HPV Testing
HPV testing for women
HPV testing for women
Many doctors will argue that testing for HPV is an art, not a science. This simply means that there is no precise, one hundred percent accurate way to test for HPV.
The most common symptoms of HPV, being warts, are generally easy to identify. Be they common or genital warts, they’re easily spotted by their conspicuous cauliflower like appearance.
Even so, if you suspect that you have contracted HPV, it is a good idea to have your doctor verify this. Oftentimes, what may be a simple blemish, a pimple, or something else entirely may be misidentified as a wart, and the wrong treatment may be applied, as such, it’s always wise to attain a professional’s opinion.
That said, warts are not the primary concern in HPV testing for women. The primary concern is the risk of HPV types 16 or 18 developing into cervical cancer.
A lot of attention is paid in the media to the problems of breast cancer, of HIV, and, more recently, of Swine Flu. It seems odd, then, that so little attention is paid to cervical cancer and HPV, as, every year, cervical cancer kills an estimated forty thousand women. The vast majority of these cases are linked to human papilloma virus.
HPV Testing for Women
Women, get a pap smear and an HPV test at your next opportunity. Do not put it off or deem it unnecessary.
Sorry if we seem a bit militant on this front. All men have to worry about when it comes to HPV is the problem of dealing with an ugly infection. In women, HPV can be fatal.
It is estimated that cervical cancer affects 473,000 women every year, killing 253,500 women. Most of these cases are directly linked with genital HPV.
To put that in perspective, breast cancer kills about 519,000 women a year. Breast cancer gets a lot of media attention because of its high casualty rate, but efforts against HPV and cervical cancer have not enjoyed the same amount of attention, and this has led many women to neglect regular testing.
The major problem here tends to be the misconception that HPV means genital warts. Several strains of HPV can lead to genital warts, but the types that can lead to cervical cancer do not show any visible symptoms whatsoever, and can only be effectively identified by a pap smear.
In that few men have ever died of HPV related conditions, men can more easily get away with saying “I trust my partner, I’m safe”, but this is not an option for women. Remember that when you have sex with a new partner, you are having sex with everyone they have ever had sex with. Your boyfriend or husband may have been tested negative for HPV, but, again, the types of HPV that can lead to cervical cancer show absolutely no visible signs, and would be nearly impossible to detect in men.
HPV Testing for Men
One of the first things you need to know about HPV testing for men… is that you need to be tested before you can be certain.
If you have any degree of sexual experience, getting tested is a good idea. You can’t just inspect yourself, trust that you don’t have anything, and forget about it. HPV can remain dormant for years, decades, even a lifetime without showing any symptoms, but can still be contagious. In women, it is the types of HPV that actually have no symptoms that can lead to cervical cancer.
Luckily, most genital HPV types are harmless. In fact, it’s estimated that anywhere from one third to one half of all sexually active adults have contracted a benign form of HPV at one point or other. However, this isn’t the case with all HPV types, so it’s important to get tested.
Should I get Tested?