Most sexually active individuals are estimated to have one or more infections in their lifetime with the human papillomavirus (HPV) and, not surprisingly, ASHA receives countless HPV questions like:
What should I tell a partner?
Will I always have it?
How are HPV tests used?
How well do vaccines work?
In this episode, H. Hunter Handsfield, MD, covers these and other common questions about HPV. Dr. Handsfield is Professor Emeritus of Medicine, University of Washington Center for AIDS and STD, and former director of the Sexually Transmitted Diseases Control Program for Public Health—Seattle & King County, Seattle, Washington.
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HPV (a.k.a. human papilloma virus) is an equal opportunity virus, infecting both men and women. Men can get infected with HPV, and most do—it’s so common that nearly all sexually active people will have HPV at some point in
their lives.
After a diagnosis, it’s normal to have questions about HPV and relationships: What does this mean for our health? Did someone cheat? Should we stop having sex?
Three organizations—ACS, ACOG, and HRSA—have each recently endorsed new guidelines for cervical cancer screening. All of them discuss screening with self collected samples.
There’s a new way to screen for cervical cancer—no pelvic exam, stirrups, or speculum involved.
A study has found a dramatic drop in the rates of cervical pre-cancers in young adult women—evidence that the HPV vaccine is working.
Human papillomavirus, or HPV, is very common. Some types of HPV can cause genital warts and other types can cause cancer, including cancer of the cervix, vulva, vagina, penis or anus, as well as cancer in the back of the throat.
Read stories from three men on their personal experiences with HPV-related cancer.
The American Cancer Society estimates that there will be about 11,270 new cases of anal cancer in the U.S. in 2026, with approximately 1,700 deaths.
ASHA believes that all people have the right to the information and services that will help them to have optimum sexual health. We envision a time when stigma is no longer associated with sexual health and our nation is united in its belief that sexuality is a normal, healthy, and positive aspect of human life.
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