cervical cancer

[Kitsune06]

At Planned Parenthood it operates on a sliding scale, though they don't verify employment so I presume people lie about their income to pay less than they should. I don't even remember what it was last time I went; I was going for my Depo shots. I've been in since, but for different reasons and didn't get a real exam.

[EBD]

I am amazed at how much misinformation there is about HPV. I myself had never heard of it . . . until I was diagnosed with it a couple of years ago, after an abnormal pap. Luckily I go to a university medical center with extremely attentive women's health doctors and nurses, so my doctor explained a lot to me - unlike many other gynos here, it seems!

That said, if you are over 40 or married, your doctor probably didn't bring it up because you aren't really at risk anymore. Relax!

First, my doctor did say that *most* young women are infected with HPV at some time in their 20s, but in most people the virus clears by their late 20s without causing problems. (The 1 in 4 figure is for all women ages 14-59 - for women in their twenties the infection rate is estimated to be nearly 50%). One reason it is so prevalent is that the strains of HPV that can cause cervical cancer appear to not cause any ill effects in men. So of COURSE women get it by the droves - the men don't know they have it, and there's no reason for them ever to get tested (I'm not even sure if there is a test for men). Cervical cancer is a major killer of women in some less-developed countries, where women don't have much say in their sex lives AND don't have access to pap smears.

Regular paps should reveal abnormalities caused by HPV with enough time to clear them up before they become cancerous. I had to have two colposcopies and a LEEP procedure to get rid of abnormal cells, but they seem to have done the job. My understanding is that if I go through several normal paps in a row, then the virus may be gone for good.

My boyfriend has never made an issue of my HPV status - and it is clear I didn't get it from him (my parents were also cool about it). The shaming that goes on is ridiculous. These people who don't want girls to get the vaccine because it might cause them to be promiscuous make me crazy. I understand that you wish people would wait until marriage - but you really think CANCER is a just punishment? I do not believe that is what Jesus had in mind.

Also I would like to clarify that the strains of HPV that cause warts and the strains that cause cancer are separate strains of the virus. Warts do not = cancer.

[Cha Cha]

Timing of this thread couldn't be better - I'm going in for a colpo on Tuesday after my pap came back "atypia" and the HPV was positive. I'm 42 and in a committed relationship, so the HPV had me a little freaked at first, but after reading a lot of good information, learned that it's no reflection of anyone's morals or character or whatever. The virus also can pass thru latex, so condoms are not a reliable preventive.

Here's a very informative website you might want to check out -

http://www.ashastd.org/hpv/hpv_overview.cfm

Okay, climbing down off the soap box now...

Question: I'm a little concerned about how long the colpo will keep me 'out of the saddle' - anybody out there had one that could advise? Thanks so much! I'd rather think about that than the possibility that I have cancer... though fortunately, 'atypia' is not usually a big cause for concern. Keep your fingers crossed, please!

Amy

[Grog]

Question: I'm a little concerned about how long the colpo will keep me 'out of the saddle' - anybody out there had one that could advise? Thanks so much! I'd rather think about that than the possibility that I have cancer... though fortunately, 'atypia' is not usually a big cause for concern. Keep your fingers crossed, please!

Amy,

Good luck for your colpo. I've had quite a few of those. I was not cycling at the time but I don't think it would have kept me out of the saddle more than one day. I distinctly remember that getting my cervix scratched made me feel like I feel on the first day of my periods, which entails lower back and right thigh pain. And sometimes some bleeding. That lasted no more than a day.

It might be different for you but if it's properly done I don't think it should keep you out of the saddle for that long.

[chickwhorips]

Question: I'm a little concerned about how long the colpo will keep me 'out of the saddle' - anybody out there had one that could advise? Thanks so much! I'd rather think about that than the possibility that I have cancer... though fortunately, 'atypia' is not usually a big cause for concern. Keep your fingers crossed, please!

fingers are crossed. i had one done about three years ago. the first couple of days i was quite sore. its not the most comfortable thing to have done. my doc told me to take some ibuprofens before i went it. i'm glad i did.

i too wasn't biking at the time and don't know how long you maybe out. hopefully not to long.

[trickytiger]

Whew- this feels a little personal, but:

I was diagnosed with HPV strain 16 (the bad cancer-related one) about three years ago, after a scary (level 4 out of 5, when 5 means cancer) pap result. I knew for sure I got it from my boyfriend at the time, so at the very least now he knows he's a carrier. I had a colpo with good results - my body cleared the bad cells very quickly, and haven't had any bad paps since. That relationship is long gone and for good reasons, but the end result is that I take care of myself better- I was advised to get lots of sleep, eat well, exercise lots, and actively search out ways to reduce stress to enable my body to continue to keep the virus repressed and to "clear" it. I've taken that advice seriously- so at least some good came out of this!

