Myths about HPV
The human papillomavirus (HPV) is a common virus. There are more than 100 different types of HPV, at least 40 of which are spread through sexual contact and can infect the genital area.
Like other infections, HPV may go away without any treatment or problems-but certain low-risk types (e.g. types 6 and 11) may cause warts in the genital area and at least 15 high-risk types of HPV (e.g. types 16 and 18) may cause cancer. There is no medicine that can cure the virus.
These are facts. Make sure you know fact from fiction before you make decisions that will affect your child’s health.
MYTH: HPV, HIV and Herpes are the same thing
FACT: HPV, HIV and herpes are different viruses that have different health consequences. The one thing they have in common is that they are spread from person to person through sexual contact – they are all sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
MYTH: HPV only affects girls and young women
FACT: 75% of sexually active Canadians will have at least one HPV infection in their lifetime. Both men and women can be infected with HPV. Both can have genital warts, and both can develop cancer from HPV infection, although only women can develop cervical cancer.
MYTH: People who use condoms cannot get HPV or any other STI
FACT: Condoms can protect a person from most STIs including HIV/AIDS, but do not provide complete protection against HPV. The virus can be spread through skin-to-skin contact with infected areas of the skin not covered by the condom (such as the scrotum, anus, or vulva).
MYTH: Young people who have sex without penetration are safe
FACT: The virus spreads through skin-to-skin contact with the penis, scrotum, vagina, vulva, or anus of a person who has the HPV infection. Kissing or touching that person’s sex organs with your mouth can transmit HPV. It is not necessary to have intercourse to get HPV.
MYTH: HPV is mainly a problem among homosexuals
FACT: Anyone who has sexual contact with a partner can get the HPV infection. HPV does not discriminate based on sexual preference; heterosexuals are just as likely to contract HPV. The highest rate of infection is among young people aged 15 to 24. The only people who are highly unlikely to have an HPV infection are those who have never been sexually active.
MYTH: Young people can tell if their partner has HPV
FACT: They cannot physically “see” whether a person has an HPV infection unless that person has genital warts. Many people with HPV do not have any visible signs but they can still spread the virus.
MYTH: HPV will not affect young people who have only one partner. It only affects people who “sleep around”
FACT: Any person who has sexual contact with another person can get HPV. They may be at risk even if they have only one partner, because that person may have had other partners in the past.
They can have sex with an infected person without knowing that person has the virus and they can spread the virus without knowing that they are infected because they may not have any visible symptoms. Each partner in a sexual relationship may carry the infection for many years without knowing it.
MYTH: Genital warts can develop into cancer
FACT: Genital warts are caused by low-risk types of HPV. These types of the virus do not usually cause cancer. Genital warts are unsightly and are not easy to get rid of, but they usually do not cause any long-term effects on physical health.
MYTH: If a person gets HPV, it means that they will get cancer.
FACT: The majority of people will get HPV at least once in their lifetime, but only a small percentage of these infections will cause cancer. Like other infections, HPV may go away without any treatment or problems-but certain low-risk types (e.g. types 6 and 11) may cause warts in the genital area and at least 15 high-risk types of HPV (e.g. types 16 and 18) may cause cancer. While there are treatments for the warts and cell changes caused by the virus, there is no medicine that can cure the virus once you are infected.
MYTH: The Pap test tells you whether a person has HPV or other STIs.
FACT: The Pap test detects cell changes in the cervix. It does not tell a person if they have any kind of STI, including HPV. If a person wants to get tested for sexually transmitted diseases, they just need to ask their health-care professional who can do it as part of a pelvic exam or separately, but they need to ask for it.
Right now, in Canada, there is an HPV test that can be used to detect high-risk HPV types (the ones that can cause cancer). A doctor might decide a patient should have an HPV DNA test after a Pap test comes back showing abnormal cells. This test is not available in all parts of Canada and the cost of the test is not generally covered under public health insurance. The HPV test is usually recommended for women over 30 whose Pap results show specific abnormalities. The test is not recommended for women under 30 because some strains of HPV are likely to clear up on their own within 2 years.
MYTH: HPV vaccination protects young people from HPV and other STIs
FACT: There are more than 100 different types of HPV. At least 40 of these types are spread through sexual contact and can infect the genital area. Four types of HPV cause the majority of genital warts (types 6 and 11) and most cases of cervical cancer (types 16 and 18). Two vaccines are now available in Canada; one that protects against types 16 and 18 and the other against all four types.
The vaccines do not protect against the other types of HPV or any other STI.
MYTH: My child does not need to be vaccinated because he or she is not sexually active
FACT: Vaccination works best in those who have not been exposed to any types of HPV preventable by the vaccines. If young men or women get vaccinated early, before they become sexually active, they can be protected from the 4 types of HPV that they are likely to be exposed to when they do have sexual contact with a partner. Studies on the vaccine have shown that it is most effective for girls aged 9 to 13, and it protects young women for a minimum of 5 years. It may protect for much longer, but more research is needed to confirm this.
Parents may not know when sexual contact begins, but studies show that 20% of girls in Grade 9 and 46% in Grade 11 have had intercourse.
MYTH: HPV vaccination can prevent pregnancy
FACT: HPV vaccination is not a contraceptive. Make sure your children are aware that they still need to protect themselves from unplanned pregnancy by using some form of birth control.
MYTH: HPV vaccination infects young people with the virus so they can become immune to it
FACT: These vaccines do not contain any live or dead virus and cannot infect you with HPV.
MYTH: Giving my child this vaccination at a young age may give him or her the wrong message
FACT: There is no proof that these vaccines change the choices that young people make, or that they have sex at an earlier age because of the vaccination. For it to be most effective, HPV vaccination should be given to any child before the onset of sexual activity.
MYTH: After being vaccinated, my daughter does not need to have Pap tests
FACT: HPV vaccination does not replace the need for regular Pap tests. The Pap test does not diagnose an HPV infection. It is used to detect cell changes in a woman’s cervix before they develop into cancer. Regular Pap testing is a key part of a healthy woman’s life, whether or not she has had the HPV vaccination. These vaccines do not protect her from all types of HPV, so there is still a risk that she could develop cervical cancer if she is infected with one of these other types.
