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November 7, 2006

Ruling the Virus

A student shares her story of living with HPV and her plan to help others

Story by: Alyssa Fry

The Shorthorn staff

Three out of four women have it.

This is what one interdisciplinary studies senior thinks of when she feels like the only person with human papillomavirus. She also uses this statistic to remind herself of the need to talk about HPV with anyone who will listen, but she wishes to remain anonymous out of fear of being judged. She prefers to tell her story on her own terms.

“When you do open up, people feel they can open up, too,” she said. “My mom still doesn’t understand why I’ll tell people, but the more people don’t talk about it, the less they’ll understand.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, genital human papillomavirus is the most common sexually transmitted disease in the U.S. — about 20 million are infected. Most cases don’t show symptoms, and clear up on their own, but some of the most common strains cause genital warts, and others can cause cervical cancer. Pap smears are used to detect the virus in women, but there is no test for men.

A vaccine for women protects against the four most common types and has been recently released. Supplies are now at the health center but aren’t being given out yet. The period of effectiveness is not definitively known, but Gardasil is expected to be long-lasting.

The 21-year-old discovered she had the virus after a routine pap smear came back abnormal, a term usually ascribed when HPV is found. After a closer examination, called a colposcopy, she was diagnosed with cervical dysplasia, or abnormal cells on the surface of the cervix, which can lead to cervical cancer. She must now get pap smears every three months instead of the normal annual checkup to ensure cancerous cells are not developing.

HPV is transmitted by skin contact, so condoms are no safeguard against it. Also, carriers might not show signs for months, which increases the chances of passing it along.

“My boyfriend and I were together for two years, and I found out a year into the relationship,” she said. “He was supportive at first, but I think he was in denial about giving it to me.”

After he ended the relationship, she felt dirty and promiscuous for having an STD.

“I went through that feeling of whether I’d ever find someone who will love me, but I’m so secure with myself now,” she said.

Unconditional support from family, friends and her gynecologist has helped her remain positive after three biopsies, two cervical freezes and one LEEP procedure where parts of the cervix are removed by an electrode. From day one, she said, she has been reassured she will be fine.

“My 17-year-old sister sends me text messages before I go in for my paps just to wish me luck,” she said.

She has just received the first of three doses of the vaccination to protect against the other strains, and her sister is getting it soon.

“It’s imperative that everybody get this shot,” she said. “I was the first one in my doctor’s office to get it.”

The health center can begin administering the vaccine once the screening form is finalized, said Angelina Rodriguez, former registered nurse at the health center. Recipients must sign the form before getting the shot.

“Because it’s a new vaccination, there’s not a lot of literature on it, so there has to be judgment on our part,” she said. “This is why we’re requiring women to take a pregnancy test before every single dose we give. It’s not recommended pregnant women take it, but it’s not proven to be harmful.”

Rodriguez said that since talk of the vaccine’s availability on campus began this summer, she has received about four calls from students who want it. Fliers will soon be distributed on campus to inform students, she said.

Greg Bateson, substance abuse prevention and health education coordinator at the health center, said the shot most likely won’t be given on campus in the next 10 years because the target age is between 11 and 12 years old.

“What you want to do is get them vaccinated before they become sexually active,” he said.

Many factors contribute to students not wanting to get the shot, Bateson said. Because it’s so new on the market, many might feel it’s not completely safe yet. It’s also expensive, and three doses are required.

At $140 per dose, Batson encourages students to use their health insurance outside the school if they have any.

The anonymous student said her insurance covered the shot, and she has marked her calendar for the next one.

“I’m scared for myself, not for the next guy,” she said. “There are so many strains that I don’t want to get another strain.”

Feeling she must qualify her story with an explanation that she’s not promiscuous is one way she knows there are stigmas and misconceptions about HPV.

“I hate the term STD. I’m not diseased. I have an infection that my body cannot fight off,” she said. “And I’m at a point now where I rule the virus. It no longer runs my life.”

To quell fears students might have, she plans to start a campus HPV support group to inform participants of the virus. The more she talks about it, the more she finds just how little most people know.

She would like some of the women to become close enough to go to doctor’s appointments with each other and said having that support system would be good for them.

“That’s one thing I want to give people is support through each phase, from the initial ‘I feel so dirty’ part,” she said. “I just want them to have someone to talk to.”