Health Watch: Have you had your HPV shot?
What is HPV? As an active women do you know whether or not you have been cleared of HPV? Have you seen your doctoer, have you asked?
Human papillomavirus, or HPV, is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the United States. About 80% of women will get at least one type of HPV at some point in their lifetime.1 It is usually spread through vaginal, oral, or anal sex. Many women do not know they have HPV, because it usually has no symptoms and usually goes away on its own. Some types of HPV can cause illnesses such as genital warts or cervical cancer.
Who gets HPV?
Genital HPV is the most common STI in the United States for both women and men. About 79 million Americans have HPV.2 It is so common that 80% of women will get at least one type of HPV at some point in their lifetime.
How do you get HPV?
HPV is spread through:
•Vaginal, oral, or anal sex. HPV can be spread even if there are no symptoms. This means you can get HPV from someone who has no signs or symptoms.
•Genital touching. A man does not need to ejaculate (come) for HPV to spread. HPV can also be passed between women who have sex with women.
•Childbirth from a woman to her baby
How can I prevent HPV?
There are two ways to prevent HPV. One way is get an HPV vaccine. The other way to prevent HPV or any STI is to not have sexual contact with another person.
If you do have sex, lower your risk of getting an STI with the following steps:
•Use condoms. Condoms are the best way to prevent STIs when you have sex. Although HPV can also happen in female and male genital areas that are not protected by condoms, research shows that condom use is linked to lower cer¬vical cancer rates. The HPV vaccine does not replace or decrease the need to wear condoms. Make sure to put the condom on before the penis touches the vagina, mouth, or anus. Also, other methods of birth control, like birth control pills, shots, implants, or diaphragms, will not protect you from STIs.
•Get tested. Be sure you and your partner are tested for STIs. Talk to each other about the test results before you have sex.
•Be monogamous. Having sex with just one partner can lower your risk for STIs. After being tested for STIs, be faithful to each other. That means that you have sex only with each other and no one else.
•Limit your number of sex partners. Your risk of getting STIs goes up with the number of partners you have.
•Do not douche. Douching removes some of the normal bacteria in the vagina that protects you from infection. This may increase your risk of getting STIs.
•Do not abuse alcohol or drugs. Drinking too much alcohol or using drugs increases risky behavior and may put you at risk of sexual assault and possible exposure to STIs.
The steps work best when used together. No single step can protect you from every single type of STI.
iMagazine / March 2016