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Infection for a Lifetime On a summer month of 2005, I visited my doctor. Upon entering, it was crowded. Thats not usual for my doctor. I signed in and waited. My normal wait time is normally or usually ten to fifteen minutes, but today it was different. After waiting at least an hour, I walked to the counter and asked the assistant, Is the doctor in today? she responded and says Yes, but he is experiencing abnormal time with his patients right now. I was becoming impatience and angry. Than I started to think about my time with the doctor is important and I wouldnt want any disturbance. So I waited a while longer. My eyes were getting tired and more people were coming in with limit space available. I stood up for a pregnant woman, that looked like she was about to go into labor at any minute. I could feel the anger starting again, people were leaving, and I was happy for that. Moments later, the doctors door sprung open. The patient who opens the door did not seem to be happy. I stood up straight, rubbed my eyes to make them clear, and I saw a familiar older woman come out of the room. Her eyes were blood shot red, as if, she were crying. After her, came a girl around the age of sixteen, who also looked familiar, and than the doctor. I was happy to see him. The look on the teenagers face was worse than the older ladys face, who I assumed was her mother. All three came to the front, while the doctor went behind the desk to make copies. I over heard the teenager say, I am so sorry, I ruined my life and I have to share my life now. At that moment, I assume that she was pregnant. Until later, she asked, So, doctor tell me again and are you sure that I have HPV? the doctor did not respond. He took her back into the room and minutes later they returned and left the office. I was next in line, since so many people

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left. I guess the mother and daughter were gathering all the information they could,. Thats why the wait was so long. When I saw the doctor, I asked him what HPV was and he told me. I was so shocked to find out that I began to gather my own research. HPV is a human papillomarvirus that lives in side of you. It comes with over a hundred related viruses, which can cause symptoms, some are low risk such as warts-causing and some are high risk such as cancer-causing. This virus has no cure. Imagine learning about all the diseases and viruses you can catch from having sex one time in life. Now you are faced to make an important decision that will last for a lifetime. Can you live without sex? Or can you live with it? Human papillomavirus is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases. There are over 20 million people infected with this virus, and another 6.2 million people become newly infected each year. At least 50% of sexually active men and women acquire genital HPV infection at some point in their lives (About 1% of sexually active adults in the United States have genital warts at any one time). The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2008, 11,070 women will be diagnosed with cervical cancer. Gay people, bisexual men, and individuals with weak immune systems may be at a higher risk for HPV related cancers. By the age of 50 more than 80% of American women will have contracted at least one strain of genital HPV. The Human papillomavirus (HPV) infects the epidermis and mucous membrane of humans. HPV can cause normal cells on the infected skin or mucous membranes to turn abnormal. You cannot see or feel these changes. The body tries to fight off HPV naturally and the infected cells sometimes go back to normal. Approximately 130 HPV types have been identified. Some types cause genital warts which are called low risk.

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Genital warts are skin growths in the groins, genital, or anal areas. They can be different shapes and sizes. Some look like flat white patches, and others are bumpy like tiny cauliflowers. Other types can lead to cancer of the cervix, vulva, vagina, anus, and penis and are called high risk. You can not have multiple types of the virus at one time. For instance, if you have warts, you cant have the cancer types, or if you have the cancer types, you cant have warts. More types of HPV have no symptoms and are harmless. Most people infected with the HPV dont have symptoms or the symptoms are so mild they are not noticeable. Genital HPV is passed though genital contact, mostly during vaginal and anal sex and also through skin to skin contact. Most infected people do not realize they are infected or that they are passing the virus to their sex partner. HPV infection is the common reason why most women have cervical cancer. Some realize something is wrong when they have had the following symptoms: pain, itching, bleeding, or visible genital warts. Symptoms usually occur 2 to 3 months after the infection is passed. It is very rare that a pregnant woman with genital HPV can pass HPV to her baby during vaginal delivery. If so, the child may develop warts in the throat or voice box which is a condition called recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP). It has not been detected yet, that if women were to have a cesarean delivery, that it will prevent RRP. Sexually transmitted HPV also cause a major fraction of anal cancers and approximately 25% of cancers of the mouth and upper throat cancer known as oropharynx. Over time, HPV would increase the number of people with oral cancers in non-smokers. Engaging in anal sex or oral sex with an HPV infected partner may increase the risk of developing these types of cancers.

