HPV INFO & Biopsy Results

[Guest guest]

Oh, ..... (long one coming but I hope it helps)

Hon please, please, don't even think of HPV (Human papilloma virus) as an STD... it's something that about 80% of us ( the sexually active population) carries, (men & women) it's that common and in most of us it doesn't cause a problem... It's a virus we usually carry for life, and we generally have no symptoms... men especially. And with us women if we didn't have a pap test we'd never know it either.

It's not carrying the virus that's a big deal but only when it starts to become active and causes some abnormal cells on the cervix (called dysplasia) that's what your pap found, and it 'may' turn into into cancer but in the majority (and by far it's a huge majority) it usually goes back into dormancy. And no hon it has NOTHING to do with your V pain or pelvic floor problems at all, so forget that thought.

Honestly unless your pap test is a very high one that says carcinoma en situ (and you've had a colposcopy to prove it) 'I'd' give it a chance to return to normal as it usually does. (about 1% or less may go further) and statistically it's approx 50% that have never had a pap or gone years before they did or it would have been caught much sooner.

So yes of that 1% or less, HPV 'may' cause cancer.. but the statistics are that low and the media has blown that so far out of proportion it's a real shame, let alone to call it an STD...with 80% of us carrying it.

(Here's an interesting statistic to keep things in perspective... did you know that oral cancer is 3X's more prevalent that cervical cancer connected with HPV? Every hour one person dies of oral cancer. There are about 360,000 cases a year worldwide compared to those with HPV that turn cancerous, (sorry I don't have that statistic handy, did but lost in my chaos)...

And yes even though HPV is usually present in sexually active people... but it has been found in children and even nuns who've never had sex...(though not common, it has been) and a 'Dear Colleague' letter I saw years ago warned gyne physicians about sterilization of their speculums...(again fairly rare) but shows it might have even been picked up there, (but as I said rare) so it doesn't necessarily mean that anyone was unfaithful either. I've seen relationships utterly destroyed and it just infuriates me for no good reason. *sigh*

It's a virus just as a cold is a virus... and yes in small handful that cold may turn into Pneumonia or even death.. but in the majority of cases it doesn't, we recover and life goes on.

Plus who knows any of us might have picked it up years ago or even as a child and it's just remained dormant for years and years and then let the immune system get depressed for whatever reason and 'bingo' it says ''YOO HOO, here I am''. Once the immune system gets healthy again it generally just goes back to sleep. Similiar in a way to Herpes, also a virus.. and if the immune system is down there can be a breakout.

Well that's more than enough rambling, but believe me hon I've researched HPV out as thoroughly as anything since I too have it (and the risky strains as well) and you can bet a large percentage of us here have it and may not ever know it, unless a bad pap shows up. (It's in about 98.9% of positive Paps and ''most '' 'never' go on to cancer)

There are approximately 200 strains of it (Most earlier studies will say less but that's the latest I read keeping up with it) and thank goodness just a small handful are considered the riskier strains (esp. DNA types 16 & 18) and I even have those too, (diagnosed with the Digene hybred test) and the least risky of all are the genital warts (strains 6 + 11) and yet people will panic over those too, it's a wart for petes sake but happens to be in a 'taboo' area. *groan*...

I blame the doggone media big time for creating such needless fear!. *sigh*

I know how you must be feeling and likely in shock to hear it.. but it really is that common and in most of us it's not harmful... I hope that eases your mind a little bit hon. Be sure to get a copy of that Pap test yourself (and don't ever trust someone telling you something over the phone) I sure would before you go ahead and do something that might not be needed. (of course having no idea of what your pap says hon so I'm just generalizing here)

Here's what one physician said, and maybe it'll help ease your mind a bit too.

''HPV is almost ubiquitous : 80% of women with sexual partners

have HPV!!!! (as do males) It is much more common than we knew

about as you've (Dee) stated.''

