WARNING: THERE’S A NEW DEADLY DISEASE WORSE THAN HIV, CONDOMS CAN'T STOP IT!

HEALTH TIPS

The Condom Misconception

But condoms have one huge failing that often goes overlooked: they can’t fully protect against the Human papillomavirus, better known as HPV. It doesn’t sound pretty, it doesn’t look pretty, and especially for women, HPV is a silent killer that can lie dormant for years unnoticed before it strikes.

The HPV Nightmare

HPV is the most commonly transmitted STI in the United States. It’s actually a catch-all category for nearly 150 strains of similar viruses, many of which cause nasty looking warts.

A Prolific Virus

HPV is so common, almost all sexually active men and women contract it at some point in their lives. The virus is spread by intimate skin-to-skin contact, meaning that anywhere two bodies touch, HPV can be spread—which makes condoms only somewhat effective in preventing it.

Contracting the Virus

HPV can be passed from person to person, even when the infected individual has no signs or symptoms of the virus. It can take years for any symptoms to show up after being infected with HPV, and some people never experience any symptoms at all.

Ties to Cancer

HPV is none too pretty to look at, but for women especially, the virus can prove deadly. It’s closely tied with cervical cancer, which is a leading killer of women. Two types of the virus, HPV types 16 and 18, account for nearly 70% of all cervical cancer cases.

Danger to Women

Women are also at a much higher risk of contracting the virus than men. Male-to-female transmission has a 5% higher rate of occurrence than female-to-male transmission.