The most common sexually transmitted disease is also one of the most misunderstood.
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The Human Papilloma Virus, or HPV, has over 100 different types. However, only a few of those can cause cervical cancer. The good news is that with current screening methods and a new vaccine that cancer is very treatable and preventable.
From 1992 to 2006, Missouri reported 13.3% abnormal Pap smear test results out of nearly 101,000 total tests. In Daviess County, three cases were reported between 1997 and 2005, according to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. Roughly 11,000 new cases of HPV-related cervical cancer are reported each year in the United States.
Scientists have developed a vaccine against two of the cancer-related types of HPV, which cause about 70% of all cervical cancers. A person must have the vaccine before contracting HPV. This is why doctors advise getting the shots before becoming sexually active. The vaccine is a series of three shots given in the upper arm over a period of six months.
"HPV is not routinely screened for," said Dr. Vetta S. Thompson, a Washington University psychologist conducting research into health attitudes and member of Health Literacy Missouri. "If you and your doctor don’t routinely talk about your sexual behavior, your doctor is unlikely to screen for HPV, and you might never know that you’ve been infected unless you are diagnosed with a disease associated with the virus."
Annual Pap smears are a common means of diagnosing HPV. By the time a woman turns 50, the CDC estimates that at least 80% of women will have been infected by one or more types of genital HPV. In Missouri, 31.6% of girls ages 13-17 had received the HPV vaccine by 2008, according to a CDC report. Daviess County has roughly 14% of females under 18, according to 2008 U.S. Census data. Girls between the ages of 10 and 19 make up roughly 7% of Missouri’s population, according to 2000 census data.
"HPV is a very common virus," Thompson said. "You don’t know when and where you’ll come into contact with one of the cancer-causing strains. Women or adolescents who are at potential risk of HPV infection should consider vaccination. If you are a parent and you think your daughter might become sexually active at 17 or 18, you might want to think about getting her vaccinated at 15 or 16. Better yet, parents should talk to their children about their sexual behavior and HPV vaccination options. The only way you know that you’re getting the vaccine prior to HPV exposure is if you are vaccinated before the onset of sexual activity."
The vaccine does not treat HPV infections. It also won’t protect against the dozens of other strains of HPV. That’s why the CDC recommends sexually active women always have routine Pap smears, even if they’ve had the vaccine. The vaccine won’t protect against other STDs or infections.
Other than getting the routine screenings, women can lower their risk of developing cervical cancer by quitting smoking. The CDC says smoking greatly increases the risk of getting cervical cancer. Smoking also can make the body more prone to disease and infection.
For more resources on HPV, or to find out if you’re eligible for free screenings and tests, talk to the Daviess County Health Department or visit:
CDC’s HPV page at http://www.cdc.gov/std/hpv/default.htm or Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services – Breast and Cervical Cancer at http://www.dhss.mo.gov/BreastCervCancer/.