Sept. 20, 2010 | HPV isn’t a new cable television network or an off-road vehicle. Human papillomavirus, or HPV, is the name for a group of viruses that includes more than 100 types, at least 40 of which can be passed through sexual contact. The types of HPV that infect the genital area are called genital HPV. Over half of sexually active people will have HPV at some point in their lives, but most will never even know it. This is because HPV most often has no symptoms and goes away on its own. Genital HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States. About 20 million Americans between the ages of 15 and 49 currently have HPV. And at least half of all sexually active men and women get genital HPV at some time in their lives. This particular form of HPV is passed by skin-to-skin and genital contact. It is most often passed during vaginal and anal sex. Although much less common, it is possible to pass HPV during oral sex or hand to genital contact.

Sept. 20, 2010 | Human papillomaviruses come in two forms, high-risk and low-risk. Having high-risk HPV is not the same as having cervical cancer but it can lead to cancer. Most often, high-risk HPV causes no health problems and goes away on its own. High-risk HPV cases that don’t go away are the biggest risk factor for cervical cancer. If you have high-risk HPV, your doctor can look for changes on your cervix during Pap tests. When abnormal changes are detected on a Pap test, a procedure called a colposcopy may be performed. This test allows your doctor to look at your cervix using a magnification device that looks like a pair of binoculars. If a problem is seen, a sample of tissue from the cervix might be taken. Changes can be treated to try to prevent cervical cancer so it’s important to have regular Pap tests so these changes can be found early. Low-risk HPV can cause genital warts, which can form weeks, months, or years after sexual contact with an infected person.

Sept. 20, 2010 | With the prevalence of human papillomavirus in our population, many women find themselves questioning whether or not they should get vaccinated for HPV. The answer is, it depends on your age and whether or not you already have had sex. There are two vaccines, Cervarix and Gardasil, which can protect girls and young women against the types of HPV that cause most cervical cancers. The vaccines work best when given before a person’s first sexual contact, when she could be exposed to HPV. Both vaccines are recommended for 11- and 12-year-old girls. But the vaccines also can be used in girls as young as 9 and in women through age 26 who did not get any or all of the shots when they were younger. These vaccines are given in a series of three shots. It is best to use the same vaccine brand for all three doses. The vaccine does not replace the need to wear condoms to lower the risk of getting other types of HPV and other sexually transmitted infections.

Sept. 20, 2010 | Most women who have human papillomavirus infections never know it, which is one reason why women need regular Pap tests. A Pap test is when a cell sample is taken from a woman’s cervix and looked at with a microscope. A Pap test can find changes on the cervix caused by HPV. To do a Pap test, a doctor will use a small brush to take cells from the cervix. It’s simple, fast, and the best way to find out if the cervix is healthy. If you are 30 or older, your doctor may also do an HPV test with your Pap test. This is a DNA test that detects most of the high-risk types of HPV. It helps with cervical cancer screening. If you’re younger than 30 and have had an abnormal Pap test result, your doctor may give you an HPV test. This test will show if HPV caused the abnormal cells on your cervix. A Pap test is recommended even if you have had the HPV vaccine because women who don’t get all of the vaccine doses or didn’t get them at the right time might not be fully protected.

Sept. 20, 2010 | The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommended last month that girls between the ages of 11 and 12 be vaccinated against the human papillomavirus, or HPV, before they become sexually active. The recommendation, published in the group’s journal Obstetrics & Gynecology, backs existing U.S. government guidelines. They also called on obstetricians and gynecologists to discuss HPV vaccination with older girls and young women, an age group that they are more likely to treat compared with the 11- to 12-year-old range. According to the ACOG, girls and women between the ages of 13 and 26 who have not yet received the HPV vaccine should get “catch-up” doses. Girls and young women who are already sexually active should still be vaccinated but pregnant women should not since its safety during pregnancy has not been established, although mothers who are breastfeeding can be vaccinated, according to the ACOG.