Genital HPV

Honestly, most forms of HPV are actually pretty harmless and benign. Common warts, for example, may be unsightly and uncomfortable, but let’s be honest, they’re not really a big deal. You put a little treatment on them and they’re gone in a couple weeks.

Genital HPV is what you need to worry about.

Believe it or not, though, it’s not genital warts you have to look out for. Certainly you don’t want genital warts, but aside from the general unpleasantness of genital warts, they rarely lead to any further health complications, and can be treated with relative ease.

The most dangerous forms of genital HPV might not even show any visible symptoms. The most dangerous strains can lead to testicular cancer, cervical cancer, rectal cancer, and penile cancer, and might not even be detectable until the later stages.

Unfortunately, there is no real cure for any strain of HPV. We have all sorts of ointments, chemicals, and treatments to get rid of ugly warts, but HPV stands for Human Papilloma Virus, and as of right now, we still haven’t discovered an effective method for actually killing viruses.

Genital warts might not show up for weeks after the virus is contracted, but when they do show up, they will be taken care of by the body’s immune system pretty quickly about 90% of the time. Again, genital warts do not lead to cancer. The only strains of genital HPV that lead to cancer do not cause genital warts.

It is estimated that around half of the world’s population is infected with genital warts, right now, and that most people will actually contract the virus at some point in their lives. Luckily, most of these cases come and go without even showing any symptoms or escalating to cancer. This isn’t a Get Out of Jail Free card, though. If you have sex without protection or without getting yourself and your partner tested, you’re playing the odds. Because so many strains of genital HPV don’t even show any signs, you can’t rely on your ability to “spot” an infection in the form of venereal warts. The only way to keep yourself safe from STDs is to either always use protection, or have STD testing conducted on yourself, and every single one of your sexual partners.

Luckily, there is an HPV vaccine available. Tens of thousands of women die, every year, thanks to cervical cancer caused by an HPV infection, and if we can get enough people administering and signing up for the HPV vaccine, it may well be possible that nobody should ever have to die thanks to HPV.

But the vaccine has met some unfortunate controversy. The vaccine is most effective when administered around the time of puberty, and a group of ‘concerned citizens’ have taken it upon themselves to speak out against the vaccine, stating that it would give pubescent children “permission” to go out and have unprotected sex.

Raising sexually responsible people is the job of the parent, not the pharmacy companies. If we can save tens of thousands of lives, there is no reason to object to the HPV vaccine.

HPV Health is dedicated to bringing you the most current information on HPV.  We are dedicated to helping you.  For more information on symptoms and treatments visit HPV Treatments.

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