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.
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.
