HPV FAQ

My doctor said I’ve got HPV and I’m freaking out! I got it from my girlfriend and I have warts at the base of my penis. What do I do?: Take it easy – first, you need to see your doctor and get yourself checked out, just like you would with any STD. Secondly, if you only have genital warts then what you have is the non-cancerous strain of HPV which, other than the warts, is harmless and will go away in two months to two years. You should encourage your girlfriend to see her gynecologist soon if she hasn’t already as HPV can develop precancerous cells in women and is often a precursor to cervical cancer.

I heard a rumor that there is stuff in lube that can keep HPV from being transmitted. Is that true?: Yes, this is true. HPV is transmitted via the mucus membranes of the body, otherwise known as the soft tissue of the genitals specifically during sexual intercourse. When lubricant is applied a barrier is created that essentially blocks the HPV from being transmitted.

Essentially a gelling agent that creates the gel-like consistency of most lubricants, carrageenan will actually inhibit the HPV from spreading during sexual intercourse. While researchers have found that most preliminary studies that carrageenan does indeed block HPV it is not 100 percent conclusive.

I am worried about getting the HPV vaccine. Do they really work and are there any side effects?: What you need to know is that there are only two vaccines currently available for preventative treatment: Gardasil and Cervarix. Both of which were created specifically for protecting women against two strains of HPV – HPV 16 and HPV 18. Out of the 100 different types of HPV these two strains are known to cause cervical cancer as well as other cancers of the genitalia.

Out of the 24 million doses within the United States there have been more than 13,000 cases of adverse reactions to the vaccine, specifically Gardasil. More than 90 percent of the women tested experienced swelling of the arm where they received the injection, pain and fainting as well as nausea and fever. Speak with your physician about the effects of the vaccine and what it could mean for you if you did – or didn’t – take it.