Finding love through online dating is in, rather than finding someone appropriate through family and friends. In fact, exploring open relationships has changed the dating dynamics.
The common narrative compatible with online dating is that “God has made someone special for you. You just need to find that person.” This propels you to go and search for your soul mate. And dating sites or apps are the easiest way to find love.
There has been a surge in online dating since the pandemic, but did you know that finding love through online dating can actually put you at sexual risk? Little knowledge of sexually transmitted infections, failure to seek treatment, and multiple partners are some of the reasons for sexual health-related problems.
A report says that there has been a steady rise in STIs since the pandemic. According to the CDC, screening and testing of STIs have fallen behind during this time. Sexually active people are more at risk.
Women who are reluctant to seek help are at risk of contracting STIs like HPV (Human Papillomavirus), gonorrhoea, syphilis, chlamydia, etc. Public health experts say that in the case of STIs like HPV, individuals could have an infection without knowing it, as HPV infection may show no symptoms.
Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection. HPV infects around 660 million people worldwide. Most sexually active people can contract HPV within a few months of being sexually active.
It is important to know how HPV spreads. It can spread through intimate skin-to-skin contact during vaginal, anal, or oral sexual activity or even deep kissing with someone who has the virus. So, before you get intimate, you need to know the risks and practice safe sex. Using a condom or a dental dam during oral sex can reduce the transmission of HPV.
The infection usually shows no symptoms hence it is difficult to know when you first got it. Unknowingly, one may end up passing the infection to others. Anyone who is sexually active can get HPV, even if you have had sex with only one person. Which makes it all the more important to be aware and go in for regular screenings if you have been physically intimate.
HPV can cause serious health issues and prevention can play a crucial role in advancing feminine health & wellness.
There are 100 types of HPV, out of which at least 14 are high-risk HPV, i.e the virus that is cancer-causing. Most HPV infections are clear on their own. However, If HPV is left untreated, it can develop into cervical cancer and certain HPV-related cancers like vaginal, vulvar and anal cancers.
Did you know, every 5 minutes 1 person loses their life to HPV-related cancers in India?
While HPV infection in itself cannot be treated, the diseases and cancers caused by HPV can be treated. The good news is that 80% of HPV-related cancers can be prevented from ever appearing.
Safe sex practices, regular screening and timely vaccination can prevent HPV. An HPV vaccine protects against high-risk types of cervical cancer and its associated cancer. For more information regarding the HPV vaccine consult your gynaecologist.
Talking to a gynaecologist or doctor about how you can protect yourself from HPV, including preventive measures like vaccination, can enable you to safeguard your life against HPV cancers and diseases. According to the CDC, the HPV vaccine can help protect against high-risk types of cancers. Therefore, I urge you to take this step and get educated about HPV and its prevention. Know more here: letsfighthpv.com and if you don’t have a gynaecologist, you can talk to the expert on the site itself.
Remember the sooner the person adopts preventive measures against HPV, the better the chances of avoiding long-term health problems. Also, they are then less likely to pass on the infection to others. Going for regular STI testing and Pap smears for women will help you take control of your health and take corrective measures when needed.
The most important thing is to end stigma and hesitation, which is the key to preventing HPV. Women need to be empowered and aware of themselves. 50-80% of sexually active women can get infected with HPV at some point in their lifetime. So, HPV prevention is much needed for feminine health.
Hence, before you start online dating it’s very important to be aware of the sexual health of yourself and your partner.
Know more about HPV infection and prevention here and you can talk to the expert on the website.
Issued in public interest with MSD India
This information is for awareness only. Please consult your doctor.
Refrences: 1)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7678376/#:~:text=Mobile%20websites%20and%20applications%20(apps,incidence%20of%20sexually%20transmitted%20infections. https://www.niaid.nih.gov/diseases-conditions/sexually-transmitted-diseases https://www.cdc.gov/std/statistics/2020/default.htm National Health Portal National Health Portal, https://www.nhp.gov.in/disease/communicabledisease/human-papillomavirus-hpvinfectionandcervical- cancer#:~:text=HPV%20is%20one%20of%20the,is%20due%20to%20cervical%20cancer 2016 accessed on 5 March Centers for disease control and prevention https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5912a1.htm 2022 American cancer societyhttps://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancercauses/infectioushttps://www.cancer.org/cancer/ca ncer-causes/infectious-agents/hpv/hpv-andhpv-testing.htmlagents/hpv/hpv-and-hpv-testing.html 26 October, 2021 accessed on 2 March 2022 Centers For Disease Control & Prevention https://www.cdc.gov/condomeffectiveness/latex.html 7 Harvard health publishing,https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/hpv-transmissionduringoralsex-a-growing-cause-of-mout h-and-throat- cancer-201306046346#:~:text=Sexual%20contact%2C%20including%20oral%20sex,cancer%2 C%20depending%20on Centers for Disease Control & Prevention https://www.cdc.gov/std/hpv/stdfact-hpv.htm Accessed on Oct, 2020 Walboomers JM, Jacobs MV, Manos MM, et al. Human papillomavirus is a necessary causeof invasive cervical cancer worldwide. J Pathol. 1999 Sep;189(1):12-19 https://hpvcentre.net/statistics/reports/IND_FS.pdf HPV Center https://hpvcentre.net/statistics/reports/IND_FS.pdf World Health Organisation. Factsheet. Human papillomavirus (HPV) and cervical cancer. https://www.w-ho.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/human-papillomavirus-(hpv)-andcervicalcancer Accessed on 3 March 2021 Bruni L, Albero G, Serrano B, Mena M, Collado JJ, Gómez D, Muñoz J, Bosch FX, deSanjosé S. ICO/IARC Information Centre on HPV and Cancer (HPV Information Centre). https://www.cancer.org/healthy/hpv-vaccine.html WebMd. What is HPV.https://www.webmd.com/sexual-conditions/hpvgenitalwarts/hpvhttps://www.webmd.com/sexual-conditions/hpv-genital-warts/hpv-virusinformationabout-human-papillomavirus - 1virus-information-about-human -papillomavirus#1 Accessed on 3 March 2021
This is a mine of information on STI’s. Thank you for such a detailed post. #DontGetCaughtByHPV
Wow this is a nice informative article for those comfortable with online dating. Yes hoping and praying our kids make right decisions.
I agree with you, important thing is to end the stigma and hesitation about conversations around sexual health. Women need to be empowered and aware of themselves.
This is so informative. Thanks for sharing 👍🏻
This is really informative. As a mother of 2 daughters, I am really grateful to you for sharing this information.
This is so informative, glad you shared about HPV