March 4th is Human Papillomavirus (HPV) International Awareness Day– by Joanna Palmieri, M.D.
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Let’s get our kids vaccinated and prevent HPV related cancers!
There are quite a few reasons why and here are some very important HPV facts:
Absolutely every single human being is at risk of becoming infected with HPV. Studies show that 85% of people will get an HPV infection in their lifetime.
The prospect of a high-risk HPV infection progressing to cancer is about 10%, even though about half of HPV infections are from high-risk strains.
There are approximately 13 million Americans infected with HPV annually.
HPV is spread by close skin to skin contact or touching during vaginal, anal and oral sex.
A person can get HPV when their vulva, vagina, cervix, penis or anus is touching another person’s genitals, mouth or throat.
The virus is spread by the skin to skin contact itself, which means that the sharing of bodily fluids is not necessary for transmission.
This virus can also be spread when an infected person has no known or visible signs or symptoms of active HPV.
It is impossible to track the exact time of exposure to HPV, especially because a person can be infected with more than one strain at a time.
Most people will clear a strain of HPV in about 2 years, but it is not known how long a person can pass a strain on to others within that 2-year time frame.
