Gardasil Shot after exposed to HPV?

Question

My boyfriend just found out he has had hpv for about two years now, we have been having unprotected sex for about a year. How easily is hpv contracted? Will i get the exact type he has?
What does this mean about sex in the future??

Answer 1

Information about HPV

http://www.cdc.gov/std/HPV/STDFact-HPV.htm

Genital HPV infection is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) that is caused by human papillomavirus (HPV). Human papillomavirus is the name of a group of viruses that includes more than 100 different strains or types. More than 30 of these viruses are sexually transmitted, and they can infect the genital area of men and women including the skin of the penis, vulva (area outside the vagina), or anus, and the linings of the vagina, cervix, or rectum. Most people who become infected with HPV will not have any symptoms and will clear the infection on their own.

Some of these viruses are called "high-risk" types, and may cause abnormal Pap tests. They may also lead to cancer of the cervix, vulva, vagina, anus, or penis. Others are called "low-risk" types, and they may cause mild Pap test abnormalities or genital warts. Genital warts are single or multiple growths or bumps that appear in the genital area, and sometimes are cauliflower shaped.

Some information about cervical cancer.

Source -
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/conten...

"The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2007, about 11,150 cases of invasive cervical cancer will be diagnosed in the United States."

"About 3,670 women will die from cervical cancer in the United States during 2007. Cervical cancer was once one of the most common causes of cancer death for American women. The cervical cancer death rate declined by 74% between 1955 and 1992."

"The death rate from cervical cancer continues to decline by nearly 4% a year."

"Cervical cancer tends to occur in midlife. Half of women diagnosed with this cancer are between the ages of 35 and 55. It rarely occurs in women younger than 20.[...] Slightly over 20% of women with cervical cancer are diagnosed when they are over 65."

Source Gardasil.com
"GARDASIL may not fully protect everyone and does not prevent all types of cervical cancer"

"Allergic reactions that may include difficulty breathing, wheezing (bronchospasm), hives, and rash have
been reported. Some of these reactions have been severe.

Additional side effects reported include swollen glands (neck, armpit, or groin), Guillain-Barré syndrome, and headache."

Ingredients
"[Human Papillomavirus Quadrivalent (Types 6, 11, 16, and 18) [...]
It also contains amorphous aluminum hydroxyphosphate sulfate, sodium chloride, L-histidine, polysorbate
80, sodium borate, and water for injection"

"HPV Types 16,18, 6, 11 "

Source -
http://health.rutgers.edu/hpv/
There are over 100 types of HPV, 30 are found to affect the genital region, remember Gardasil protects from 4 types.

NOW
Out of those first numbers.. 3000-4000 women are expected to die in the US from cervical cancer, think about this compared to the US population. It is highly improbable.

Also Gardasil is recommended for use in 9-26yr old,
America Cancer Society statistics show cervical cancer to be common around age 35-55. Yes you could possible contract a strain of cancer causing HPV before 26,.. but what about 26 to say age 50?

And the vaccine has only been tested on a limited group, and since the original test, it has only been 4 yrs, no long time affects are yet known.

Answer 2

Dear Hobanam. At this point in your sexual relationship with this person it's like 100% likely that your immune system has had the opportunity to recognize all the viruses that he has been carrying active in his body. The next question is monogomy? Have both of you two had intimate contact with only yourselves? If the answer is yes then the viral pool selection has been limited. If, however, your friend decides tomorrow to have unprotected sex with some other person then that selection pool that you both shared has been potentially added to by all the other people who have come in contact with your sexual partner.

All right. The next issue is what kind of HPV are you worried about? There are sub-types that infect epidermal cells, mucus membrane cells and transitional squamous epithelial cells. The end result is that your body will react to the invading HPV in a general way, but there are variations here. The symptoms of infection can run from no apparent adverse effects, to visible warts, to death from oral or cervical cancer.

Yes, you absolutely should have the Gardasil shot because it is specific for the sub-type of HPV that can kill you.

Have a safe journey...get the shot!

Answer 3

Gardasil actually doesn't reduce the chance of getting HPV very much. It protects aginst 4 strains, and there are like 30 strains that typically affect the genitals. But the 4 strains it protects against cause 70% of cervical cancer and 90% of genital warts. Gardasil is 100% effective against those 4 strains, so the chance you will have HPV issues is drastically reduced.

Answer 4

You both need to be treated. HPV is easily contracted -- many sexually active people have it. You also need to get regular pap smears in the future. You will get the type he has. The shot may be useful if you didn't get the type that it protects, because it protects the worst types. You can have sex in the future if you follow the doctor's advice, but you need to both get cured so you stop passing it back and forth.