Have you ever wondered “How do you get HPV?” If you have, then the answer provided in this article likely includes a few things you probably suspected, and a few more that you didn’t. Because most people know that human papillomavirus is a sexually-transmitted disease, they assume that they know how to protect against it. Unfortunately, this virus is a little different from most though.
Alright, Then How Do You Get HPV?
As you probably assumed, the 30 to 40 forms of HPV that can be transmitted sexually are most often passed from one person to another through sexual contact. Notice that is sexual contact, and not sexual intercourse. This differentiation is made because it is quite possible to become infected by the HPV virus on your hands, in your mouth, in your throat or any number of other places on the body. The virus does not just pass between the genitals.
Contrary to popular belief, however, you can still contract HPV when using a condom. This is not because the virus is able to go through latex, but rather because, as mentioned above, it often embeds itself in places other than the genitalia (the thighs, for example). All that the virus needs in order to move on to a new host is skin-on-skin contact. Because a condom only covers so much of the skin that comes into contact with another person during intercourse, it is not quite enough to stop HPV.
Who Usually Gets HPV?
Researchers estimate that somewhere between 50% and 80% of all sexually-active people will contract HPV before the age of 50. In other words, if you have sex, the chances are very high that you will be exposed to at least one of the 100 forms of the virus at some time in your life.
It should come as no surprise that your chances of getting HPV go up dramatically if you have sex with many different partners, or with someone who has. And, since the overwhelming majority of infected people don’t know that they carry the virus (by some estimates, this number could be as high as 80%) and HPV symptoms in women and men can sometimes take years to appear (if at all), it’s not exactly easy to screen your partners in advance.
Can I Get Tested For HPV?
At present HPV tests are only available for women, although a doctor can usually identify a man’s genital warts on sight if they are visible. The HPV test for women involves taking a swab culture from the cervix to check for the presence of cell abnormalities and the presence of the HPV virus. This screening is highly effective at identifying infections, and determining whether or not the strain of HPV present is one of those that are known to be cancerous.
How Do You Get HPV Treatment?
So, if you are diagnosed with human papillomavirus, how do you get HPV treatment? Obviously, your physician should determine the best treatment options for you. It should be noted, however, that in many cases of HPV infection, because the body can often clear the virus on its own, doctors are sometimes hesitant to begin treatment right away. If this is the case for you, it’s always best to follow your physician’s recommendation.