''The term "pre-cancer" I agree, is thrown around by doctors too freely. It implies that it will absolutely turn into cancer unless treated. In fact, the opposite is true. For mild dysplasia (LGSIL or CIN1) 86% goes away without treatment !!!! even with 'high' grade dysplasia the majority go away without treatment, (treatment is still recommended).

and lastly, just because the dysplasia doesn't go away, doesn't imply

that it will progress to cancer!''''Take home message:''''Don't get too worried about HPV, often it doesn't need to be treated as you said, and if you choose to, it can be easily treated with minimal side effects. Compared to other serious vaginal/vulva problems we deal with, it is a piece of cake.''

I must have at least 1000 technical articles hon but I'm also going to send a link for a video. (8 min).. and believe me though it is mainly negative & against the HPV vaccine (and I totally agree, I wouldn't touch it with a 10 ft. pole).. but you'll also hear him talk about the HPV itself and every single thing he's saying is absolutely true and from the FDA itself, things they covered up but I knew about myself many years ago since I also had it and you can bet I researched it to death. *grin*. Hey, It concerned 'ME'.. and 'I' wanted the truth. (and I remember being as frightened 'then' as you probably are hon.

Also as far as that HPV vaccine? I've seen some really bad experiences with young girls that took that vaccine, including death... see http://www.judicialwatch.org/archive/2007/GardasilVAERSUpdatedDeaths0907.pdf statistics released thru the FOI ( Freedom of information) from the FDA.. *sigh*

Let me add one more piece since this is so long already *grin* and that'll be far more than enough. *smile* I do tend to go on and on forgive me. This is clip from the national HPV center about warts and paps: and it basically agrees with what I just mentioned above. ; )

"Question: If I have genital warts or dysplasia, (a positive pap) will Ihave recurrences for the rest of my life?"Answer: Warts and dysplasia (in paps) do recur in 'some' cases, but by NO meansall. When they recur, they show varying persistence: Some peopleexperience just one more episode, and others several. The good news for''most'' people is that with 'time', the immune system seems to gainsome mastery over the virus, making recurrences less frequent and quite ofteneliminating them entirely within about two years.The limiting factor here is the state of the immune system itself.According to Sedlacek, MD, a member of ASHA's Scientific AdvisoryCommittee and adjunct professor of obstetrics and gynecology atAllegheny University, if an individual's immune system is impaired--bythe use of certain medications, by HIV infection, or by some temporarytrauma such as excessive stress, serious illness, or surgery--it may beunable to prevent a recurrence.However, if the immune system is weakened only temporarily, most likelythe recurrence (if there is one) will only be short-lived and go dormant again.The concern about life-long recurrences may be based on a misconceptionrather than a myth. It's true that at present there is no known cure forgenital human papillomavirus (HPV). As a virus, it will remain in theinfected person's cells for an indefinite time--most often in a latentstate but 'occasionally' producing symptoms or disease, as we havediscussed.Recent studies from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and from theUniversity of Washington suggest that HPV may eventually be cleared, orrooted out altogether in most people with well-functioning immunesystems. However, in at least some cases the virus apparently doesremain in the body for life, able to produce symptoms IF the immunesystem weakens." End.

ONE more ? http://www.ashastd.org/hpv/hpv_learn_myths.cfm

Learn about the myths of HPV.

That's all, I promise. I am sorry for the long ramble hon but I do hope it helps and of course goes without saying it's 'my' opinion, 'my' research 'and' most of all 'my' experience as well.

Dee ~

Biopsy Results

Good Morning-hope everyone is well today. I am in shock still about my biopsy results. I have HPV. The STD that I have only seen in commercials is inside me...I have only had one partner-my husband. He feels horrible, but I am not mad at him.

The past is the past and we are just going to deal with this. I need to have

surgery-laser ablation (sp?) Has anyone had this, or know anything about it. Also, I didn't have the presence of mind to ask the doctor all of this when I was on the phone with her-does anyone know if the HPV would have caused my other issues-(pelvic muscle floor spasms, vulvodynia and chronic yeast and bacteria infections? Thanks so much- O