Special to the Tribune-Star
TERRE HAUTE — Recently, the Food and Drug Administration approved a vaccine for males that can protect against some of the most common types of human papillomavirus (HPV). These vaccines are given in three separate shots, and the three-shot series should be completed to achieve maximum effectiveness. Two different vaccines are available for females.
Each year, approximately 2 out of every 1,000 men in the United States are newly diagnosed with genital warts. HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States, and most genital warts are caused by this virus. There are more than 40 HPV types that can infect the genital areas of males and females. Certain types of HPV can cause genital warts in both males and females, while other HPV types can cause cervical cancer as well as other cancers.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 20 million Americans (both males and females) are currently infected with HPV. Another 6 million people become newly infected each year. HPV is so common that at least 50 percent of sexually active men and women get it at some point in their lives. Most people who become infected with HPV do not even know they have it.
Prevention and protection play an important role regarding HPV. Abstinence from sexual activity is a way to prevent a person from acquiring HPV. But if a person is sexually active, safer sex needs to be utilized, including the use of condoms and participating in a mutually monogamous relationship with an uninfected partner. These two practices may lower the risk of developing HPV-related diseases.
Health Connection of Pace Community Action Agency Inc. is a reproductive health/family planning clinic which provides services including male and female examinations, sexually transmitted infection testing, pregnancy testing, contraceptive methods, counseling and education.
For more information about the services provided, or to schedule an appointment or a presentation, call (812) 234-0707.
