Pelvic exams, HPV, and Gardasil, Oh My!
My First Pelvic Exam
This article answers many commonly-asked questions about a woman's first pelvic exam, which usually includes the Pap smear, or Pap test. Many women avoid having pelvic exams as a result of fear of this commonly-performed procedure; the reality is that the procedure itself is far less uncomfortable than treating any disorder it's there to protect you from.
The main reason to have a Pap smear is to detect cervical cancer in its early stages -- this is a cancer with relatively few symptoms until it's in the advanced stages, meaning that the cancer can become quite invasive and actually spread to other organs in the body before it is detected.
Human Papillomavirus or HPV causes between 70-90% of all cervical cancers. It is estimated that 75% of Canadians will have at least one HPV infection in their lifetime. There are many different types of HPV, only some of which can cause cancer. HPV is highly contagious, and many types of HPV have no symptoms.
There is a vaccine available which can prevent 70% of cancerous HPV infections. This vaccine presently has a nominal cost, but may be covered by the Canadian Health System in the future, or added to scheduled vaccinations, both in Canada and the United States. This would have the effect of preventing most of the cervical cancers (as well as some anal cancers and some cancers of the male genitalia) from occurring in the first place, saving millions of health-care dollars in the long-run, not to mention lives, as well as untold pain and suffering.
The problem? 87% of Toronto high school students have not heard of HPV.
This article answers many commonly-asked questions about a woman's first pelvic exam, which usually includes the Pap smear, or Pap test. Many women avoid having pelvic exams as a result of fear of this commonly-performed procedure; the reality is that the procedure itself is far less uncomfortable than treating any disorder it's there to protect you from.
The main reason to have a Pap smear is to detect cervical cancer in its early stages -- this is a cancer with relatively few symptoms until it's in the advanced stages, meaning that the cancer can become quite invasive and actually spread to other organs in the body before it is detected.
Human Papillomavirus or HPV causes between 70-90% of all cervical cancers. It is estimated that 75% of Canadians will have at least one HPV infection in their lifetime. There are many different types of HPV, only some of which can cause cancer. HPV is highly contagious, and many types of HPV have no symptoms.
There is a vaccine available which can prevent 70% of cancerous HPV infections. This vaccine presently has a nominal cost, but may be covered by the Canadian Health System in the future, or added to scheduled vaccinations, both in Canada and the United States. This would have the effect of preventing most of the cervical cancers (as well as some anal cancers and some cancers of the male genitalia) from occurring in the first place, saving millions of health-care dollars in the long-run, not to mention lives, as well as untold pain and suffering.
The problem? 87% of Toronto high school students have not heard of HPV.
What can you do?
- If you have a teen, have a conversation about your teen about this virus. Studies show that teens listen to their parents, and look to them for guidance, especially about issues such as sex, that can have permanent consequences. If you find the discussion difficult, give a link to an informative website to your teen, and let the internet do its magic.
- If you have a daughter, consider having her vaccinated. At this time, the vaccine is not approved for boys, however, this is likely to change as more clinical trials are done.
- If you are a woman under the age of 26, consider getting vaccinated.
- For everyone else, make sure to discuss your HPV risk with your sexual partner(s). Condoms do not protect 100% against the HPV virus, as skin-to-skin contact is required, and lesions can appear on regions of the body not covered by a condom, such as the scrotum, thighs, and perineal/anal region.
As always, please feel free to reply to this post with any questions you have. They will be answered!