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There are a few ways to detect HPV. A doctor can do a visual inspection. The visual inspection is to see visible warts, but sometimes warts are not always visible. A cervical papanicolaou (Pap) test can be used to detect abnormal cells which can develop into cancer. A cervical examination can also detects warts and other abnormal growths which become visible as white patches after the skin has been washed with acetic aid. Pap smears have reduced the chances of cervical cancer. An HPV DNA test can also be done to find high risk HPV on a womens cervix. A vaccine can protect females from four types of HPV that causes most cervical cancer and genital warts. The vaccine is for 11 to 26 year olds. This vaccine is called Gardasil and Cervarix. You will get three shots over six months. This prevents infections with the HPV types (16 and 18) that cause 70% of cervical cancer. This vaccine will not cure or prevents symptoms. If you have signs of warts, your doctor can remove them with lasers, surgery, or by freezing them off. You may also have warts on your hands and feet that can also be removed. There is no cure for HPV. Most HPV symptoms in young females are temporary and have temporary term significance. About 70% of symptoms are gone in 1 year and 90% in two years. But if you have unprotected sex with a partner who has it, after your symptoms is released, it comes back. To prevent HPV, use condoms. Condoms may lower the risk of developing genital warts and cervical cancer, HPV can infect areas that are not covered by a condom. Condoms may not fully protect against the virus. The only sure way to protect oneself is not having sex at all. You can also lower your chance of getting HPV by being in a faithful relationship with someone who has had no or few sex

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partners. For those who are not in a monogamous relationship, limiting the number of sex partners and choosing a partner less likely to be infected may lower the risk of HPV. The familiar faces were my cousin and my aunt. My little cousin is only nineteen. Since 2005, she has suffered tremendously with genital HPV. She only encounter sex once, with only one partner. All it takes is skin to skin contact for the virus to rub off on an individual. Some people think that if they have the same partner, then they should be fine. An individual never knows what their partners may have. There are so many diseases and viruses that make an individual not want to have sex at all. I used to have an aunt, through marriage, which was 40 years of age and never had sex. I used to think she was crazy. I asked her why she chosen not to have sex, and her response was, I havent found the right person, and I value my life. At first I did not understand and did not want her to elaborate. As I have gotten older, I have realize what she was talking about. HPV is not a joke. It will sneak up on an individual if an individual is not careful. Nowadays, we need to set high standards for ourselves and live by them. Before I decided to write this paper, I asked a few people did they know what HPV was. Their response was quite disturbing. In high school health was my favorite class, so I studied health harder than others. I wanted to know about everything. I was curious at the time and I still am. I feel, as though, everyone should know about HPV.

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Works Cited

"Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD)." Genital HPV Infection - Fact Sheet (2009): 1-3. Web. 21 Apr 2011. <http://www.cdc.gov/std/HPV/STDFact-HPV.htm>. "Genital Herpes Can Be Spread When Lesions Aren't Present: Study." Health Day (2010): 2. Web. 15 Apr 2011. <http://health.yahoo.net/news/s/hsn/genitalherpescanbespreadwhenles ionsarentpresentstudy>. "Human papillomavirus." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (2010): 10. Web. 21 Apr 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_papillomavirus>. "Information About Human Papillomavirus (HPV)." HPV/Genital Warts Health Center (2006): 5. Web. 6 Apr 2011. <http://www.webmd.com/sexual-conditions/hpv-genital-warts/hpvvirus-information-about-human-papillomavirus>. Olowe, Ulawanyoua. "HPV." Health Awareness. Doctor's Office, Chicago. 06/2005. Speech.

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The infection for a Lifetime Can you live with it? Or Can you live without it?
Tammy Johnson A&P Class 21 April 2011