Joined Nov 2003
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Forum Thread
Am I required to disclose this information before having sex?
March 29, 2007 at
05:33 AM
in
Question
My girlfriend was informed by her gynocologist that she has the human papillomavirus, or HPV. It's impossible to tell who had it first, but I'm most likely a carrier now as well. For those of you who don't know, HPV is a virus that's said to be a prerequisite for cervical cancer in women. Men can carry the virus, but it's nearly harmless for them.
Some HPV facts from wikipedia:
Here's my question. Am I required to disclose this information before having relations with another woman? I have a feeling that everyone's kneejerk reaction will be "yes", but please consider the following. There's a huge chance that the woman already has the virus, and if she doesn't already she'll probably get it in the future*. With a condom, she probably won't get it from me anyway. With pap testing, there's a very very low risk of cancer. And quite frankly, I feel that she won't know all the facts and will think it's a bigger deal than it actually is.
Thoughts?
*Genital HPV infection is very common, with estimates suggesting that more than 50% of women will become infected with one or more of the sexually transmitted HPV types at some point during adulthood.[7]
The American Social Health Association projections in 2006 were yet more pessimistic, predicting that about 75% of the reproductive population will have been infected with genital HPV infection in their lifetime.
Some HPV facts from wikipedia:
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Quote
:
HPV is the most common sexual transmitted infection in the United States. In the United States approximately 20-million people are currently infected with HPV about 6.2 million Americans will get infected with genital HPV this year.24.5% prevalence of HPV among females 14 to 19 years old 44.8% prevalence of HPV among females 20 to 24 years old 27.4% prevalence of HPV among females 25 to 29 years old 27.5% prevalence of HPV among females 30 to 39 years old 25.2% prevalence of HPV among females 40 to 49 years old 19.6% prevalence of HPV among females 50 to 59 years old In the absence of Pap testing or treatment, about 1% of women with genital HPV infections will eventually go on to develop cervical cancer. Women who have Pap testing or other cervical cancer screenings on a regular basis dramatically decrease their chances of developing cervical cancer. A 2006 study of 82 college students suggests that condoms can be up to 70% effective for preventing genital HPV infection if used for every sexual encounter. |
Thoughts?
*Genital HPV infection is very common, with estimates suggesting that more than 50% of women will become infected with one or more of the sexually transmitted HPV types at some point during adulthood.[7]
The American Social Health Association projections in 2006 were yet more pessimistic, predicting that about 75% of the reproductive population will have been infected with genital HPV infection in their lifetime.
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And I know you're thinking all sex is risky and people know that before engaging in sexual activity, but to not know about increased risks is different.
Following your example with driving... you know it is risky and you accept that risk, but you would still want to know if for some reason your car had an increased risk of losing control on a wet or icy road, wouldn't you? It's different from the overall risk that you accept.
That's not what I said.
I said that more than likely she has it anyways.
Should people get the vaccine? Yes. But if one takes the necessary precautions once they know they have HPV, they will be ok. It's not a huge deal... it's not like HIV or herpes or anything - it is treatable! Most people don't have side effects- you have to admit that! And when they do, if they are getting their paps regularly like they should be then it is easily taken care of.
Besides, how would you know anyways? I'm the one who has more experience with this than you when it comes to this issue. I went through the cryosurgery. I went through the pain. And if I came out on the other side then I think most people should be able to.
Anyways, for your information, I voted that he should tell her.
Get your facts straight.
and true i dont know and i am glad i dont know what the experience is like...i am sure there are a lot of people who went through a lot of bad things and came out the other side, dosent mean its ok. lot of people come out of spousal abuse doing quite well...a lot of people go through rapes and "come out on the other side"...for that matter how about breast cancer, divorces....everything is survivable.
to say that oh i went through it and it was alright...so people shouldnt make a big deal about it is a little hard to fathom. how do you even come up with this argument?
in other matters...hows ur preparations to vegas going...dont forget sunscreen...my friends sister got back from vegas and she said it was HOT.
I wonder, is there a way to check in guys to see what strain it is?
Although, if I would've been making this decision before I got my precancerous I probably would have said no. But now that I'm educated about it and I know what the risks are, I would just make sure there was no serious risk involved if I were to sleep with this guy. Because for all I know, if I haven't been tested or experienced any side effects, I could have HPV as well!
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If there was no treatment, GirlRacer and I would have full-blown cervical cancer by now.
See, even AIDS and herpes are treatable... but the problem with those are that with AIDS, you will die. With herpes, you will have painful side effects.
With HPV, there are so many types out there that have no symptoms. You can live a normal life, have children, whatever! If you have the type where it gives you genital warts, that is treatable... if you have the type where it would give you cervical cancer, that is treatable. But most people will have no side effects.
Visible genital warts can be treated with medication, surgically removed, or frozen off. Some of these treatments can be applied by the patient, while others must be performed by a health care provider. No one treatment is best. Warts might return, especially in the first 3 months after treatment.
It is not known whether treatment of genital warts will reduce the chance of passing the virus on to a sex partner. If left untreated, genital warts may go away, remain unchanged, or increase in size or number. They will not turn into cancer. For these reasons, some individuals may choose not to get treated, but to see if the warts will disappear on their own.
This is from the CDC http://www.cdc.gov/std/hpv/STDFac...nd-men.htm
I was under the assumption that you were speaking of treatment in general. My apologies.
p.s. no personal reference of any kind..just a funny.
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