I don't like the "moral" arguments against the vaccine at all. It's not a moral issue to me, and the focus just seems to "punish" women for having sex- as if you "deserve" cancer. No one deserves it!

[Grog]

Just a note on HPV transmission...

BTChance might have better info, but I was told at the time of my colposcopies that I could have been infected at any point during the previous 5-7 years, and that it can take quite a bit of time before symptoms become apparent. It was also noted to me that condoms didn't 100% protect women from getting it.

[RANT]
Without of course being careless, I think we should remain calm about infections like HPV and HSV (herpes). There are SO MANY carriers around that we wouldn't touch anyone if we didn't want to get anything. I realized recently that I have HSV antibodies, which means I have been exposed to the herpes virus. Who knows whether it's the oral (mouth, HSV-1) or genital (HSV-2) form. I come from a tradition where people kiss a lot (within the family, acquaintances etc.) and it's absolutely likely that I have caught it from some family member as a tiny kid. I don't have symptoms (warts), but I might nonetheless be shedding the virus sometimes. Will my partner and I have protected sex for the rest of our life to prevent him from being exposed to the virus? We've discussed it together and the answer is : no. It's not HIV. It's herpes. (I'm aware of the risks if there are active infection sites during childbirth, and we'll take care of that when the day comes, if necessary, of course.)

And in all cases it's not a moral issue. It's a virus.

Moreover, recently, I have heard more and more of the hypothesis according to which some virus actually protect us. Someone posted the example of the link between obesity and some virus: those who have been exposed to said virus (can't remember which) are less likely to be obese than those who haven't. I can easily imagine that our knowledge on viruses is VERY limited. An interesting book was recently published, Survival of the Sickest (http://www.amazon.com/Survival-Sicke...dp/0060889659), I wonder if some of you guys have given it a look. I think it's far from a definitive view, but probably attempting to live in a sterile world hasn't done us only good...
[/RANT]

[Wahine]

Thank yo for that Grog. I think you covered a lot of issues that needed to be exposed.

[btchance]

Just a note on HPV transmission...

BTChance might have better info, but I was told at the time of my colposcopies that I could have been infected at any point during the previous 5-7 years, and that it can take quite a bit of time before symptoms become apparent. It was also noted to me that condoms didn't 100% protect women from getting it.

[RANT]
Without of course being careless, I think we should remain calm about infections like HPV and HSV (herpes). There are SO MANY carriers around that we wouldn't touch anyone if we didn't want to get anything. I realized recently that I have HSV antibodies, which means I have been exposed to the herpes virus. Who knows whether it's the oral (mouth, HSV-1) or genital (HSV-2) form. I come from a tradition where people kiss a lot (within the family, acquaintances etc.) and it's absolutely likely that I have caught it from some family member as a tiny kid. I don't have symptoms (warts), but I might nonetheless be shedding the virus sometimes. Will my partner and I have protected sex for the rest of our life to prevent him from being exposed to the virus? We've discussed it together and the answer is : no. It's not HIV. It's herpes. (I'm aware of the risks if there are active infection sites during childbirth, and we'll take care of that when the day comes, if necessary, of course.)

And in all cases it's not a moral issue. It's a virus.

Moreover, recently, I have heard more and more of the hypothesis according to which some virus actually protect us. Someone posted the example of the link between obesity and some virus: those who have been exposed to said virus (can't remember which) are less likely to be obese than those who haven't. I can easily imagine that our knowledge on viruses is VERY limited. An interesting book was recently published, Survival of the Sickest (http://www.amazon.com/Survival-Sicke...dp/0060889659), I wonder if some of you guys have given it a look. I think it's far from a definitive view, but probably attempting to live in a sterile world hasn't done us only good...
[/RANT]

Grog, you're right about the time frame. HPV takes years (often 10+) to transform cells into cancer, which in itself is a pretty rare event. You're also right that condoms aren't perfect - like with HIV, they decrease the risk, but don't prevent it. And yes, don't freak out if you have HPV. It is extremely, extremely common - and if caught early, the problems it can cause are treatable.

I haven't seen anything about the hypothesis you're talking about. But it is true that there is a huge amount of stuff we don't know about, and we're constantly learning. (I also haven't heard of the book)

[madisongrrl]

The virus also can pass thru latex, so condoms are not a reliable preventive.

It's not that it passes though latex (it doesn't), it's that latex doesn't cover all of your skin. It spreads though skin-to-skin contact.