a bizarre tangent about "the cancer causing kind" of warts. Say what? This statement he made regarding the visual diagnosis of "cancer causing" warts versus "the bumpy strand" is something to behold:
It's common knowledge that the strains of HPV that cause genital warts do not cause cancer. This isn't information you have to dig for or have a medical degree to know; it's plastered everywhere. Cancer-causing strains and warts-causing strains are two different things. And you can definitely have more than one strain at a time.
Keep in mind that Dr Williams made these statements after directing everyone else to get as edumacated as he is on the subject of low risk strains by visiting CDC.gov.
I hope people took his advice on that one point and read the CDC website, because on a page labeled "basic information," the CDC comes right out and obliterates his nonsense about "cancer causing" warts in one sentence:
Shortly after this leg of the tantrum-tirade and as part of a list of attempted scapegoats to blame for the consequences of his friend's actions, Dr Williams sniffled about his perceived "ignorance of the jury." Dr Williams went on to seethe that the Muscatine jury wasn't "informed" about cancer-causing warts. Um, the reason the jury wasn't informed of "cancer causing" genital warts is because they don't exist. Both medical experts explained HPV to the jury for hours, and that piece of information the CDC provided above was one of the things covered. Fortunately for those who value the truth, the legal system is a place where medical facts are taken into consideration, not bullshit some blowhard pulled out of his ass to defend his bestest buddy, who showed no regard for innocent people who might have relied on his posts.
It's a good story, but I digress. It'd take a chapter of a book to fully explore the bitter, factually incorrect, facially inconsistent and puerile ravings contained within the comments and e-mail correspondence (oh yes, he sent me e-mails too - another time, perhaps?) from Dr Williams.
Here's a second commenter whose ignorance is worth learning from: rosiejr1. Notice that rosiejr1 also claims to know a thing or two about STIs thanks to her line of work with the CDC, so you had better listen up! Or not.
So let's get down to pointing out the incorrect information that this supposed 'CDC Rep' is carelessly broadcasting to the masses: Does just one strain cause cancer like rosiejr1 said? Um, no. To simplify things to the point of seroius inaccuracy is unacceptable — especially after bragging about how she's in the medical field, so that people will buy what she's saying.
HPV isn't simple, so don't try to make it simple. To give you an idea of how many strains of HPV can cause cancer, the Hybrid Capture II High Risk HPV test looks for 13 different high risk (e.g. cancer-causing) types — 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59, and 68. It tests for the most common types, but that's not all of them. For example, there are at least two more well-known high risk types not included in that test: 73 and 82. There's also a test for low risk types, which looks for 5 different strains : 6, 11, 42, 43, and 44. And once again, that's not all. Examples of other low risk types not included in the test are 54, 61, 70, 72, and 81.
The HPV vaccine known as Gardasil protects against four distinct strains: two high risk strains (strains 16 and 18, which together cause 70% of all cervical cancers), and two low risk strains (strains 6 and 11, which together cause 90% of all genital warts). Those four strains cause the vast majority of the most common health problems caused by HPV, which is why it makes sense to get the vaccine. You'd think someone who works as a "CDC Rep" would know that much simply from experience, maybe while talking to people about Gardasil or something in her day-to-day work. But you'd be wrong. Maybe you should be worried, too.
UPDATE: The FDA approved Gardasil to help prevent anal cancer caused by HPV, the vast majority of which is, in fact, caused by HPV.
This is Post #2 in the series, Debunking HPV Myths. For other parts of the series, click here.
Let's kick things off with the statements of a commenter going by the screen name Dr Williams, whose full name is probably Dr. Mark Williams, which we know thanks to another genius who replied to him by first name repeatedly. Do you think this is the guy? Anyway, it all began with Dr Williams proudly proclaiming his medical background:
First of all, let me start by saying I am not afraid to hide behind some screen name. My name is Dr. Williams, M.D.Oh yes, and this is important:
Alan and I have been best friends since we met our freshman year in college.While Dr Williams was discussing whether Dr. Alan Evans had warts, he went off on
a bizarre tangent about "the cancer causing kind" of warts. Say what? This statement he made regarding the visual diagnosis of "cancer causing" warts versus "the bumpy strand" is something to behold:He does not have warts. And even if he did, there is no way by looking at them to tell if they are the cancer causing kind. I guess a future conversation may be.. [sic] "so, do you have warts?", [sic] um [sic] yes." what [sic] genotyps [sic] are they, the cancer causing kind or just the bumpy strand?" ummmm... [sic] I don't know.No, really. Is this a joke, in more ways than one?
