March 4th is Human Papillomavirus (HPV) International Awareness Day– by Joanna Palmieri, M.D.

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March 4th is Human Papillomavirus (HPV) International Awareness Day– by Joanna Palmieri, M.D.

 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.

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The Smell of a Vagina

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The Smell of a Vagina

Let’s face it, not many people really want to talk about the smell of a vagina. Yet it is, after all, just another body part that deserves to be talked about. So here we go! The vagina has many different smells that can indicate a wide range of conditions; which could be healthy, or require evaluation and treatment, or signal different stages in our lives, or are affected by what we consume, the activities we engage in, and even our hygiene practices. It is essential to normalize open dialogue about  the vagina and its composition, just like we talk about our mouths, noses, ears and other body parts without embarrassment. 

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In honor of Sexual Health Awareness Month, we’d like to highlight the work of the American Sexual Health Association

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In honor of Sexual Health Awareness Month, we’d like to highlight the work of the American Sexual Health Association

 The American Sexual Health Association, ASHA, is a trusted, non-profit organization that has advocated on behalf of patients to help improve public health outcomes since 1914. They are a highly respected American authority for sexually transmitted infection information.

The information you find on their website is based on well-researched and documented medical facts and follows approved treatment guidelines as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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