WEBVTT

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At some point,

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most sexually active people will be 
infected with human papillomavirus,

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or ‘HPV.’

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There are over 100 types of HPV,

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and most of the time the body 
eliminates infections without symptoms–

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but some strains can pose serious 
health risks down the line.

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HPV causes contact infections,

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which means the virus stays in the cells
near the point of infection

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rather than spreading throughout
the whole body.

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Since HPV is often transmitted through 
sexual activity,

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this usually means the cells of the 
vagina, vulva, penis, anus,

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mouth and throat.

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We can test for HPV in cells from 
these areas,

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but while testing for the virus 
is scientifically possible,

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it isn’t common.

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The main reason is that,

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while there are treatments for the 
adverse health effects caused by HPV,

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there’s no treatment for the virus itself.

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So testing for HPV would yield many, 
many positives,

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and although most of them won’t 
be cause for concern,

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there is still no treatment plan for 
clearing the body of the virus.

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But there are other good ways to 
protect yourself from HPV.

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We’re going to walk through how 
HPV can cause harm,

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who’s at risk, and how to 
minimize those risks.

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The body’s immune system is able to
eradicate most strains of HPV

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before they cause any harm—

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and without people even knowing 
they’ve been infected.

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Certain other strains–

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like HPV 6 and 11–

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cause abnormalities in the cells of the 
infected tissue,

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which can develop into genital warts.

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While these are infectious 
and require treatment,

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usually with topical creams,

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wart-causing strains don’t create 
longer-term damage.

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But another 13 strains can cause DNA
mutations that cause cells to divide

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at a much faster pace than normal,

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propelling the development of 
cancerous growths.

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The cells of the cervix are 
especially at risks.

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Two in particular–

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HPV 16 and 18–

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are responsible for the majority of 
cases of cervical cancer,

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which is now the fourth most common
type of cancer in women.

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It can take up to 20 years for cancer 
symptoms to appear,

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but with regular screening,

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we can discover cellular abnormalities
in the cervix

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before they develop into cancer.

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Women over 21 can undergo a regular 
pap smear,

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where a sample of tissue is gently 
scraped from the lining of the cervix

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to test for abnormal cells.

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A positive test doesn’t mean the person
has cervical cancer,

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but rather that there are irregular 
cells in the cervix

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that could develop into cancer
in the future.

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Patients are then either monitored 
with more frequent pap smears,

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or, for more severe irregularities,

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undergo a procedure called a colposcopy.

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This involves a doctor examining the 
cervix through a microscope,

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and possibly taking a small biopsy of 
tissue for closer examination.

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In some cases, the affected tissue 
may be removed.

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HPV infections of the throat may lead to
head and neck cancers,

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but for now there’s no equivalent of the 
pap smear for the throat.

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Using condoms helps prevent 
the spread of HPV during sex.

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And there are three safe, effective 
vaccines that all target HPV 16 and 18.

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The vaccine comes in two or three doses 
a few months apart,

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and it’s only beneficial if you 
receive them all.

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Right now the vaccine is part of standard 
care for girls aged 11 to 18

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in many countries–

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though it’s increasingly becoming 
available to boys as well.

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Adult women and men in countries including
the United States and the United Kingdom

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can opt to receive the vaccine,

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and evidence suggests that vaccination of
women and men

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could reduce the worldwide incidence of
cervical cancer by almost 90%.

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Researchers are also 
developing an injection

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for people who are already infected 
with HPV 16 and 18,

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which would target the infected cells

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to stop them from developing 
into cancerous ones.

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So while there’s still room for 
improvement in screening,

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treatment, and access to each,

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condom use, vaccination, 
and cervical screening

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can each reduce the harm caused by HPV.