The silent threat of HPV and how to protect yourself
Medical experts emphasize that HPV can persist for years without symptoms, making regular screening essential for both men and women. The virus is a primary cause of several types of cancer.
Why it matters
Public health awareness regarding HPV is critical for early detection and prevention of associated cancers.
Vaccination can help protect against certain high-risk HPV types. (Envato Elements pic)
PETALING JAYA: Seven years had passed since one woman last had sexual contact. For another, it had been 10.
Yet, both tested positive for human papillomavirus (HPV).
According to consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Arlies Chua, HPV may persist without symptoms or become detectable again years after the initial exposure. A positive HPV result, therefore, does not indicate when the infection was acquired or from whom.
“Without screening, you may never know you contracted it,” Chua, 37, told FMT Lifestyle.
HPV is primarily transmitted through intimate skin-to-skin contact during sexual activity, with its types classified as low-risk or high-risk.
This means anyone who has had intimate sexual contact can acquire HPV, even if they have had only one partner. The likelihood increases with a greater number of partners or exposure to a partner who has had previous partners.
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