It's common knowledge that the strains of HPV that cause genital warts do not cause cancer. This isn't information you have to dig for or have a medical degree to know; it's plastered everywhere. Cancer-causing strains and warts-causing strains are two different things. And you can definitely have more than one strain at a time.
Keep in mind that Dr Williams made these statements after directing everyone else to get as edumacated as he is on the subject of low risk strains by visiting CDC.gov.
I hope people took his advice on that one point and read the CDC website, because on a page labeled "basic information," the CDC comes right out and obliterates his nonsense about "cancer causing" warts in one sentence:
The types of HPV that can cause genital warts are not the same as the types that can cause cancer.
It's a good story, but I digress. It'd take a chapter of a book to fully explore the bitter, factually incorrect, facially inconsistent and puerile ravings contained within the comments and e-mail correspondence (oh yes, he sent me e-mails too - another time, perhaps?) from Dr Williams.
Here's a second commenter whose ignorance is worth learning from: rosiejr1. Notice that rosiejr1 also claims to know a thing or two about STIs thanks to her line of work with the CDC, so you had better listen up! Or not.
I am a CDC Rep at a local health department in TN, which is top ten for ALL STD's. [sic] Obvoiusly [sic] the courts had some medical experts in it, but [. . .] only one strain can cause cervical cancer.Rosie is scary uninformed. HPV is a family of viruses. There are many strains — almost 200 that we know of so far — and like I said, different strains do different things. We're mainly talking about the ones transmitted via intimate contact. There are roughly 40 of those. This group can be divided into two types: high risk and low risk. As discussed before, high risk strains can cause cancer. Low risk strains can cause warts.
So let's get down to pointing out the incorrect information that this supposed 'CDC Rep' is carelessly broadcasting to the masses: Does just one strain cause cancer like rosiejr1 said? Um, no. To simplify things to the point of seroius inaccuracy is unacceptable — especially after bragging about how she's in the medical field, so that people will buy what she's saying.
HPV isn't simple, so don't try to make it simple. To give you an idea of how many strains of HPV can cause cancer, the Hybrid Capture II High Risk HPV test looks for 13 different high risk (e.g. cancer-causing) types — 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59, and 68. It tests for the most common types, but that's not all of them. For example, there are at least two more well-known high risk types not included in that test: 73 and 82. There's also a test for low risk types, which looks for 5 different strains : 6, 11, 42, 43, and 44. And once again, that's not all. Examples of other low risk types not included in the test are 54, 61, 70, 72, and 81.
The HPV vaccine known as Gardasil protects against four distinct strains: two high risk strains (strains 16 and 18, which together cause 70% of all cervical cancers), and two low risk strains (strains 6 and 11, which together cause 90% of all genital warts). Those four strains cause the vast majority of the most common health problems caused by HPV, which is why it makes sense to get the vaccine. You'd think someone who works as a "CDC Rep" would know that much simply from experience, maybe while talking to people about Gardasil or something in her day-to-day work. But you'd be wrong. Maybe you should be worried, too.
UPDATE: The FDA approved Gardasil to help prevent anal cancer caused by HPV, the vast majority of which is, in fact, caused by HPV.
This is Post #2 in the series, Debunking HPV Myths. For other parts of the series, click here.
Misconception #1: HPV isn't harmful. It's not a big deal.
Believe it or not, people really do say this kind of thing. Let's kick this one off with a snippet of a comment by pdx97216:
Cervical cancer. Vulvar cancer. Vaginal cancer. Penile cancer. Anal cancer. Bladder cancer. Head, neck, mouth, and throat cancers.
What do these things all have in common? Meh, they're all cancer, and cancer kills people. No big deal, right? Notice anything else? Oh yeah, those cancers can all be caused by HPV.
Almost all cervical cancer is caused by HPV. This year, 11,000 women will develop cervical cancer in the United States, and about 4,000 of them will die. Worldwide, cervical cancer is the #2 cause of death among women. In a year's time, on this planet, over a quarter of a million women will die from cervical cancer. What about the number that develop it and don't die? Double the number to a half a million worldwide. What about the number, in this country alone, that develop CIN (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, or cervical dysplasia, a potential precursor to cervical cancer)? About 400,000 in the US every year. That's a lot.
