HPV virus can be transmitted through sharing towels and underwear, besides sexual intercourse, silently causing genital diseases and cancer.
Hien, 25 years old, has had menstrual disorders and abnormal vaginal discharge for three months. After a gynecological examination, Hien was diagnosed with HPV type 16, suspected of having cervical cancer. At the Ho Chi Minh City Oncology Hospital, the girl also received the results of stage 2 cervical cancer.
"I was shocked because I had never had sex. When I was a student, I lived with many people. The whole dormitory only had one washing machine, so I often collected dirty clothes and underwear to wash with my roommates. I don't know if this was the source of infection," Hien was confused.
Viet Anh, 30 years old, discovered in mid-June that some pimples had appeared on his foreskin, which grew into clusters over time. Initially, he chose laser treatment to treat the pimples because he was afraid to go to the hospital. When the pimples recurred and grew more, he went to the hospital for examination and was diagnosed with genital warts. The man said he was married, did not have extramarital sex, only went to the gym every day and used towels provided by the gym.
Dr. Doan Ngoc Thien, Department of Andrology, Tam Anh General Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, said that HPV (Human papilloma virus) is a virus that causes warts in humans. HPV infection is very common, men and women are infected with HPV at least once in their lives. HPV is mainly transmitted through sexual contact. If you have not had sex, people can still be infected with HPV through many hidden ways that they do not expect.
Doctor Ngoc Thien examines a patient at Tam Anh General Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Moc Thao
Dr. Bach Thi Chinh, Medical Director of the VNVC Vaccination System, shares the same opinion. The notion that HPV virus is only transmitted through sex makes many people think of a "promiscuous" and unsafe sex life. However, HPV can still be transmitted in many different ways.
To explain further, Dr. Chinh cited a scientific article published in the US National Library of Medicine in 2020 on the topic of non-sexual transmission of HPV. HPV can live for many days on surfaces such as clothing, personal hygiene items, and frequently used gynecological equipment. The virus can survive in water for up to 7 days (even in a dry environment afterwards), at a rate of 30%. HPV DNA has also been found in water, suggesting further transmission of the virus, but there is no clear evidence of this transmission route.
Routine hygiene measures are not effective in preventing the transmission of HPV. There is evidence that HPV type 16 survives disinfection with alcohol.
"Thus, even without having sex, people can still come into contact with pathogens when sharing clothes, underwear, towels; or pathogens can be transmitted through scratches on the skin," said Dr. Chinh.
HPV is the main cause of genital cancer in women. In Vietnam, a 2013-2014 study by Hanoi Medical University funded by UNFPA, conducted in Hai Phong and Can Tho, showed that the rate of HPV infection in patients with invasive cervical cancer was up to 91%; of which HPV type 16 was 45%, HPV type 18 was 19%, and types 33, 52, and 58 accounted for 1-3%.
There is currently no research on the rate of HPV infection in Vietnamese men. Worldwide, HPV is the cause of more than 600,000 cases of cervical cancer, 80,000 cases of oropharyngeal cancer, and 11,000 cases of anal cancer.
Therefore, experts recommend that everyone should be vigilant about HPV. In addition to measures such as safe sex and regular HPV screening (for women), people should pay attention to their lifestyle, not sharing underwear, towels, etc. with others. When doing laundry, you should wash underwear, towels, and daily clothes separately.
Men get vaccinated against HPV at VNVC Hoang Van Thu. Photo: Moc Thao
According to Dr. Chinh, everyone should take the initiative to get vaccinated against HPV to prevent the disease. Currently, the HPV vaccine is indicated for men and women from 9 to 26 years old; it can be extended to 45 years old if there is a risk.
Dr. Chinh said that people should also pay attention to HPV vaccination for children aged 9-14. Vaccination at this age helps children prevent diseases better because they are not sexually active.
Currently, Vietnam uses two types of HPV vaccines: Gardasil and Gardasil 9. Gardasil vaccine contains four strains of HPV 6, 11, 16, 18, preventing diseases related to HPV virus such as cervical cancer, vulvar cancer, vaginal cancer, throat cancer, genital warts... Gardasil 9 vaccine contains nine high-risk strains of HPV virus including 6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52 and 58; can be vaccinated for both men and women. People who have had sex or been infected with HPV virus before can still be vaccinated to prevent other strains and prevent reinfection.
Chile
*Character names have been changed.
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