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What is HPV and how can you protect yourself from it? - Emma Bryce

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At some point, most sexually active people will be infected with human papillomavirus, or HPV. There are over 100 types of HPV, and most of the time the body eliminates infections without symptoms— but some strains can pose serious health risks down the line. How can you protect yourself from HPV? Emma Bryce explains how the virus causes harm, who’s at risk and how to minimize those risks.

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Meet The Creators

  • Educator Emma Bryce
  • Director Sharon Colman
  • Narrator Bethany Cutmore-Scott
  • Music Miguel d'Oliveira
  • Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Producer Alex Rosenthal
  • Associate Producer Bethany Cutmore-Scott
  • Associate Editorial Producer Elizabeth Cox
  • Fact-Checker Eden Girma
  • See more creators
Additional Resources for you to Explore
Human Papillomavirus might seem like an all-encompassing, frightening thing. But the best way to arm yourself against its worst effects is to be informed.

These resources from the Mayo Clinic, the Centers for Disease Control, and the World Health Organisation are a good place to start, if you want to grasp the basics of the virus, how it’s contracted, and what it does in the body. This reminds us that 4 out of 5 people - or 80% of us - will at some point be infected with HPV. So it’s not rare at all, and infection is no cause for shame.

But, it is best if we take steps to prevent infection from occurring in the first place, because further down the line it could lead to different types of cancer.

This page
from New York University Langone Health describes the different types of HPV and the difference between low-risk HPV and high-risk HPV. The most common outcome of high-risk infection is cervical cancer: Cancer Research UK has a comprehensive guide to this type of cancer, which also shows you where the cervix is and how its cells become infected, and the two main types of cervical cancer. If you want to understand more about how HPV infection gets to this stage, take a look at this expert’s explanation from the Mayo Clinic. The American Cancer Society also describes the other types of cancer that HPV can cause.

So, how do we handle this risk? This article from the Cleveland Clinic describes the different options for prevention. One of the most important for women is getting regular pap smears: here and here you can read more about what happens during a pap smear and how it works.

But vaccines are now probably the most important part of the HPV prevention regime. The UK’s National Health Service has some clear information you can read about the vaccines, when they’re given, and what their purpose is. You can also read about the options for boys and men to get vaccinated. You might be interested in this piece from the British Medical Journal which reveals that there has been some debate about whether it makes sense to widely vaccinate boys. But most experts and organisations now agree that vaccinating males and females is a crucial part of the process to significantly reduce the incidence of HPV infection and the cancers it causes.

You may also be interested in this TED Ed video explaining how vaccines work, or this one on how to eradicate a disease.
TED-Ed
Lesson Creator
New York, NY
Currently there isn’t a smear test for men, like we have for women. Do you think there should there be? Or should we continue to focus our efforts on detecting the infection, and treating it, in women only? Regardless of what you think, try and justify why.
04/30/2019
Avatar for Sandra Miño
Sandra Miño • COMPLETED LESSON

yes the men alse need a test, because they help to transmit the hpv, if they show more worry abaut these topic, will help the human in general

07/14/2019
Avatar for ilayda onaran
ilayda onaran • LESSON IN PROGRESS

I think it has to be mandatory for both women and men. Also, education should start to be given all children early ages and hpv vaccines should be applied for both women and men.

07/18/2019
Avatar for Ethan Tanner
Ethan Tanner • COMPLETED LESSON

Men need the test to tell if or not.

08/19/2019
Avatar for mickenzie nolan-lutchkus
mickenzie nolan-lutchkus • LESSON IN PROGRESS

I agree. I also feel that kids should be better informed of all sexually transmitted diseases and just how serious they are. Many kids think having sex is just for fun, until they realize they've contracted something. Having vaccines available for both genders will decrease the number of infected people.

09/11/2019 • 
IN RESPONSE TO  Show the comment
Avatar for Serenity Castillo
Serenity Castillo • COMPLETED LESSON

yes

09/11/2019
Avatar for Dustin Voytoski
Dustin Voytoski • LESSON IN PROGRESS

uggh

09/16/2019 • 
IN RESPONSE TO  Show the comment
Avatar for po roro
po roro • COMPLETED LESSON

I think it has to be mandatory for both women and men. Also, education should start to be given all children early ages and hpv vaccines should be applied for both women and men.

09/18/2019
Avatar for kim jisoo
kim jisoo • LESSON IN PROGRESS

I think it should be obligatory for everyone both women and men. Also, I think that education should start to be everyone early ages. I think that kids should be know that all sexually transmitted disease. A proper education is really important for prevent all risks and Hpv vaccines should be applied for everyone.

09/18/2019
Avatar for haemin park
haemin park • LESSON IN PROGRESS

I agree. I think the men also need a test, because if men are infected, they can transmit the hpv to women.

09/18/2019
Avatar for sebastian gonzalez
sebastian gonzalez • LESSON IN PROGRESS

I think that men also being carriers of the disease should have their exclusive screening test, thus minimizing the risks

11/05/2019
Avatar for Karen Bautista
Karen Bautista • LESSON IN PROGRESS

I think the investigation should be to women and men, because they are responsable of this problem, in couple they have sex and together have the ricks for carrier the virus, more in men. If we develop the cure or vaccine for men, less women dead by cervix cancer.

11/05/2019
Avatar for Juan Manuel Castiblanco
Juan Manuel Castiblanco • COMPLETED LESSON

I think there should be a test for women and men. This is important because men also have the HPV, but the thing is that it doesn´t attack us.
Also, I think education should start to be at early ages. A proper education is really important for prevent all risks and Hpv vaccines should be applied for everyone.

11/05/2019
Avatar for Fernanda Wilches
Fernanda Wilches • COMPLETED LESSON

yes, to have a wider control of the disease

11/05/2019
Avatar for Daniela Corredor
Daniela Corredor • COMPLETED LESSON

Yes, to decrease the danger rate

11/05/2019
Avatar for vanesa jaramillo
vanesa jaramillo • LESSON IN PROGRESS

i think the men need this exams because increases the segurity and its theme for two

11/05/2019
Avatar for jo min seok
jo min seok • COMPLETED LESSON

I think there should be a test for both women and men. Because men also have HPV and men can infect women.

11/13/2019
Avatar for Kim Seong yeon
Kim Seong yeon • COMPLETED LESSON

In my opinion, men also need a test for HPV because they also help to transmit the HPV. Both men and women can be infected with cervical cancer. So, getting smear test only women is I think not a proper precaution. Both men and women should be got smear test, treated and prevented HPV because sex is an act that takes place between men and women.

11/14/2019
Avatar for Emma Keller
Emma Keller • COMPLETED LESSON

I think there definitely should be a test for both men and women. This would help limit the number of cases of HPV. Its also important for a man to know whether or not he is carrying HPV because if he isn't aware, he can spread it to so many more people.

05/21/2020
Avatar for Ashish Akula
Ashish Akula • LESSON IN PROGRESS

Men should also have a proper screening for herpes but our emphasis should be on women as it is the 4th leading cause of death in women and also that if we have an accurate screening test in either men or women other partner can be treated as well. I believe that it is not important whether we should develop a test for men or not but the important thing is that we need to develop an fast and acurate test to detect herpes. have a great day :)

11/13/2020

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About TED-Ed Animations

TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Emma Bryce
  • Director Sharon Colman
  • Narrator Bethany Cutmore-Scott
  • Music Miguel d'Oliveira
  • Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Producer Alex Rosenthal
  • Associate Producer Bethany Cutmore-Scott
  • Associate Editorial Producer Elizabeth Cox
  • Fact-Checker Eden Girma
  • See more creators