Below are some of the questions people like you have sent us about HPV.
Click the question to see or hide answers from our experts.
At my last doctor’s visit, the nurse recommended the HPV vaccine (I’m 14). My mom doesn’t want me to get it becuase HPV is an STD and she thinks I’m too young, and that the vaccines “encourages” girls to have sex and not protect themselves. Is this right? And why do they recommend this so young?
I had my Pap test a month ago and just received a letter saying my Pap test is unclear, I MAY have changes in my cervix cells, and I need to get checked again. I’m scared because the night before I got the letter, my boyfriend and I had sex. Now I’m freaking out that I’ve given him HPV.
About a year ago, my girlfriend was diagnosed with high-risk HPV. She had a procedure done to remove abnormal cells from her cervix, and everything has been normal on her follow-up visits, but our lives changed completely. I am always conscious of it, and if I get sick I panic and think it’s related to the HPV. My doctor told me if I do have HPV, not to worry about it and continue to live my life the same…I wish I could! What tests should we be doing now?
Can you get HPV from a swimming pool or hot tub?
I’ve had genital warts for about a year, and have made several trips to a clinic for treatment with cryotherapy [freezing warts with liquid nitrogen spray]. I’ve lost my health insurance, though, and can’t afford to have new warts treated. The treatment was little more than the nurse zapping the warts with the spray. Could I buy one of these units and just do it myself?
I’m a 15 year old guy and my doctor gave me a brochure about HPV vaccines and said she thinks it’s a good idea. My questions are: 1) Is the vaccine safe? and 2) Why do guys need a vaccine to protect them against a disease (cervical cancer) that affects females?