Lemondrop

I remember looking at my gynecologic oncologist and saying, "Humanpapillomawhat?"

"HPV," she replied. "The human papillomavirus."

I was 31 years old, in the hospital, and recovering from the radical hysterectomy she had just performed on me. I had never heard of HPV until that moment.

Two weeks earlier, on April 18, 2000, I was told I had invasive cervical cancer and needed my bits and pieces out -- immediately. Through the shock, disbelief, terror and tears I remember thinking, Am I going to die? Followed by, I am NEVER going to be able to have a baby.

I was a very healthy, happy, proactive young woman – I had always gone to my pap every year for 13 years and never had a problem of any kind. I didn't understand exactly what was going on under that white sheet while sitting in the stirrups and staring at the ceiling ... but I knew that I was doing what I was supposed to be doing by being there.

Unfortunately, regardless of my routine annual screening, the pap had failed to pick up the cellular changes that were happening on my hooch (my word for ladyparts, specifically the cervix) for years and years. And then, when my doc changed pap tests from regular to liquid, he saw the cancer colony in action and BAM! -- my life changed forever.

From the hysterectomy they determined that I had extensive lymphatic invasion and was going to need five weeks of daily pelvic radiation, along with four rounds of chemotherapy, and then three rounds of internal radiation.

It was during this time that I started to ask questions -- out loud -- to people who could answer. So, when I looked at my gyn/onc and asked, "What caused my cancer?" and she replied, "Human papillomavirus," I had no idea what she was talking about.

When she first explained that HPV was a sexually transmitted skin-to-skin contact virus, I remember squirming in my hospital bed and thinking, eeeew – not me.

I NEVER had an STD, and I've been married and monogamous for 10 years. Did this mean he had done something, or does it mean I sat on a toilet seat or, or, or ...?

I fired questions at her, and she did a great job of helping me understand this virtually ubiquitous virus -- and how we ALL need to come to terms with it. I lost a lot because of HPV, but you don't have to. Here's what I've learned since:

HPV Is Everywhere
We pretty much all get HPV -- 80 percent of women will be exposed to it by the time we are 50. Because it is so common and lives on the surface of the skin, being intimate in ANY way can expose you to it. That means even without actual intercourse. It also means even with a condom (because it can live anywhere on or around his member), and, guy to girl to girl to guy to guy -- it is all the same. It is part of people connecting with people, and therefore as you choose to be intimate, you must know that you will be exposing yourself to HPV. It is not the end of the world. It is just a fact.

Having HPV does not mean you will get cervical cancer. In fact, for most people it is a transient virus and your body's natural immune system will kick it out within a few years, no problem. If you do have it, it just means that you need to be monitored more closely, so that if the cells do start to change, you get them removed -- cryosurgery, LEEP and cone biopsy are some examples of minor surgical procedures that still allow you to keep your baby-makin' pieces ... instead of the dramatic removal of your uterus, etc., by way of a hysterectomy.

The other thing I learned is that there are different kinds of HPV. Some lead to cancer (those strands are invisible); some give you warts (you will see those ... but they will not give you cancer). I also learned that you can be exposed to the virus at 20, and then it can lay dormant for years and years and then pop out when your immune system is low or changes ... which means it is not about the blame game with your current partner. Again, as a mature person choosing to be intimate, you must assume that you will be exposed to HPV, and therefore it is up to you to choose how you deal with it.

So, What DO You Do About It?
The cool thing about HPV is that we know it exists and we know what it does and we can test for its presence... and therefore you never need to let HPV get too far. It's only when it is an untreated, persistent infection (for many years) that bad things happen, like in my case.

It is for this very reason that I decided to take my story and share what I've learned about preventing cervical cancer through The Yellow Umbrella, an organization which fights the spread of HPV. If a liquid pap had existed when I went in for my test, they might have caught my cancer. Now there is a new HPV test for women who are 30 or older that is done with the liquid pap and lets you know whether or not you have the virus.

And, of course, the HPV vaccine has created a whole new awareness and offers a tremendous opportunity to protect girls and young women between the ages of 9 to 26 from 70 percent of the cancer-causing strains of HPV, which is incredible. I only wish these advances and technologies had been there for me, which is why, bottom line, I want women to know the things they can do to prevent cervical cancer.

Three Steps to Preventing HPV:
Go to Your Pap: by 21 and do NOT blow it off
Get the HPV Vaccine: if you are between 9 and 26 years old
Know your Status: get an HPV Test with your PAP if you are 30 and up


Christine Baze is the founder of The Yellow Umbrella, a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating women about HPV prevention.