HPV; why is it downplayed

Hi everyone. I am not a first time poster. Just chose not to show my name. I don't understand why HPV is so downplayed. I read a lot of posts where people say, oh I had it, only some strands are bad, 80% of us will have it one time, its cleared in a couple years etc.

Basically the way I am understanding it is people are saying well everyone is going to get it at some point so don't worry about it. What do you mean don't worry about it? Play as usual? Quit playing altogether? Look for groups with it. I mean obviously I know there are differing degrees of it, genital warts and cervical cancer, but then you have the ones that show up on a pap but the pap is normal.

What gives?

[LOL_OMG]

This might be just my opinion, but, if you want to make a statement that impunes the entire board then use your real name. Read the archives, I do not see anything being downplayed.

Originally Posted by Guest

Basically the way I am understanding it is people are saying well everyone is going to get it at some point so don't worry about it.

To me this is a ludicrous statement. If someone actually said this on here they certainly do not speak for me or most of the people I know. Grow a pair and post with your real ID.

Mr. Lol

[good times]

I have to say, that it would be helpful if you gave an actual example of what you mean by it being downplayed. I think most folks I have talked to or seen post about the subject on the internet are not downplaying it, but instead are just being realistic about it.

Lets face the facts here, if one puts any confidence at all in the available statistics and available legitimate research data, then it is obvious that what you said above is pretty much true. Rephrased from your post to more closely approximate what is widely believed about HPV, some strands are worse than others, 80% of us will come in contact with it at least one time before we turn 40, it usually clears up on its own in a couple years, are all supported as true statements by the available research. Furthermore, the research also supports the contention that condoms are pretty much ineffective at preventing contact with the virus during sex with someone infected.

So the bottom line is, each person has to individually decide how much risk they are willing to take. If you believe you have never been exposed to it, and you do not wish to ever be exposed to it, then yea, you should probably "quit playing altogether", or even never start swinging to begin with. Or, if you know you are infected, then you should seek out others to play with who are also infected, or "quit playing altogether". If, on the other hand, you you are not infected but decide to go ahead and play with others, you might as well not worry about it. Because if the data is correct, their is nothing you can do about it, whether you are worried about it or not.

[babycole]

I don't think that all are downplaying HPV, but as goodtimes stated, the research does lean more towards the majority of us being exposed to it at one time or another. And yes, certain strands of it can cause cancer. So basically, you have to decide on your risk level. How do you know if you've ever been exposed to it and haven't had any symptoms (which is what my gyno says is usually the case for most people). Because of the exposure rate, my gyno suggested that ALL women get the yearly check up with their gyno. If they have a pap-smear done yearly without fail, if anything shows up as abonormal, they can take care of it asap. He says that if every woman faithfully got their check ups every year, cervical cancer could be irradicated, because they could catch it in the pre-cancerous stages and get rid of those cells.

So, with all of this info in mind, to me, it's a risk that we take (since we aren't even sure that we have been exposed already), and I'll just be vigilent in getting my check-ups every year so that it never gets to a threatening level. I suggest every other woman here do the same!!!

[LikeMinds321]

Every time I see threads like this appear I always have the same thoughts. It's about time I write them down.

For a moment, forget about HPV being a swinging topic.

If I was single and dating these past five years, rather than swinging with my husband, I'd have had sex with more men. Why? Because when a couple swings there has to be a 4-way click or sex doesn't happen. Over these years I've met many men I would have chosen to have sex with, but my husband wasn't interested in their wife, or she wasn't interested in my husband, so I didn't have sex with these men.

If I was a single woman, not involved in swinging, I'd be having sex, and much more than I do as a married swinging wife. I think sex is important, healthy, fun, and a necessary engagement when considering a potential long-term partner. To elliminate sex based on fear would be unreasonable to me. I would take the precautions to prevent HPV and not worry what "could" be.

I enjoy living life without uneeded fear. I like sex being a part of it.

LM

[SW_PA_Couple]

Originally Posted by Guest

I don't understand why HPV is so downplayed. I read a lot of posts where people say, oh I had it, only some strands are bad, 80% of us will have it one time, its cleared in a couple years etc.

OK, I've reviewed the discussions of HPV. There are elements of what you say about the discussions that are true. But I think that the statistics that members have been quoting are also true. Your reaction to the discussions is interesting. Downplaying? Are you trying to say that we should warn people away from intimate contact with multiple sex partners owing to the fact that they might pick up an HPV infection? People who skydive are warned that there is a percentage probability that they might go into the ground like a dart if the parachute does not work. People still jump.

[tantric2]

There is a vaccination available???
Why dont you go get the jab?
HPV vaccine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[NCfuncouple98]

The vaccine is recommended for women under 27. I'm 35 and this vaccine was not available before I turned 27. So considering how long it's been out and the age it's given to, it doesn't reduce the risk for most of us.

I don't think anyone on this board has ever downplayed HPV, but I think we all know that it is a risk, period.

Likeminds, you said it perfect. If we were all still single and out in the vanilla world, risks would be just as high, if not higher, depending on the # of partners.

Take precautions to prevent it, and enjoy life. (and sex)

Mrs. NC

[IvoryTowers]

Mr. Ivory here. (Sigh). Another sex-negative post by another troll. The implicit assumption in the OP's dire warning is that swinging is more dangerous than "vanilla" dating & mating. We all know that's simply not true. But it's easy to malign or dismiss swingers by assuming that 1) we're really promiscuous and 2) we don't use any safer sex measures. In our experience neither of these two things is true.

