To many people, condoms mean safe sex. People think that as long as they are using them, they are not at risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases.
But with the human papilloma virus, also known as genital warts, it is a different story. According to experts, this disease can be transmitted even with faithful use of condoms and in ways other than sexual intercourse.
According to Student Health ServicesDirector Kevin Patrick, HPV is the most common STD at San Diego State University, and it produces the most visits.
Allison* was 21 when she was diagnosed with HPV after a pelvic exam. She said she was surprised because she had always used condoms when she had sex and she had slept with only three people.
“I explained all of that to my gynecologist,” she said, “and she told me it can be transmitted even with a condom.”
Allison said she was both depressed and mortified.
“This is something that I will have for the rest of my life,” she said. “It can reoccur at any time, and I can transmit it at any time. That’s not the kind of thing I want to tell a new boyfriend.”
After her diagnosis, Allison began a series of painful and discomforting treatments.
She said the worst part was she had believed it could never happen to her.
“I am the girl that everyone would least expect this from,” she said.
Allison has not informed any of her former partners of her condition. “Many people don’t care or realize the consequences of their actions,” she said. “Also, it is extremely hard to detect in men.”
According to medical experts, HPV is transmitted whenever there is intimate contact with a person who carries the virus.
Intimate contact does not necessarily mean sexual intercourse. It can include fondling, foreplay and petting, and the warts can be transmitted to the hands after touching the infected area.
Diagnoses of HPV in women are made either by cytology a Pap smear in which a sample of cells from the cervix is obtained for microscopic examination or by colposcopy magnification of the area and biopsy of the abnormal cells.
SHS stresses the importance of yearly pelvic exams for women. In many cases, early detection can prevent complications.
In men, wart-prone or suspicious areas are swabbed with an acetic acid solution to determine if the virus is present. The acetic acid, usually a type of vinegar, turns the warts white and makes them more visible to the naked eye.
It can take anywhere from one month to several years for infected persons to show symptoms. During this time, they can still transmit the virus.
When they are visible, the warts appear as fleshy growths on the skin. They can appear on the vulva, vagina, cervix and anus in women, and on the penis and pubis in men.
They are generally painless, but in some cases, infected persons may experience burning or itching during urination.
Treatment of HPV can include any number of removal methods. The most common methods are cryosurgery freezing the warts with liquid nitrogen and podophyllin, a liquid application to the warts that is effective for mild to moderate outbreaks.
There is no known cure for HPV.
If the virus is not treated, it can lead to complications such as cervical cancer in women and penile cancer in men.
Condoms offer some protection against HPV, but they are not preventative.
According to an SHS brochure, because condoms only cover the head and shaft of the penis, they are not 100-percent effective.
If warts are present in other areas, or if warts on the female genitalia touch those other areas, the warts can and most likely will be transmitted. Abstinence is the only true method of preventing transmission of the virus. Gynecologists say that a good precautionary measure is to know your sexual partners and to know the risks.
Many of the treatments for HPV are available at SHS.
For more information about prevention of this and other sexually transmitted diseases, contact SHS at 594-5281.
If you have contracted an STD, please call Julie at 594-7782, or e-mail her at thomasj@rohan.sdsu.edu. Names will be withheld upon request.
*Names have been changed upon request.
