How to Protect Yourself from HPV Infection



Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a common virus that affects both men and women. It can cause genital warts, cervical cancer, and other health problems. While there is no cure for HPV, there are steps you can take to protect yourself from infection. Here are some tips on how to protect yourself from HPV infection:

1. Get Vaccinated: The best way to protect yourself from HPV infection is to get vaccinated against it. There are two vaccines available that provide protection against the two most common types of the virus - Gardasil and Cervarix. The vaccines are recommended for both boys and girls starting at age 11 or 12, but can be given up until age 26 for those who have not yet been vaccinated.

2. Use Condoms: Using a condom during sexual activity can help reduce your risk of contracting HPV by providing a barrier between you and your partner’s skin or mucous membranes (the soft tissues inside the body). Make sure to use condoms correctly every time you have sex in order to maximize their effectiveness in preventing transmission of the virus.

3. Limit Your Number of Sexual Partners: Having multiple sexual partners increases your risk of contracting HPV since it increases your chances of coming into contact with someone who has the virus without knowing it. Limiting the number of people you have sex with reduces your risk significantly since it reduces your chances of coming into contact with someone who has the virus without knowing it.

4. Avoid Skin-to-Skin Contact: Avoid any type of skin-to-skin contact with someone who may have an active HPV infection as this could potentially spread the virus from one person to another even if they don’t engage in sexual activity together directly or indirectly through shared objects like towels or clothing items which could carry traces amounts of bodily fluids containing the virus particles which could be transferred onto another person’s skin if they were touched directly after being used by an infected person .

5. Get Regular Screenings: Getting regular screenings for cervical cancer is important as this type of cancer is strongly linked to certain types of HPV infections that may not otherwise cause any symptoms until they become more advanced stages so getting tested regularly will help catch any potential infections early on before they become more serious health issues down the line .

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HPV, Human papillomavirus, Vaccinated, Condoms, Sexual Partners, Skin-to-Skin Contact, Screenings, Cervical Cancer,

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