Rural Health, Inc. Recommends Testing and Vaccination against Cancer-Causing HPV

(March 4 is International HPV Awareness Day)

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection worldwide. While there are over 200 types of HPV, with most considered harmless and go away on their own, high-risk strains can cause various types of cancers. March 4 is International HPV Awareness Day. Rural Health, Inc. (RHI) recommends those at risk of contracting HPV to get tested and encourages parents to vaccinate their children against cancer-causing strains.

HPV is very common, and depending on the type, can cause benign warts to cancer.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) roughly 43 million teenagers and adults are currently infected with some form of HPV in the United States, and about 13 million more new infections will occur every year. It is estimated that nearly 80% of people will get an HPV infection at some point in their lives.

While there are many types of HPV, only about 14 are considered high-risk types for developing cancer in adults that include cancers of the mouth and throat, cervix, and genitals. It is estimated that more than 37,000 people get HPV-related cancers in the United States every year. There is no treatment for the HPV infection itself, but there are treatments for the warts, cell changes, pre-cancers, and cancers that HPV can cause.

The best protection against HPV types that cause cancer is vaccination, which can prevent more than 90% of HPV cancers. The vaccine is recommended for children and young adults, both male and female, ages 9–26, and is given in a series of 2-3 doses. While there are no screening tests for males, females can be tested during a medical visit with their healthcare provider.

HPV in all its types is not blood or airborne. It is spread through intimate skin-to-skin contact and in some cases from mother to baby in childbirth. It is not spread through toilet seats, swimming pools or hot tubs, sharing food or utensils, or being unclean.

Depending on the type of HPV, the patient may not show any signs or symptoms. If HPV does cause symptoms, the symptoms will depend on which type it is; affecting the skin or the genitals, mouth, or throat.

Rural Health, Inc. offers HPV testing and vaccination. To schedule an appointment or for more information on HPV, call 618-833-4471, or visit www.ruralhealthinc.org for the RHI medical clinic near you.

Rural Health, Inc. (RHI) is a not-for-profit organization serving Johnson, Massac, and Union counties in Illinois, designated by the federal government as a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), whose mission is to provide quality services to all patients in need of healthcare while being committed to the overall health and well-being of the underserved.

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