Debunking HPV Myths

Summer time is nice because I actually get to have time to watch things that people email to me. I recently got an email regarding a June 16, 2010 CBS Morning News segment called “Debunking HPV Myths.” It was Dr. Jennifer Ashton visiting with four young women about HPV myths. She made the statement that HPV (Human Papillomavirus) is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections but is also the least understood.

Watch CBS News Videos Online

Finally, I thought, maybe she will share some medical information regarding this misunderstood STD or STI (whichever term may apply to the situation.) I was encouraged when one of the young women featured said she thought it was important to start talking about it (HPV) and start being honest. Another young lady chimed in, “This is something we need to know because,

in the end, 80% of us are going to get it.” I was ready for the doctor to provide truth, debunk that myth, wait for it…wait for it…

That’s when the disappointment set in, once again, political correctness takes over. Why didn't the Dr. let her know that those percentages are projections? She and for that matter, anyone else, doesn’t have to be part of that statistic. HPV is a Sexually Transmitted Disease or Infection. If you don’t engage in sexual activity (or any skin to skin genital contact) with an infected person, you won’t get it.

How do you know if someone is infected? Look at their sexual history. According to Dr. Meg Meeker, author of Epidemic, "if a person has had sexual activity with someone who has had more than two previous sexual partners, it is almost certain that person has HPV."

When teens and young adults are given the truth, when they have people they respect setting sexual health standards high, based on that truth, they rise to that standard and make wise choices. We see it year round as we work with teens and young adults.

The opposite is also true. When they have role models in their lives that have bought into the politically correct mantra that “all teens and young adults are going to have sex anyway, just tell

them that “sex + condom = little to no consequences”, we will continue to see the negative health and emotional consequences that we complain about and say we want to fix. We, as a society, continue to set the standard low, and then act shocked, or say, I told you so, when our youth trip over it.

The Dr. then went on to ask pertinent medical questions such as, “Does it make you feel better now knowing that HPV is so common?” and “Do you think it lessens the social stigma.” To which a female responded “I think it does because it made me feel less embarrassed?”

What?! Are you serious? This is the important truth we need to hear about this disease that one out of every two females gets the first time they engage in sexual activity with an infected person? Since when is how you feel about a disease more important than real prevention information?

(If you are reaching this through our newsletter, this is where we left off… Don’t want you to think I am repeating myself although some of this information bears repeating…)

The Dr. asked one female who had HPV pre cancerous cells in her cervix, “How did you feel emotionally?” This would have been a very relevant question if she had talked about the effects of premarital sexual activity, std’s and depression. Sexually active young women are four times more likely to have symptoms of depression than young ladies who choose to save their sex for a faithful marriage relationship. The fear, questioning, uncertainty, etc. that this young lady experienced upon hearing from her physician that she had precancerous cells in her cervix, may very well speak to why we see those different rates.

To give her the benefit of the doubt, and having done interviews myself, there may have been relevant content that was left out of the final cut for this news segment.

The young females did gain information that 90% of females will clear the HPV on their own (according to the strength of their immune system) but it might take up to three years. They were not cautioned however that during the time the body is trying to clear this virus, they are contagious to anyone they engage in sexual activity with. They could also be contagious to their

child should they become pregnant during that time. The emotional and physical impact that both a mother and baby experience when this virus, especially the genital wart type, is transmitted, is devastating.

I have personally met multiple youth, infected at birth, who’s throats and larynxs have been damaged by genital warts that grow there and threaten to close their airway at any point. While some medical studies show this to be rare (10%), (other studies show it to be quite common, 40%-80%) when it is your baby, rare is not a comfort word.

There were also questions regarding HPV’s impact on fertility. A small discussion took place that touched on the impact to fertility “in extreme cases”, if you got cervical cancer. Again, making it seem like a small risk. She went on to say there were not really any “known” impact on fertility

down the road. I think the word “known” is the issue, as we have seen so many changes in what is “known” and “unknown.”

Isn’t it amazing how we will take such precautions with things that don’t really matter because of

a “possibility” that something might happen, but when it comes to STD’s or sexual choices, the politically correct thing to do is either wring our hands, stick our head in the sand, or shoot the messenger?

