HPV: Symptoms & Treatment in At Risk Men

Close up of an HPV Virus

(c) 2011, Written by Will Blesch and guest blogger, Kevin Busalla

One of the most common sexually transmitted diseases in the world is the Human Papillomavirus (HPV), affecting over 20 million men and women in America alone. It is most commonly passed on through genital contact from anal or vaginal sex, although in rare cases it can also be passed on via oral sex as well. Scientists have identified over 40 different types of HPV that can infect the genitals or mouth of individuals, and many are highly contagious. HPV often causes no visible symptoms and can be very difficult to detect in many people, which means that most people who have HPV don’t even know it.

In fact, the Center for Disease Control has estimated that 50% of all sexually active men and women will contract HPV at some point in their lives.

While HPV may be relatively harmless for the vast majority of those infected, a small minority can encounter serious health risks with this virus. The most common low-risk symptom associated with human papillomavirus is genital warts, which usually manifest as either raised, flat, or cauliflower-shaped growths in and around the genitals and anus. HPV can also greatly increase the risk of cancer, especially among women, as it is now believed that nearly every instance of cervical cancer can be traced to a high-risk HPV infection. With nearly a quarter of a million women dying from cervical cancer worldwide each year, HPV represents one of greatest female health risks that exist today.

Unfortunately, this disproportion in risk between women and men means that most of the effort in education and treatment of HPV is directed towards females. Owing to the fact that most men with HPV will manifest no symptoms and experience no adverse effects, many men ignore the danger of this virus and view it as a “female problem.”

This cannot be further from the truth!

While, admittedly, men are at a much lower risk for contracting cancer or genital warts from an HPV infection, the danger still exists and, in fact, is often made greater by male indifference to prevention and treatment. A high-risk HPV infection has the ability to cause penile and anal cancer in men, and will not show any symptoms as a warning beforehand. Additionally, a man with HPV who manifests no symptoms can still act as a carrier and infect female sexual partners, putting them at risk for cervical cancer.

As of today, there is no FDA-approved test to detect HPV in men. This means that, in the absence of obvious symptoms such as genital warts, there is no sure way to tell if a man is currently infected with HPV. There is also no known treatment for the virus; one can only treat the symptoms that result from the disease.

Fortunately, the most common adverse effect of HPV in males is genital warts, and these can be treated in a number of ways. Traditional medicine often uses such techniques as cauterization, in which the warts are burned off, and cryosurgery, in which they are frozen and removed. These procedures, however, can be very painful, invasive, and oftentimes are not completely effective, as the warts can eventually grow back.

Many men who experience genital warts from HPV turn to alternative treatments such as holistic medicine and herbal therapy, as these can offer safer, more consistent solutions. Herbal remedies such as Thuja plicata or Thuja occidentalis, also known as Western Red Cedar, have been shown to cure genital warts by stimulating CD4 T-cells, which are known to attack virus-infested cells. Other treatments such as detoxification regimens and dietary changes are also used to flush out toxins and strengthen the immune system to allow the body to fight the virus-infected genital warts on its own.

There are also antiviral supplements on the market. I would recommend taking a look at: www.forsafersex.com which markets Gene-Eden For safer Sex.

Be the first in your friends to like it

Gene-Eden for Safer Sex

Promote Your Page Too

---