While condoms certainly aren't foolproof at preventing HPV transmission -- and while I don't believe there are exact stats on HSV transmission -- using condoms does reduce the rate of transmission by 70%.
I'm aware, though one suspects that the placement of the lesions is a significant factor. However, the rate of transmission for other agents such as HIV or Hepatitis is much lower than 70% with condom usage, since it's fluid not skin-based transmission.
As for the strains... well, technically there probably are sub-strains, or whatever you'd like to call them, variations within the pool of viruses that present similar symptoms. There are a lot of different strains of HPV, over a hundred,
http://health.rutgers.edu/hpv/
with a few strongly associated with abnormal cervical cells. It seems likely that some strains would be more associated with nasty visible outbreaks as well.
More than one type for genital herpes as well. (http://bodyandhealth.canada.com/channel_section_details.asp?text_id=1370&channel_id=1020&relation_id=10877)
There are many sub strains of HIV as well. http://www.avert.org/hivtypes.htm
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2008-01-14 06:57 am (UTC)While condoms certainly aren't foolproof at preventing HPV transmission -- and while I don't believe there are exact stats on HSV transmission -- using condoms does reduce the rate of transmission by 70%.
I'm aware, though one suspects that the placement of the lesions is a significant factor. However, the rate of transmission for other agents such as HIV or Hepatitis is much lower than 70% with condom usage, since it's fluid not skin-based transmission.
As for the strains... well, technically there probably are sub-strains, or whatever you'd like to call them, variations within the pool of viruses that present similar symptoms. There are a lot of different strains of HPV, over a hundred,
http://health.rutgers.edu/hpv/
with a few strongly associated with abnormal cervical cells. It seems likely that some strains would be more associated with nasty visible outbreaks as well.
More than one type for genital herpes as well. (http://bodyandhealth.canada.com/channel_section_details.asp?text_id=1370&channel_id=1020&relation_id=10877)
There are many sub strains of HIV as well.
http://www.avert.org/hivtypes.htm