Is it Possible to Spread HPV to Yourself?

When you talk about protecting your sexual health, it generally involves another person. Not only could your wellness be at risk to sexually transmitted infections (STIs) but you’ve likely caught the disease from a sexual partner, meaning that their wellbeing has likewise been affected. However, is it possible to give yourself an STI, or to help it spread to other parts of your body? The answer is yes, especially when it comes to the human papillomavirus (HPV)

 

According to award-winning wellness writer Hope Gillette, ‘Because of the risks involved with this sexually transmitted infection (STI), awareness initiatives and vaccine promotions have increased in recent years, but many individuals remain unaware there is a self-inoculation risk associated with HPV. Self-inoculation, or the transmission of a disease from one part of the body to another, is rarely thought of with HPV, which most individuals associate with the appearance of genital warts.The human papillomavirus is more diverse than this, however, and while it does commonly affect the surface of the vagina, anus, vulva, cervix, and penis head, it also can affect the mouth and the throat.’

 

Researchers at the University of Florida College of Public Health and Health Professions point out that, because HPV is capable of affecting your oral and sexual wellbeing, this makes it perfectly possible for you to spread the infection from your genital area to your mouth and throat without the aid of a sexual partner. Gillette notes, ‘Oral HPV is considered by the American Cancer Association to be one of the up-and-coming contributors to the rate of oral cancers seen annually in the United States; approximately 42,000 people are diagnosed with the condition annually.’ Maura L. Gillison, MD, PhD, of JohnsHopkinsUniversity in Baltimore, adds, ‘The number of oropharyngeal cancers caused by HPV is probably larger than the number caused by smoking and alcohol, at least in the US. This expands our idea of who might be at risk for head and neck cancers. There is a proven survival benefit to catching these cancers early, so recognizing that people without traditional risk factors may still be at risk is important.’

 

There are more than 100 strains of HPV, but not all of these strains lead to serious health risks. However, the Mouth Cancer Foundation states that if you do develop an oral HPV infection, you are a whopping 32 times more likely than other individuals to develop oral cancers. This increased risk is way beyond that which smokers or drinkers experience, even for people who both drink AND smoke. Gillette details, ‘Oropharyngeal cancer occurs in the area beyond the mouth from the base of the tongue to the back of the throat. Oral HPV infection is also more common among men than women, though researchers are unsure why this disparity exists.’ Men, you need to watch out as you are roughly three times more likely to develop an oral HPV infection than your female counterpart. In 2012, a study showed that approximately 10% of men ages 14 to 69 have an oral HPV infection, compared to just 3.6% of women.

 

So how can you prevent self-inoculation of HPV? Gillette advises, ‘While it is not always possible to prevent self-inoculation of HPV, examination of personal sexual habits is the first step toward keeping the virus at bay. Individuals who participate in activities which involve genital-to-mouth contact from their own bodies are at risk for oral infection. If these habits cannot be adjusted, research from the University of Texas School of Public Health in Houston suggests oral mouthwash, brushing and regular flossing can help reduce an individual’s risk of contracting oral HPV.’

Categories: hpv infection, human papillomavirus, oral, oral cancers, oral hpv, papillomavirus hpv, prevention, public health, risk, self innoculation, sexual partner, sexually transmitted

Six Facts to Include When Giving Your Daughter “The Talk”

Having ‘the talk’ with your daughter can be awkward, but not knowing what to include in that talk can have a huge impact on her sexual health and wellbeing. Here are six facts about sexual wellness that you should talk about with your teenage daughter.

 

1. Using a condom isn’t as easy or as effective as you think. According to Paul Fine, MD, associate professor of gynaecology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, ‘A couple may not put on a condom until the last minute, and in the heat of passion, he might not have the control he usually has, so that’s never foolproof.’ You can get pregnant before he ejaculates, Dr Fine adds, as pre-ejaculate is ‘loaded with sperm.’

 

2. Emergency contraception is available if you have unprotected sex or the condom breaks. You might want to purchase it in advance of needing it, just so you have it on hand in an emergency.

 

3. The young adult age group has a high risk for STDs. 15-24 year olds represent 25% of the sexually active population, but 50% of new STD cases. STD expert H. Hunter Handsfield, MD, a clinical professor of medicine at the University of Washington, says, ‘Young people ought to get tested once a year for HIV, syphilis, chlamydia, and gonorrhoea.’

 

4. The symptoms of STDs aren’t always apparent. You can have gonorrhoea, chlamydia, hepatitis, HIV, and syphilis without having any obvious symptoms, but these diseases can be very destructive to your wellness over a long period of time. Jeanne Marrazzo, MD, an STD specialist at the University of Washington medical school, advises annual chlamydia screenings for younger women.

 

5. More than 30 types of the human papillomavirus (HPV) are sexually transmitted, and chances are, if you’re a sexually active adult, you’ve contracted several of them without realising. Dr. Handsfield notes that all women should get annual Pap smears to screen for precancerous abnormalities, and women under 26 should also consider getting the HPV vaccination.

 

6. There’s more to the Pill than pregnancy prevention; it also – depending on the form of medication – can reduce menstrual bleeding and painful periods, clear up acne, treat PMS mood wings and lessen your risk of uterine infection and ovarian cancer.

Categories: Chlamydia, Condom, Condoms, human papillomavirus, nbsp, sexually active, talk, The pill

Should You Get Your Child a Human Papillomavirus Vaccine?

Human papillomavirus is known to cause cervical cancer, but many people forget that it’s a sexually transmitted disease, and so can easily put your wellbeing at risk. According to a hospital release from Dr Katharine O. White, chief of general obstetrics and gynaecology at Baystate Medical Centre, ‘I can’t think of any better way to observe STD Awareness Month than for parents to consider getting their child the Gardasil vaccine to prevent them against the human papillomavirus.’

There is no treatment for human papillomavirus, which, as it is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among women worldwide, is a major wellness concern. More than half of sexually active men and women will become infected at some time in their lives, and White noted, ‘While the vaccine is recommended for both girls and boys ages 9 to 11, studies tell us that women up to age 26 will also benefit from being vaccinated, which is covered by insurance up to that age.’

In March, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a new analysis of eight common STIs; chlamydia, gonorrhea, hepatitis B virus (HBV), herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), human papillomavirus (HPV), syphilis and trichomoniasis. The CDC report showed that up to half of all new infections each year affect the wellness of young people ages 15 to 24. White commented, ‘While this age group is the most vulnerable, anyone with a new partner or with multiple partners is also vulnerable.’

Dr. Patricia Bailey-Sarnelli, director of paediatric and adolescent gynaecologic services at Baystate, added that the need for prevention is greater than ever, but part of the problem has to do with normal adolescent psychological development. ‘Adolescents go through a phase of magical thinking where, basically, they have a sense of invulnerability, that nothing can hurt them,’ she explained. ‘For that reason, they tend to be less consistent about condom use, so that puts them at greater risk.’

Bailey-Sarnelli noted that ‘the girls I am seeing now are somewhat better informed and most talk about learning about sex in their health class at school.’ However, the CDC statistics show that more needs to be done for teen sexual health. ‘I always like to tell them that we are all sexual beings, and that the most important part of that is being a responsible sexual being – responsible to themselves, to their partners, their family, and community – and part of that includes using protection against sexually transmitted diseases.’

Should You Get Your Child a Human Papillomavirus Vaccine?

Categories: bailey sarnelli, HPV Vaccine, human, human papillomavirus, papillomavirus, sexual, sexually transmitted, STIs, Teenagers, Virus, White