I have had a young girl (13) sobbing her heart out on my shoulder because she was afraid that

her baby had HPV. She had gone to the Dr. for her first month post delivery visit and had precancerous cells in her cervix. She had had her cervix scraped multiple times and her baby was only six months old. Talk to her about HPV and fertility.

A friend of our staff shared that her friend is having to come to grips with the fact that she may not experience the joy of being a grandmother because her daughter’s fertility has been destroyed by HPV.

The young woman in the news segment who was told that she had HPV and needed to wait for three years to see if it had cleared asked the question, “But what if it’s been three years and it comes back?” The response was “When you are talking about something microscopic, that can

have no symptoms-that is so common, then you see how easy people get it.”

Did I miss the answer to her question in that response? Maybe it was an editing issue?

Hopefully, if it were an editing issue, the Dr. explained to them that if they find out they have it, and they decide to protect their reproductive system in the future, they should choose to be abstinent and not expose themselves to future infection from HPV or other STD’s that compromise the strength of their immune system. Then, when their body clears the HPV, they might not have to worry about it coming back. Some physicians and studies say, the majority of the time, the body fights it off, however, other physicians and studies say the virus can stay latent or dormant in the body to reactivate later in life. This is again one of those “unknown” items. Is it a reactivation, or the product of a re-infection, because risk behavior didn’t change?

The Dr. made the statement that gynecologists don’t test women in their 20’s because it is “assumed or presumed” that they will have HPV. Again, there is that PC theory that all young people will have sex with multiple partners. This is totally insulting to a generation who can and do make wise decisions when they are told the complete truth.

The news clip returns to studio where the anchor and the Dr. discuss the visit with the four females. The anchor asks if HPV can be prevented. The Dr. says this is the Million Dollar Question. She is shooting a little low, as prevention is more like a $16 Billion annual health care cost savings. She does says to prevent HPV you should choose complete abstinence, delaying sexual activity until older, minimizing number of sexual partners, using condoms is important, and getting the vaccine.

She did an excellent job describing complete abstinence as no sexual contact with an infected

person. She could have added to prevention, to be in a monogamous faithful relationship with an uninfected person. The rest of the list however is only lessening of risk and certainly not Prevention. A condom only provides limited (less than 50%) protection and only if the infection is located exactly where a condom covers … outside that area, no protection. She also didn’t

share that the vaccine only protects against 4 of the 40 types of HPV that affect the genital area.

Dr. Ashton did a good job in talking about treatment for HPV and listing treatment and need for gynecology visits, etc.

Then the anchor wanted to branch out so she said, “Obviously, men get it too, because aren’t they the one’s spreading it?” As a mom of a son and Nana to five, possibly six (one on the way) grandsons, I find this very offensive. Why do we make the males the villains? The man that is a carrier got it from an infected female. It is kind of like the, “What came first, the chicken or the egg?” question. And to be blunt, a female can get it from an infected female as well. To the anchor’s question/statement of gender bias, the Dr. includes in her answer that “men are the vectors.” Come on, really. I thought we were going to deal with Myths regarding HPV.

Truth is, if you are sexually active with multiple people or with an infected person you are at risk, female or male. That is exactly why our young men need to be encouraged to not only protect their reproductive system but also their reputation.

The Dr. then went on to briefly mention the different cancers that HPV has been linked to, such as, throat, lung, penile, anal, and other cancers of the reproductive system. She summed up by talking about the vaccine now being approved for boys. You might want to do some research yourself regarding this. You may be surprised by the lack of real research on this, but then again maybe not.

The last statement was “It’s a real significant Health Issue.” Finally the whole truth. It is a real and significant health issue not to mention an expensive issue. America, it is up to us to get educated, do the study, talk to others about this. Mom’s, Nana’s, talk to not only your daughters

and granddaughters, talk to your sons and grandsons as well. Dads, get in on the conversation too. If you know someone who needs more information or if you want more information, you can contact us through www.realitycheckinc.org. You can also get information from the website.

Send this blog to others you know that need real and direct truth about making wise and healthy sexual choices or anyone who is just had a belly full of politically correct Pregnancy/STI prevention propaganda.