But there's more cause for concern, for men and women alike. HPV causes
• between 50 and 80% of vulvar cancer
• at least 70% of vaginal cancer
• 50% of penile cancer
•85% of anal cancer
• 39% of oral cancers
• and bladder cancer.
This isn't hard to figure out. HPV can be life-threatening and people die because of it.
Put aside the medical problems for a second. What about the financial side of HPV? This isn't something you see talked about much, but it should be. How much does it cost to treat cervical cancer? In 2000, it cost an individual over $20,000 to treat cervical cancer in the early stages, and $37,000 to treat a late stage case. What if they don't have insurance? What if their insurance drops them from coverage for the very type of cancer they have? What if their insurance drops them from all cancer coverage, like mine did? In 1996, the direct medical care costs of treating cervical cancer in this country were estimated at $1.7 billion. That's an old number. What do you think it is now?
We probably haven't reached the limit of our knowledge regarding the damage that HPV can do, but we do know that death is a possible result. To downplay its severity is to deny reality.
This is Post #1 in the series, Debunking HPV Myths. For other parts of the series, click here.
Despite how The Talk made it sound, HPV is not life threatening. [sic]They said it so matter-of-factly. And yet, they're so factually wrong.
Cervical cancer. Vulvar cancer. Vaginal cancer. Penile cancer. Anal cancer. Bladder cancer. Head, neck, mouth, and throat cancers.
What do these things all have in common? Meh, they're all cancer, and cancer kills people. No big deal, right? Notice anything else? Oh yeah, those cancers can all be caused by HPV.
Almost all cervical cancer is caused by HPV. This year, 11,000 women will develop cervical cancer in the United States, and about 4,000 of them will die. Worldwide, cervical cancer is the #2 cause of death among women. In a year's time, on this planet, over a quarter of a million women will die from cervical cancer. What about the number that develop it and don't die? Double the number to a half a million worldwide. What about the number, in this country alone, that develop CIN (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, or cervical dysplasia, a potential precursor to cervical cancer)? About 400,000 in the US every year. That's a lot.
But there's more cause for concern, for men and women alike. HPV causes
• between 50 and 80% of vulvar cancer
• at least 70% of vaginal cancer
• 50% of penile cancer
•85% of anal cancer
• 39% of oral cancers
• and bladder cancer.
This isn't hard to figure out. HPV can be life-threatening and people die because of it.
Put aside the medical problems for a second. What about the financial side of HPV? This isn't something you see talked about much, but it should be. How much does it cost to treat cervical cancer? In 2000, it cost an individual over $20,000 to treat cervical cancer in the early stages, and $37,000 to treat a late stage case. What if they don't have insurance? What if their insurance drops them from coverage for the very type of cancer they have? What if their insurance drops them from all cancer coverage, like mine did? In 1996, the direct medical care costs of treating cervical cancer in this country were estimated at $1.7 billion. That's an old number. What do you think it is now?
We probably haven't reached the limit of our knowledge regarding the damage that HPV can do, but we do know that death is a possible result. To downplay its severity is to deny reality.
This is Post #1 in the series, Debunking HPV Myths. For other parts of the series, click here.
12.15.2010
Debunking common myths about HPV: A series
So here's the deal: we've been in the middle of a move (finally complete — whew!) and I've been working on this writing for some time now. I'm not finished, and I keep coming across more things I want to add, so I'll post it in parts over time. Welcome to Part 1. UPDATE: I originally posted this series in two big chunks, but after seeing how many people were landing on the page looking for answers about HPV, I decided to break it down into individual myths and answers to ease navigation.
So there's much to discuss. On with the myth debunktion! Get ready to hear from some kooks, and my take on their kookery — I found that they really helped illustrate some excellent points. In other words, they provided the perfect opportunities for some fisking.
DEBUNKING HPV MYTHS
Misconception #1: HPV isn't harmful. It's no big deal.
Misconception #2: All about stains of HPV.
Misconception #3: HPV always says dormant for years and years.
Misconception #4: It's impossible for men to know they have HPV. Or, HPV doesn't affect men.
Misconception #5: I know I have HPV, but I never developed a symptom, or I don't currently have symptoms, so I don't have to tell my partners.
