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:

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.