Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are a category of infectious diseases passed from person to person during sex. They include viruses like herpes, HIV, and hepatitis, as well as bacteria such as chlamydia.
While there is still a stigma around STIs, it is important to understand them – particularly in non-monogamous communities like the swinging lifestyle. We all want to protect ourselves. This is why education and regular STI testing are part of the swinger culture.
If you’ve found this page because you’ve been diagnosed with HPV – don’t panic. You should consult with your own medical doctor so you can be prescribed the best treatment for your own personal situation. If you feel a bit embarrassed about the subject, remember that almost everyone has at least one STI over their lifetime, and if caught early, they are much easier to be treated and cured. Contracting an STI does not mean there is anything wrong with your hygiene but that you might not be using sufficient safe-sex practices.
Understanding Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
One of the most common STIs is a family of viruses known as the human papillomavirus – also known as ‘HPV’ (not to be confused with HIV – human immunodeficiency virus, or HSV – herpes simplex virus). HIV is not very common but very serious. Herpes in swinging is a more common concern similar to HPV.
HSV is thought to be as widespread as the common cold, and an estimated 80 million people in the US alone are infected. It has one of the higher STD rates in the swinging world. There are more than 150 different strains of HPV, but the ones that cause the most concern are known as ‘high-risk HPV.’
Only a few strains of HPV are identified as high risk and are associated with health problems such as genital warts and cancer. The vast majority of strains, however, are symptomless and do not cause any serious disease.
Symptoms of HPV
Because HPV is almost always symptomless, it spreads quickly as people unwittingly pass it from partner to partner. Even without symptoms, the virus is still infectious. If symptoms do occur, they can be relatively unspecific and mild. It will require a visit to your medical doctor to confirm a diagnosis. The symptoms tend to be genital warts. The warts will appear weeks or months after contact with a partner who is carrying the virus and will look like small bumps around the genital area. Two types of HPV (type 6 and type 11) are responsible for most cases of genital warts. They don’t lead to cancer or any other serious health problem and are classified as a symptom of low-risk HPV.
Transmitting HPV
HPV isn’t exclusively sexually transmitted. While using physical protective barriers (such as condoms and dental dams) can reduce the risk, any genital skin to skin contact can be enough for the virus to infect a new host. The virus needs direct skin to skin contact to be transmitted. Therefore, HPV can not spread through blood or body fluids (unlike STIs like HIV), and you cannot contract it from toilet seats, sharing food utensils, or swimming in pools.
Cancer Risk
HPV is linked to an increase in the risk of certain cancers, including cancers of the cervix, vagina, vulva, penis, and anus, and parts of the mouth and throat. At least 12 types of HPV have been identified as being linked to cancer, known as high-risk HPV. HPV type 16 and 18 lead to the majority of HPV related cancer cases. High-risk HPV can cause mutations to occur in normal cells, and the abnormal cells can lead to cancer development over time.
Vaccine for HPV
Vaccination can lower the risk of men and women contracting HPV. Currently, three vaccines have been approved in the US to protect against the virus, and they are effective against the strains that cause health problems.
The vaccines work best before someone has become infected. So it is recommended by the Centres for Disease Control (CDC) that all children aged 11 and 12 should get the vaccine, so they are protected before becoming sexually active. The CDC has recommended that adults up to the age of 45 be vaccinated for HPV, so there is a good chance your insurance company will cover your vaccination cost.
Diagnosing HPV
A diagnostic test for HPV exists for women. The best way for women to protect themselves and their partners is to have regular screenings and pap smears (which detect any potentially cancerous cells in the cervix). However, there is currently no HPV test for men, though anal screening can be offered for men who have sex with other men as this is considered a more high-risk activity in terms of contracting HPV.
Treatment Options
The immune system is usually very competent at removing HPV from the body, and treatment is rarely needed (unlike other STIs requiring courses of antibiotics or antivirals). Research suggests that approximately 50 percent of people with HPV will clear the virus within eight months, and a further 90 percent will find themselves HPV negative within two years. Usually, it hasn’t caused any harm during this time. However, if your immune system is unable to fight off the virus, then the HPV may persist for longer, leading to complications.
If you have been diagnosed with HPV, make sure you return to the doctors every few months to check if it has been cleared and closely follow your own personal doctor’s directions.
Swinger Prevention
The first step in HPV prevention is to be vaccinated against high-risk strains. Condoms and/or dental dams can lower the risk but not remove it since it can be transmitted from skin contact (e.g., thigh to thigh).
For more information, please check out these HPV resources:
https://www.cdc.gov/std/hpv/stdfact-hpv.htm
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/human-papillomavirus-(hpv)-and-cervical-cancer
https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/stds-hiv-safer-sex/hpv
Remember you are special & unique, so you should always consult your own medical doctor to address your personal health situation 🙂