Alexa Ray Joel is DEAD Wrong About HPV: Editorial

Wearing a condom does not prevent transmission

There are more than one hundred strains of HPV. It is an infection. It comes from skin to skin contact. Wearing a condom (male or female condom). There are various strains of this disease - over 100. At least five of the strains cause genital warts to appear in both men and women. There are two strains that cause skin lesions which can lead to skin cancer (in both men and women) they appear on the hands and feet but could appear on other parts of the body.
Other strains of HPV about 11 of them - result in carcinomas - and if left untreated can lead to cancer in areas like the vagina, penis, anus, mouth, throat, and cervix. This is in addition to the two strains that most people hear about that can lead to cervical cancer. Getting regular pap smears is very important.
As for how many people have it, stats vary. Upwards of 80 percent (qualified by the words sexually active - but frankly why the qualifier when it is an infection that can be spread via skin contact - that would mean anyone is susceptible to at least one strain) of people in the U.S. and 90 percent in Europe are said to have experienced one or more strains of HPV over their lifetime.
Doctors will tell you that in general terms, (making sure to monitor any suspicious cells etc. - keep in contact with a health care professional) HPV, like the flu will clear itself up within a two year window. Also HPV is a virus that can remain dormant. You can catch a strain and it will not appear on tests or anything else for years and then suddenly, there it is.
One other point, if you catch one of the strains, you are not immune from catching any of the others. Same goes for the vaccinations - they only cover certain types of the HPV strains.

I take offense with her statement that it is "no big deal". No one is saying that women should be quivering in the corner with constant thoughts of developing precancerous or cancerous lesions from HPV but unfortunately far too many women don't even know what HPV is. She may have been talking about the low risk genital warts and not the high risk strains responsible for cancer and for that I would tend to agree with her. While disturbing it isn't that big a deal. High risk HPV is another story. I'm glad you do what is necessary to ensure your future health but for those unfamiliar with HPV and hearing about HPV perhaps for the first time via this interview they will be given the totally wrong impression. I don't consider trying to educate women scare mongering. HPV and HIV were both discovered in the same year 1983 and virtually everyone has heard of HIV. In research study after study it has been shown how few women have heard of HPV let alone understand that it is NOT JUST CERVICAL CANCER which they are at risk for. And, as I have written about in my book, Any Mother's Daughter, many doctors aren't all that up on the issue either so it makes it even more important that women know this information for themselves. I have seen so many women overtreated in direct contradiction to the treatment guidelines because of a doctor's lack of guideline application it's sickening and many have lost their fertility permanently through hysterectomies. I've lived with it for 25 years and certainly despite my cancers and repeated infections and required treatment still do not live in some constant state of fear over it so I would agree with you there.

I think there is alot of scare mongering about HV. I am HPV positive the cancer kind - I have no symptoms and intend to contiune getting regular paps and do what my doctor deems right. I am not going to worry myslef sick every day about this thing. So you see for me I will ot allow it to consume my every thought. God knows I could get hit by a bus tomorrow. So I think Alexis has the right idea. That's just my opionion & how I chooseto live with HPV. If you keep an eye on it & get regualr tests/paps /coloscopies whatever you need your chances of getting cancer are slim.

She wasn't misquoted it is all in how people choose to take what she said and besides the issue isn't about her boyfriend anyway.

Of course opening up a diaglogue is important but not if you are going to spread inaccurate information and misinform potentially hundreds of thousands of others. Why would I take her to task for being courageous? It was something not many others would do and I specifically mentioned that in my article that she is someone of celebrity status we've been waiting for.

But speaking out on an issue also involves responsibility and accountability when it comes to imparting information and that information needs to be factual. I gave her the benefit of the doubt and asked that she correct these erroneous comments regarding HPV. She does have a HUGE opportunity to do something no other celebrity or politician or office of government has done - inform the American people about a virus which can result in six different cancers (most people continue to think it is only cervical) and while she did mention the vaccine in the interview that portion of the conversation was cut off by another question.

I hope this makes its way to her and that she realizes the role she could play is saving so many people's lives instead of comments that it is "no big deal". Perhaps it wasn't for her (this time). Perhaps she will encounter HPV again since at best it can only go dormant and can recur in the future (hopefully not). Whatever the case, understanding that for others this virus has destroyed their lives and in other cases left them dead is a lot different than "no big deal".

I think Alexa IS very brave to discuss this extremely common problem and I believe she was misquoted regarding her boyfriend at the time, I took it to mean that many people get the virus, not that many people get it from her ex. I think this writer has missed an opportunity her to move the issue forward with Alexa's help by instead taking her to task for her courage and for opening up a needed dialogue.