HPV = Human Paplova Virus = Genital Warts. Yeah, your love hole is ruined for life.

And to think that there are religious fundamentalists who still oppose the HPV vaccine. There's just NO way their little girls would have sex before marriage, or unknowingly marry a guy with HPV, or get raped by a man with HPV, etc. They make me sick.

It only makes a bad situation worse, by there being such a big stigma about getting HPV. The fact is that a huge proportion of women aged between 18 and 35 have it. I forget, but I think it's about 1 in 5 or something like that.

It is SO easy to get and if you think a condom will save you, you're wrong.
Warts can be transmitted by the balls touching the outside of the vulva. I know women who got it while in a monogamous relationship with their very first boyfriend, who showed no sign of warts and who always used a condom.

He was a carrier and didn't realise he had it and she did the responsible thing by insisting on a condom every time. Warts is an epidemic and so easily transmitted, you'd have to be a monk not to get it these days-hence the vaccine.

There's also very effective treatment for it and it doesn't have to mean the end of your sex life. Laser treatment, while painful during the procedure, is very successful and quick.

Yes, "my friend" got it to.

Seriously though, my sister went to get a copy of her shot record the other day and this nurse gives her a pamphlet on the HPV vaccine. So as they are looking for her record she reads the pamphlet. Five minutes later the nurse come out with the shot ready and everything and asks, "are you ready?". The nurse just assumed she was going to fork over $100 and was going to get it.

I'm sorry but we were so anxious to push this through the overcrowded FDA with no concrete long term tests. Think about how many drugs have been pushed through that have killed people. Or all the vaccines that were developed only to give the person the virus they were trying to prevent. Many times with fatal results.

Btw my sis was smart, she said "hell no". Guess the hospital pissed away that dose.

I won't be racing off our daughter to the doctors to get the vaccine, either. We haven't vaccinated her 'til now for anything and we won't be starting with this new one, either.

The vaccine doesn't protect from all strains of the virus, so what's the point?

Because I've seen how easy it is to get and how it is relatively easy to rid oneself of, I'm not really afraid of it, for her.

I just wish they'd invent condoms that cover the balls too.

wait, what! Condoms over the balls now too, why don't I just jump in a burlap sack before doin the nasty.

I just wish they'd invent condoms that cover the balls too.

My ballsack protests vehemently!

I think it's about 1 in 5 or something like that.

Good stats are hard to come by for a number of reasons.

First, there are over 100 identified strains of HPV. Roughly 90% of Americans will be infected with one at some point in their life.

40 of those strains are sexually transmitted. 2 of those will produce genital warts. 13 of the remaining 38 are high-risk that can lead to various forms of cancer. ASHA estimates 75% of the reproductive population will be infected with genital HPV during the course of their lives.

So we're all extremely likely to contract a form of HPV at some point and it's even more likely that we'll never know it and that it will be taken care of by our immune system.

"HPV" shouldn't scare you; "HPV-16", "HPV-18", "HPV-31", "HPV-33", "HPV-35", "HPV-39", "HPV-45", "HPV-51", "HPV-52", "HPV-56", "HPV-58", "HPV-59" and "HPV-68" should.

HPV plus a weak immune system can have very strange results.

20 million people have HPV! I checked this info at this HPV dating site STDRomance.com

I have just been diagnosed with cervical cancer myself, caused by the hpv virus. Apparently my body (despite my BEST efforts~ I had warnings w/ abnormal paps) could not fight it off. I am still trying all sorts of other things rather than have a hysterectomy (very bad in my opinion)...all the while hoping it doesn't go crazy in the meantime. Strange times, I tell you.
Oh, and I had my daughter vaccinated. There IS a point, persephone. Even if it is just a chance at keeping her from going through what I am going through. It is not a small thing. Just thought I would share.