HPV Prevention and Safe Sex

My dear followers,

In this blog post I will try to share prevention methods to best of my knowledge. Now probably just like me you are wondering and worrying about HPV infection or even worse maybe there are some among you that did not hear about it (just like me years ago) and you are reading this post.

Now here are some prevention methods:

1. Abstinence: I hear you all saying thank you Captain Obvious. Abstinence is considered as a one hundred percent effective way to protect from all STDs. Another suggestion is to limit the number of sexual partners. However, this method has its own disadvantages. The first thing is that it is unreasonable to expect that we will spend our life alone without any partner. Sharing love is the most beautiful thing in the world. This is why, do not be scared of sex but try to be informed about the consequences and take precautions.        The second interesting thing I heard about abstinence is that there are some rare cases of HPV infection in nuns who never had sexual relations before. My doctor told me this. This shows that abstinence is not always the solution. Us, humans are emotional beings and if we limit ourselves, it might lead to psychological consequences.

          My recommendation is to listen to yourself. If you are ready for having sexual relationships with another person, you can do it by taking precautions and knowing your partner. If you are not, it is also your decision and you should feel good about it. It is your life.

2. Vaccines: Vaccines are safe and very effective in preventing this infection before it occurs. According to CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention), two vaccines, Cervarix and Gardasil should be given to females, preferably when tehy are 11 or 12 and for males Gardasil should be given around the same ages.  These vaccines carry some deadly strains of HPV in ineffective form and it is given to your body for immunization. It is given as three shots in the course of 6 months. However, it does not protect you against all the strains so you should still be careful.

            In my case, I heard about the vaccine when I was already infected. I asked my doctor if I can have it and I could still have it. Yes, you can have HPV vaccine even after infection but it does not protect you against your already existing HPV infection. The latest age for the vaccine is 26.

             Now there is a misconception among males as they do not have cervical cancer as a result of HPV like us females might have. However, this vaccine may be effective in protecting against other cancers that is caused by HPV so everybody should  have this vaccine regardless of sex and parents should be informed about HPV vaccine.

3. Pap Tests and Doctor Visits: Women should visit their gynecologist for a pap test asap. It is a very easy test that is administered by health professionals and it can detect if you have HPV infection or not. As long as you are under doctor control there is nothing to worry about. However not only for pap smears but also for other types of cancers you should get checked. You should visit your dentist at least twice a year and ask him to do oral and throat cancer screening. Be open about your concerns and ask for a thorough examination. The same goes for anal and other types of cancer scares. You should ask doctors for anything suspicious.

          I once read in a book that some monks listen to their body so carefully that they realize when they become sick or before they become sick/die. This is just an example but indeed, monitoring our bodies might help us realize abnormalities (though not always). By finding the balance (avoid being a hypochondriac), you can monitor changes in your body and consult a doctor.

4. Using condoms & Practicing Safe Sex: I would always recommend condom use as anything that might help us not to get infected can help. However, according to CDC condoms may lower the infection but they do not fully protect you against HPV infection. To people out there, my recommendation would be to avoid oral and anal sex as much as possible. Though there is much research needed to find out how the transmission occurs, direct contact with different body parts does not seem like a good thing.

             When I was young nobody told me oral sex is bad indeed they said swallowing semen is good for skin *sighs*. However, infection can occur anytime and if you do not feel comfortable about it, do not do it. I will cover this issue in my future posts in a detailed way. Oral HPV is an issue that deserves to be discussed in detail.

             The best means of protection to avoid from diseases is prevention and maintaining a strong immune system. Unfortunately we don't know when HPV can infect us and despite all precautions, it can still infect us. You can comment below how you choose to be protected and share your recommendations & edits for us. Thank you for reading my post. Be safe and healthy, my love goes to you all...