HPV Infection Is Common in U.S. Women
CDC Study: More Than 1 in 4 U.S. Women Aged 14-59 Has HPV Infection
By Miranda Hitti
WebMD Medical NewsReviewed by Louise Chang, MDFeb. 27, 2007 -- Human papillomavirus is common among U.S. women, especially those in their early 20s, says the CDC.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is America's most common sexually transmitted infection. HPV infection typically clears within two years, and most infected people don't realize they have the virus.

However, some strains of HPV can cause cervical, anal, and other genital cancers, note the CDC's Eileen Dunne, MD, MPH, and colleagues.

Dunne's team calculated the total number of U.S. women aged 14-59 with HPV infection from 2003 to 2004.

More than one in four U.S. women in that age range -- nearly 27% -- had HPV infection.

That equals nearly 25 million U.S. women, according to the CDC.

About 3 million had any of the four HPV strains targeted by Gardasil, a vaccine designed to prevent cervical cancer and genital warts, the CDC estimates.

HPV Infection in Young Women
HPV infection was most common among women aged 20-24. Nearly half of the women in that age group (49%) had HPV infection.

A third of women aged 14-24 had HPV infection. That's nearly 7.5 million -- far more than previous estimates that 4.6 million women in that age range had HPV.

Older women were less likely to have HPV infection, the study shows.

Data came from 1,921 women who submitted self-collected vaginal swabs for a national health study conducted from 2003 to 2004.

The findings appear in The Journal of the American Medical Association.

Vaccine's Impact
The data was gathered before Gardasil became available.

Gardasil's debut may change HPV prevalence, note journal editorialists Susan Weller, PhD, and Lawrence Stanberry, MD, PhD, of the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston.

They recommend tracking HPV prevalence over time, in part, to see how Gardasil affects the number of women with HPV strains targeted by the vaccine.


Also from WebMD,
Sexual Health: Genital Herpes
Genital herpes is a highly contagious infection usually spread through intercourse with a person with infected sores, but it can be passed through oral or anal sex as well. It may also be spread even when sores are not visible.

Genital herpes can also be transmitted (spread) to a newborn during birth if the mother has an active infection.

What Causes Genital Herpes?
Usually, this infection is caused by the herpes simplex virus-2 (HSV-2) although herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1), the virus responsible for cold sores, may occasionally cause this disease. It can be spread by an infected partner who does not have any sores and may not even know they have the disease.

How Common Is Genital Herpes?
At least 45 million American adults and adolescents have genital herpes -- that's 1 out of every 4 to 5 people, making it one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases. Since the late 1970s, the number of Americans with genital herpes infection has increased 30%, mostly in teens and young adults.

Genital herpes is more common in women than in men.

How Do I Know If I Have Genital Herpes?
Most people infected with genital herpes have very minimal or no signs or symptoms of their disease. The first attack of herpes usually follows this course:

Skin on or near the sex organ becomes inflamed. Skin may burn, itch or be painful.
Blister-like sores appear on or near the sex organs.
Sores open, scab over, and then heal.
Symptoms that may also be present when the virus first appears include:

Swollen glands
Fever
Headache
Burning when passing urine
Muscle aches
The first outbreak of herpes can last for several weeks. After the outbreak, the virus retreats to the nervous system, where it remains inactive until something triggers it to become active again.

Typically, another outbreak can appear weeks or months after the first, but it almost always is less severe and shorter than the first episode. Although the infection can stay in the body indefinitely, the number of outbreaks tends to decrease over a period of years.

How Often Do Outbreaks Happen?
How often outbreaks occur depends on the person. On average, people with herpes experience about four outbreaks a year. The first outbreak usually is the most painful and takes the longest to heal. The pain and recovery time often decrease with each outbreak.

What Triggers an Outbreak?
It depends on the person. Some commonly reported triggers include:

Stress
Illness
Surgery
Vigorous sex
Diet
Monthly period
How Are Genital Herpes Diagnosed?
Your doctor can diagnose genital herpes by visual inspection if the outbreak is typical, and by taking a sample from the sore(s). But, HSV infections can be difficult to diagnose between outbreaks. Your doctor may check for ulcers internally -- on the cervix in women and the urethra in men. Blood tests that detect HSV-1 or HSV-2 infection may be helpful, although the results are not always easy to interpret.

How Is Genital Herpes Treated?
There is no cure for genital herpes, but your doctor can prescribe anti-virus medicines, in pill or ointment form, that may help the sores heal faster.

Over-the-counter painkillers may help with the discomfort.

If recurrences of your genital herpes are frequent, your doctor may prescribe an antiviral medication (Famvir, Valtrex and Zovirax) to take on a regular basis to help suppress the outbreaks.

How Does Genital Herpes Affect a Pregnant Woman and Her Baby?
Outbreaks of genital herpes during pregnancy have been associated with miscarriage, stillbirth, prematurity, and herpes infection causing severe brain injury and possible blindness in the baby. Still, women with herpes can give birth to healthy babies. If you have herpes and plan to have children, discuss your illness with your doctor.

How Can I Protect Myself From Herpes?
Do not have sex with someone who has an open sore on his or her sex organs.
Always use a latex condom during sex.
Limit your number of sex partners.
Taking antiviral medications (like Valtrex) can reduce the risk of a person with genital herpes from spreading the disease, but that doesn't eliminate the risk. Be sure to practice the measures listed above to decrease risk.


Can Herpes Be Cured?
There is no cure for herpes. Once a person has the virus, it remains in the body. The virus lies inactive in the nerve cells until something triggers it to become active again. These herpes "outbreaks," which can include the painful herpes sores, can be controlled with medication.

What Can I Do If I Have Herpes?
Many people who find out that they have herpes feel depressed knowing that they will always have the virus and can give it to others. But you are not alone. If you have herpes, you should learn all that you can about herpes. Information will help you to manage your disease and feel better about yourself. It also helps to talk about your illness with a trusted friend.

If you have herpes, you can still have sex, if you use a condom (and/or have your partner use a condom), and you tell your partner about your illness. You also can still have children.

For More Information
Contact the CDC National STD Hotline: 1 (800) CDC-INFO (232-4636)

National Herpes Hotline: 1 (919) 361-8488

Reviewed by the doctors at The Cleveland Clinic Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

You can make up statistic for either side very easily. There are still scientists pulling up data that says cigarettes MIGHT not cause all the stuff they've been stuck with. http://www.ashastd.org/learn/learn_stat ... gQodSxbAKQ

STDs are a lot more wide spread than you'd think. I really do tire of how much hate you guys have for women. It's different in other countries because women don't have as much rights. Men are a lot more frivolous than women.


EDIT - That's not to take away the validity of your article Ix. It's just that STDs are a lot more widespread in men and you should be mindful of that.