So after Michael Douglas told The Guardian that his particular type of throat cancer was linked to HPV, I decided to do some personal investigative work into the matter.
Like a lot of guys, I had the silly idea that the HPV vaccine was just for women. Little did I know, HPV stands for human papillomavirus and is actually the most common sexually transmitted disease for everyone, regardless of gender.
In America, talking about sex, and especially sexually transmitted diseases, can be kind of awkward -- but just because something makes you uncomfortable doesn't mean you shouldn't talk about it! Our world is a sexual society, and thus we should have an open discussion about it to help stop the spread of STDs among young people!
The clinic I went to for my research was really open to sitting down and having a great conversation about HPV. They urged me that as a young male I should most DEF be getting the HPV vaccine (all three shots necessary for the vaccine) because being proactive could literally save my life someday.
Anyway, enough preaching for me! Here are the deets:
+ Seven Things You Need to Know About HPV:
1. HPV is the most common STD: HPV is so common that 50 percent of Americans will have HPV at some point in their lives. It's not just women who are affected, but men too. Important to break down that misinformation! It is a viral infection with over 40 types that can infect the genitals, anus, or throat. Some types of HPV can cause warts and cancer.
2. HPV can be easily spread: HPV is transmitted through oral, vaginal and anal sex. It can also be passed on during skin-to-skin sexual contact. Condoms can help protect against HPV sexual transmission.
3. HPV often has no symptoms: Most people pass HPV on to someone else without ever identifying symptoms or knowing they are infected. Yikes!
4. There is no HPV test commonly used for young people: All sexually active women and women over 21 should get regular screenings for pre-cancerous cells (Pap test). There is currently no HPV test recommended for men., which is why it's so important for women to get a regular Pap test to detect any changes in cells in the cervix that might be caused by HPV (and to see your doctor if you do see any symptoms – like warts).
5. HPV has no cure, but related problems are treatable: There is no cure for HPV, but there are ways to treat HPV-related problems. For example, warts can be removed, frozen off, or treated through topical medicines. Even after treatment, the virus can remain and cause recurrences (warts may come back).
6. Most HPV infections will never cause cancer:. The vast majority of HPV strains and HPV cases don't cause cancer. It's still important to get a regular Pap smear to screen for any cell abnormalities that might lead to cervical cancer, but HPV infection does not mean you'll automatically get cancer.
7. HPV vaccines are available for both men and women, and are the best way to protect against some of the most common types of HPV. Teen girls and women (11-26) and teen boys and men (11-21) should get all three shots before becoming sexually active. Not having sex and sexual contact is a good way to avoid getting an STD. But if you aaaarrre having sex, using condoms every time reduces the risk of contracting STDs, but HPV can still be transmitted in areas not covered by condoms. There are three doses to the vaccine and it is important to get ALL THREE.
Just like many vaccines, the three shot series doesn't come free. In fact, the three shots came at a price of $130 per shot (yikes!) So, after I got my first round, I sat down with the payee lady to figure out my various payment options. Because my insurance was declined I was informed that my state actually supplied some of the vaccines at a lower rate of $20 for those who have insurance problems. I obvi accepted this offer - and it is something you should definitely look into when you go to get the vaccine.
So listen, now we all know that the best way to prevent the spread of STDs is to wrap it up, get tested, know your partner's testing status and get this vaccine done and outta da way! It's worth it!
