How about a little sex ed to get your day started off? Yup, I just know you want to hear all about HPV right now. This post is based on a discussion I had with my naturopath yesterday. If you’re a woman who’s had sex, you might want to give it a quick looky loo…
HPV is an extremely common STD against which condoms offer only limited protection. By age 50, at least 80 percent of women will experience an HPV infection. Sometimes HPV causes small, often “cauliflower-like,” genital warts, but most women never develop any visible symptoms. HPV is a major risk factor for cervical cancer. There are many different strains, some low risk and others very dangerous in terms of cancer risk.
You can read more about HPV via the links at the bottom of this post, and you can also get the scoop on HPV testing here.
The point I want to make today is that most mainstream health resources say no treatment is available for HPV. If you have a wart, you can get it removed, but otherwise you just have to hope the infection will go away on its own, as it sometimes does. That seems to me like a problematically laissez-faire approach when it comes to a virus that can cause life-threatening cancer.
Apparently, many naturopaths agree with me and have developed alternative treatments. My doctor says she’s had great success treating HPV infections with herbal vaginal suppositories, high doses of folic acid, anti-viral herbs, and other natural remedies. She credits Tori Hudson and Molly Linton as two experts from whom she’s learned effective techniques.
As I make very clear in my FAQ and will continue to remind readers of this blog, I’m not an expert on anything. This is by no means medical advice. I just think it’s important for women to know about natural healthcare options. To find a naturopathic physician in your area, try this resource.
For more information about HPV
Scarleteen, a sex education website that’s been telling it straight since 1998, offers a great overview on HPV and details about the new vaccine. They’re also conducting a fundraising campaign right now, so if you have some cash you’d like to throw in the faces of the shame-shoveling abstinence-only crowd, please donate here.
ooh, oh the joys of cryosurgery on your nether bits–feels like your entire body is trying to compress into the size of a dime. The day the girlie turns 9, I’m taking that arm of hers to get stuck. Having sex shouldn’t give you cancer. Why doesn’t the ab only crowd simply line those people who have pre mar sex or sex without the “every sperm sacred” and shoot them in the head. After all they think dooming them to AIDS, STDs, cancer, and unplanned for pregnancy is JUST NOT PUNISHMENT ENOUGH.