Setting the HPV Record Straight

You've probably seen Digene's new ad for their HPV test with the tagline, “take the test, not the risk." I'm flabbergasted that this commercial hasn't been taken off the air, for it completely misrepresents what the test is meant for. The commercial clearly makes the implication that the life of Jodi, “whose story every woman should hear" was saved because her positive HPV test allowed her doctor to catch her disease before it became cancer. THIS IS COMPLETELY FALSE. A positive test is only useful if your pap smear is equivocal.

Otherwise, a negative test along with a normal pap smear can reassure you that your cervix is fine and doesn't need to be checked on again for three years (instead of the standard 1 year).

The reason they don't recommend the test for women under 30 is because around 60% of sexually active women in the under 30 age range are positive for a high risk strain of the HPV virus anyway. We want those women to come back yearly for their paps regardless of what Digene says about their HPV status. Jodi's pap was normal, but she was HPV positive.

All this means is that she had a normal pap smear and an unnecessary test and would have to come back again the following year for another pap smear - which, apparently, “showed that she had cervical disease." But, if she'd never taken the test, her doctor would have told her to come back in a year for another pap smear ANYWAY. Therefore, Jodi, “whose story every woman should hear" is exactly the person for whom the HPV test is of no value whatsoever!

Take home message = please help do your part to help in not contributing to the high cost of healthcare by not asking your doctor for an unnecessary test unless you are a) over 30 and b) are not engaged in any high risk behavior. Second take home message = please don't engage in any high risk behavior.

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The HPV Test - Do You Have It?

Since HPV viruses often show no symptoms, there is no specific test to check the overall status of HPV within the body's cells. Tests are used only for cervical cancer screening and we all know that HPV virus can be cleared out, on its own, with no other health problems. Thus, there is no need to be tested just to check out if you have HPV. However, you should get tested for signs of disease that HPV can bring, such as cervical cancer for women and anal cancer for men.

Visual inspection can be done if you would like to find out if you have genital warts. Some healthcare providers may use a vinegar solution, acetic acid, to help see flat warts. However, this is not an accurate or completely sensitive test, so it may erroneously identify normal skin as a wart.

Routine Pap tests are used to identify if patient has cervical cancer or not. The HPV test can identify high-risk HPV types on a woman’s cervix, which can be resulted to cervical cell alterations and cancer.

As a matter of fact, there is no medically approved treatment for the virus itself, but a healthy immune system can usually ward off HPV naturally. Visible genital warts can be removed by patient-applied medications, or by proper management performed by a health care giver. Some individuals prefer to give up treatment to see if the warts will fade naturally.

Cervical cancer is most manageable when it has been detected and treated early. There are innovative forms of medical procedures such as surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy which are available for patients although many of these are not guaranteed so HPV victims should consider natural alternatives for holistic HPV treatment.

If you belong to the men’s group and wonder if there’s any test to screen HPV-related cancer, screening tests can discover early signs of disease in people who are still healthy.

Some health specialists recommend annual anal Pap tests for bisexual, gay, and HIV-positive men, because anal cancer is more common in these groups. This HPV test can find abnormal cells in the anus that could develop into cancer eventually. If abnormal cells are found, they can be eliminated. Anal Pap tests are not recommended because there is no substantial research to show that removing abnormal anal cells can stop the development of anal cancer in the future. More research is needed to be done to confirm that Anal Pap tests and treatment of abnormal cells can help to prevent anal cancer.

Go to your doctor’s clinic if you find blisters, warts, sores, white patches, ulcers, or other abnormal areas on your penis although they don’t hurt. Otherwise, check if there’s any abnormalities on your penis, scrotum, or around the anus through visual inspection. Your body is your own responsibility, so proper care and management is essential to achieve good physical condition.

 

AndreaSegovia - About the Author:

Andrea Segovia inspires people seeking natural health solutions by providing tips on treatment methods that work naturally with the body. She contributes to the work stream in topics ranging from health, travel, and natural living. She is passionately involved with sharing her discoveries on HPV

Source:  http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/the-hpv-test-do-you-have-it-1102870.html