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.
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