Anonymous Post - Questions about HPV

[free-me07.livejournal.com]

Hello VPers!

As you probably know, from time to time the VP Team makes posts on behalf of people who wish to remain anonymous or who do not have LJ accounts. This is one such post. Thanks in advance for your helpful comments!

P.S. For more info on anonymous posts, see this link.

Lissie
For the VP Team
contact_vp

*********************

My gyno tells me I have been "exposed" to two strains of HPV. One is the genital warts kind, the other is the cervical cancer type. My pap was normal, however I am considered at high risk for contracting either strand in the next 6 months. I have an appointment on July 18th to get my first gardasil vaccination, and we'll talk more then. Doc recommends i take folic acid, and avoid smoking to keep my immune system strong so i hopefully will not actually "get" HPV.

Has anyone had a similar experience? Did you test negative after the 6 month wait? What did your gyno recommend that you do to keep your immunity high?

Comments

[jennifer0246.livejournal.com]

I'm confused. You're at risk for contracting HPV (from a new partner?) in the next six months, or you're at risk for showing symptoms (i.e. physical genital warts or abnormal cervical cell growth? How does your GYN know you've been exposed?

Getting gardisil is a great step to protect yourself from future exposures to the virus, and folic acid (along with a good multivitamin) and doing other healthy things for your body is great at any time. I absolutely recommend that you quit smoking -- it's the single best thing you can do for your health.