October 28th, 2024

Prairie Doc Perspective Week of October 27th, 2024
“HPV causes cancer, and can be prevented”
By Andrew Ellsworth, MD


What do warts, pap smears, cervical cancer, head and neck cancer, and a vaccine all have in common?  Three letters: HPV


Human papillomavirus ( HPV) is a common virus that can cause growths on skin and mucous membranes. There are over one hundred different types of HPV, and while some cause common warts, others can cause cancer. 


HPV may be spread by skin to skin contact. The virus can enter your body through even the smallest tear in your skin. Warts caused by HPV can be contagious, either through direct contact with a wart or when someone touches something already touched by a wart. Genital or oral HPV infections can spread through sexual contact or through skin to skin contact in the genital region, anus, mouth, or back of the throat. 


Unfortunately it can be difficult to prevent HPV infections that cause common warts. It is helpful to avoid picking at a wart to avoid spreading it. Plantar warts located on the bottom of your feet can be prevented by wearing shoes or sandals in public pools and locker rooms. 


The treatment of common warts can be difficult as well. Some warts go away on their own, while others may grow despite attempts at treatment. No treatment is perfect. Persistence, however, is a key for success. Whether you treat a wart with an over-the-counter method such as salicylic acid, or go to the doctor to have it frozen, be prepared to treat the wart several times in consecutive months for full resolution.  


Genital warts can be prevented by abstinence, and limited by being in a mutually monogamous relationship, limiting your sexual partners, and using a condom, which can form a barrier for HPV and other sexually transmitted diseases. 


Thankfully, there is a vaccine which is very effective at decreasing the risk of cancers caused by HPV such as cervical cancer and some cancers in the mouth and back of the throat. It can also decrease the risk of genital warts and genital cancers. The HPV vaccine is recommended for girls and boys often at ages 11 or 12 and can be given as early as age 9 and up to age 45. It is most effective before exposure to HPV. The immune response is better at a younger age, so when given before age 15, only two shots are recommended in the series, while three shots are recommended if started after age 15.


For decades, women have undergone pap smears to help catch cervical cancer in the early stages for better detection and treatment. The HPV vaccine can prevent the underlying cause of cervical cancer, can decrease the need for pap smears, and has been effective in decreasing rates of cervical cancer. 


Once one of the most common causes of death for American women, cervical cancer death rates were cut in half starting in the mid 1970’s with better detection and screening from pap smears. Now, a recent study in Scotland detected ZERO cases of cervical cancer in women born between 1988-1996 who were fully vaccinated against HPV before age 14.  This highlights the effectiveness and benefit of the HPV vaccine.


Andrew Ellsworth, MD. is part of The Prairie Doc® team of physicians and currently practices Family Medicine at Avera Medical Group in Brookings, South Dakota. Follow The Prairie Doc® at www.prairiedoc.org, Facebook, Instagram, Youtube and Threads. Prairie Doc Programming includes On Call with the Prairie Doc®, a medical Q&A show (most Thursdays at 7pm on SDPB or streaming on Facebook), 2 podcasts, and a Radio program (on SDPB), providing health information based on science, built on trust.