ABOUT 45 % OF SEXUALLY ACTIVE WOMEN ACQUIRE GENITAL HPV INFECTION AT A PARTICULAR TIME IN THEIR LIVES.
Out
of 100 strains of HPV, about 30 are sexually transmitted. About 10 are “high
risk” and can lead to cervical cancer. “Low risk” types may cause genital
warts.
Most
will never know they have it because the immune system can eliminate the less
aggressive forms of HPV on its own. However, more aggressive strains of HPV
will stick around and cause multiple health problems, like cervical cancer. The
only way to detect HPV is through a Pap smear, where pre-cancerous changes in
the cervix are visible.
In
June 2006, the FDA approved Gardasil, a cervical cancer vaccine for women
between the ages of 9 and 26. Talk to your doctor about whether you would
benefit from vaccination.
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