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My lesbian partner had the human papillomavirus (HPV) which developed into cervical cancer. Should I be checked out even if I had the shot? #1216/9

Would you like to... Print this page Email this page Post a comment Subscribe me Add to favorites Remove Highlighting Edit this Question I am a lesbian and my current girlfriend has human papillomavirus (HPV), which eventually turned into cirvical caner. Her cancer has been treated for about a year now. My question is: it at all possiable for me to get HPV during sexual acts? If so, what are my chances of this happening? Should I go see the doctor and be checked out? I have had the HPV shot. Does that bring my risk down?   Your having had the HPV vaccine, Gardisil, I assume, definitely does lower your risk of becoming infected with one of the serotypes of HPV that causes cervical cancer.  I cannot say just what that lowered risk is, but it is going to be important for you to get periodic checks any way and this will prevent any early cancer, should it develop, from progressing. There are less common variants of HPV that you are NOT protected against, so you and your partner still want to use the usual safer sex guidelines recommended for lesbian couples.  And should you have sex with a man, you should use a condom. Fortunately, it takes a long while for HPV infection to lead to cervical cancer.  You should be followed with Pap smears but it is not an emergency suggesting that you need an exam immediately.  If early cancer is detected, it can then be treated.   Gardasil is the only cervical cancer vaccine that helps protect against 4 types of HPV, including 2 types (16 and 18) that cause 70% of cervical cancer cases and 2 more types (6 and 11) that cause 90% of genital warts cases.   There are more than 30 genital HPV types and about 6 million new cases of genital HPV in the United States each year.  HPV types 6, 11, 16 and 18 cause the most HPV-related diseases.   GARDASIL may not fully protect everyone and does not prevent all types of cervical cancer, so it’s important to continue routine cervical cancer screenings.  GARDASIL does not treat cervical cancer or genital warts.     Key Words:  lesbian, human papillomavirus (HPV), cervical cancer, treated, sexual acts, shot, risk, Gardisil vaccine, infected, serotypes, periodic checks, common variants, safe sex guidelines, genital warts

Robert A. Hatcher MD, MPH Professor of Gynecology and Obstetrics Emory University School of Medicine Atlanta, GA ---2009-12-23

A Pocket Guide to Managing Contraception ISBN 978-0-9794395-0-6 #8005

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