STIs are a risk of sexual activity in the modern world, period. Many people don't know, for example, that several STIs (HPV is one of them) can lay dormant for years before producing visible symptoms. So one's long-term, monogamous partner could have contracted HPV back in his "carefree" single days and transmit it to the new partner years later.

The point is that if you're an adult and want to have sex, you have to accept that there's no such thing as completely safe sex; that you can minimize your risk in myriad ways; and that waking up and leaving your house is an also activity that involves risk of injury or death, but most of us choose to live life rather than try to insulate ourselves from it.

[NotSorry]

Originally Posted by IvoryTowers

waking up and leaving your house is an also activity that involves risk of injury or death, but most of us choose to live life rather than try to insulate ourselves from it.

the best of both worlds:

http://www.polyfabrics.com/images/la...%20Bubbles.jpg

[Speed & Trixie]

I got tested for HPV this year, and am negative. I'd like to keep it that way

When I asked about the vaccine, they told me it wasn't approved in "older" women. (LOL, I'm only 30 jerk!)

I just insist that my partner wear a condom, and Speed always wear one too. It's the best we can do, aside from not having sex with others. And since we just started that (and it's WAAAAY fun!) we have no intention of stopping.

Personally, I'm more scared of HIV. You can't die from warts, and I get a gyno exam and pap every year so I'll know early if I develop cancer. You get HIV and man.....

[The Swing Set]

Originally Posted by Speed & Trixie

I got tested for HPV this year, and am negative. I'd like to keep it that way

When I asked about the vaccine, they told me it wasn't approved in "older" women. (LOL, I'm only 30 jerk!)

I just insist that my partner wear a condom, and Speed always wear one too. It's the best we can do, aside from not having sex with others. And since we just started that (and it's WAAAAY fun!) we have no intention of stopping.

Personally, I'm more scared of HIV. You can't die from warts, and I get a gyno exam and pap every year so I'll know early if I develop cancer. You get HIV and man.....

It's true that you can't die from warts, but I have seen some really devastating cases of warts and it's awful. Really, really awful. Of course not everyone will respond the same way to the infection and like others have said; it's not a swinging issue, it's an issue for all to keep in mind and do what they can to prevent and/or treat it.

[Pl00r]

I work in clinical research and can say that the figures for HPV exposure are fairly accurate. Yes you most likely will be exposed sometime no matter what lifestyle you choose. Those figures were obtained through research that did NOT specifically target lifestyle. Vanilla, swinger, poly, gay, or any other factors. Some of the studies show STD rates among the swinger community are actually lower than those studies in which lifestyle is not taken into account.

No warts can't kill you and yes they can be ugly awful, but they are treatable/removable. Cervical cancer is a killer but with annual paps should be found early IF it arises. As stated not all HPV strains have been linked to cancer.

Other avenues that are being research are looking for genetic commonalities between people whose systems have made that link from HPV to cancer and why some people only get warts from the same strains.

[JustAskJulie]

Originally Posted by LikeMinds321

Every time I see threads like this appear I always have the same thoughts. It's about time I write them down.

For a moment, forget about HPV being a swinging topic.

If I was single and dating these past five years, rather than swinging with my husband, I'd have had sex with more men. Why? Because when a couple swings there has to be a 4-way click or sex doesn't happen. Over these years I've met many men I would have chosen to have sex with, but my husband wasn't interested in their wife, or she wasn't interested in my husband, so I didn't have sex with these men.

If I was a single woman, not involved in swinging, I'd be having sex, and much more than I do as a married swinging wife. I think sex is important, healthy, fun, and a necessary engagement when considering a potential long-term partner. To elliminate sex based on fear would be unreasonable to me. I would take the precautions to prevent HPV and not worry what "could" be.

I enjoy living life without uneeded fear. I like sex being a part of it.

LM

So true! Then again, if more singles put as much thought into prevening STDs as want to be/soon to be swingers do... we'd have a lot lower incidence of STDs overall. Perhaps the fact that so many couples really do think about it when getting into swinging is why the incidence of transmission through swinging IS so much lower than through general sex.

When we are single we do typically just go at it and have fun and don't worry about it. Those who wear condoms every time when they are single are the exceptions! Couples who choose to wear condoms every time have each other to hold them accountable. Other couples just stick with the same MO they held when they were single... didn't wear them then, so why worry about it now? How is swinging really any different than when we were dating? And why do we make so much more of a big deal about STD prevention than we did when we were single?

Originally Posted by tantric2

There is a vaccination available???
Why dont you go get the jab?
HPV vaccine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I think someone else already pointed this out... but 1. The vaccine is only available to a SMALL subset of the FEMALE population. 2. It only covers a small subset of the HPV viruses.

As to the original question, I don't see HPV as being downplayed either, at least not any moreso than any other STD. It is a risk and you have to choose how much of a risk you are going to take. Driving a car is a risk, but you choose to do it, and many who choose to do it, choose to reduce the risk by wearing a seatbelt.

[DenMor4]

I(her) have high risk HPV. High risk can, in rare cases, cause cervical cancer. I found out at a pap smear and took the steps to correct it and had a clear pap since. I'm very honest about it and see no reason not to be. It is something most people have been exposed to men and woman.

One thing i'm surprised no one has mentioned here is that if a man is a carrier of high risk HPV he will show no signs or symptoms. A man will only have a clue he has HVP if he develops warts. With high risk there are no warts. If a man is carrying this strand he'll never know since there is no way to test a man for HPV.

My doctor told me there was little need to even tell any male partners that i had HPV since it wouldn't effect them at all. I chose to be up front about it because i felt my so deserved to know.