Misconception #6: If you wear a condom, you won't get HPV.
Misconception #7: I might've been exposed to HPV, but it'll take months/years for me to find out, because I have to wait and see if I get symptoms.
Misconception #8: Having a positive HPV test and having symptoms are the same thing.
Misconception #9: I had a normal pap, so that means I don't have HPV.
Misconception #10: The HPV test is always run as part of your pap smear.
Misconception #11: If I know I have HPV, or if I've already had sex, I can't/shouldn't get Gardasil.
For the whole series, click here.
In other news, here's my interview on The Talk with Sharon Osbourne in case you missed it. I'm humbled and honored that I got to speak to millions of viewers on a Friday afternoon, and I had a fabulous time. I met so many wonderful, inspiring, brilliant people — the producers, the crew, and the fellow guests. I'm hearing from hundreds of men and women who want to share their stories and can relate in all kinds of ways. And there's more on the horizon — details to come!
Like I said before, there's one thing I'd change about my interview: I wish I'd had an opportunity to discuss the details about HPV and the prevention of cervical cancer in particular. There wasn't time. That's how TV works, and I knew that going into it. Given that limitation, my hope was that people would look into it on their own — and I know they have, which is even better. But I want to help it happen both ways, so I'm going to blog about the misconceptions I didn't get to bring up that I think are important.
And I hope everyone enjoys the series and finds it helpful. It's a rare occasion, but every now and then I come across people who have no idea what HPV is. However, the majority of those I talk to have at least some knowledge of HPV, and much of this is a result of Merck's Gardasil campaign, which is an excellent resource . The trouble is, even with all the opportunities to get the facts, there are still too many misconceptions about the virus. The danger is when people rely on bad information. I understand that because there are so many strains of HPV, so many factors, and so many potential unknowns, the details can be confusing. But getting the basics right is a huge step in the right direction.
So there's much to discuss. On with the myth debunktion! Get ready to hear from some kooks, and my take on their kookery — I found that they really helped illustrate some excellent points. In other words, they provided the perfect opportunities for some fisking.
DEBUNKING HPV MYTHS
Misconception #1: HPV isn't harmful. It's no big deal.
Misconception #2: All about stains of HPV.
Misconception #3: HPV always says dormant for years and years.
Misconception #4: It's impossible for men to know they have HPV. Or, HPV doesn't affect men.
Misconception #5: I know I have HPV, but I never developed a symptom, or I don't currently have symptoms, so I don't have to tell my partners.
Misconception #6: If you wear a condom, you won't get HPV.
Misconception #7: I might've been exposed to HPV, but it'll take months/years for me to find out, because I have to wait and see if I get symptoms.
Misconception #8: Having a positive HPV test and having symptoms are the same thing.
Misconception #9: I had a normal pap, so that means I don't have HPV.
Misconception #10: The HPV test is always run as part of your pap smear.
Misconception #11: If I know I have HPV, or if I've already had sex, I can't/shouldn't get Gardasil.
For the whole series, click here.
In other news, here's my interview on The Talk with Sharon Osbourne in case you missed it. I'm humbled and honored that I got to speak to millions of viewers on a Friday afternoon, and I had a fabulous time. I met so many wonderful, inspiring, brilliant people — the producers, the crew, and the fellow guests. I'm hearing from hundreds of men and women who want to share their stories and can relate in all kinds of ways. And there's more on the horizon — details to come!
Like I said before, there's one thing I'd change about my interview: I wish I'd had an opportunity to discuss the details about HPV and the prevention of cervical cancer in particular. There wasn't time. That's how TV works, and I knew that going into it. Given that limitation, my hope was that people would look into it on their own — and I know they have, which is even better. But I want to help it happen both ways, so I'm going to blog about the misconceptions I didn't get to bring up that I think are important.
And I hope everyone enjoys the series and finds it helpful. It's a rare occasion, but every now and then I come across people who have no idea what HPV is. However, the majority of those I talk to have at least some knowledge of HPV, and much of this is a result of Merck's Gardasil campaign, which is an excellent resource . The trouble is, even with all the opportunities to get the facts, there are still too many misconceptions about the virus. The danger is when people rely on bad information. I understand that because there are so many strains of HPV, so many factors, and so many potential unknowns, the details can be confusing. But getting the basics right is a huge step in the right direction.
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