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Comment by 0xbadcafebee

4 hours ago

For those men wondering whether they should get vaccinated:

- HPV causes genital warts, HPV is permanent, doctors won't test you for HPV unless you demand it, and the tests aren't reliable, which is why they literally won't diagnose you unless you already have genital warts.

- Once you are confirmed HPV positive (again, you won't be confirmed without getting genital warts), you need to inform your partners, as it causes cancer in both men and women (but mostly women).

You missed three very important caveats that complicate the story you’re trying to tell:

1) not every strain of HPV causes cancer (iirc, the bad ones are rare).

2) many people (in fact, most people) who are active in the world have been infected with at least one strain of HPV.

3) it’s common to have asymptomatic HPV infections. you probably have one now.

one more:

4) the vaccines likely have little effect on anything unless you were vaccinated as a child (and are a biological woman).

Overall, it’s a situation where you’re asking that sexual partners “disclose” something that the partner probably already has, if they bothered to be tested for it to begin with. Moreover, nobody does these tests (in men, at least), because there’s no point to doing them, other than creating anxiety.

I will leave the nuances of bioethics to other people, but it’s not as clear a situation as you’re making it out to be.

One final thing: these infections aren’t “permanent”. They generally clear naturally in a few years.

  • Does it not prevent cancer in the throat in men? Not sure why that would be women only.

  • > 4) the vaccines likely have little effect on anything unless you were vaccinated as a child (and are a biological woman).

    This guidance is changing. Vaccinating men protects women. Also just because you were infected with one strain, that doesn't mean you can't contract another, possibly oncogenic one. Get vaccinated, it protects against the most common cancer-causing strains. I did, why would I want to unknowingly give someone cancer?

    • >> 4) the vaccines likely have little effect on anything unless you were vaccinated as a child (and are a biological woman).

      > This guidance is changing. Vaccinating men protects women.

      Yeah, it was fucking like pulling teeth getting my HPV vaccine as an adult male. "It's for teenage girls" comments from multiple health care professionals.

      I only took the first fucking dose in the regime, and none of my health care providers now offer low cost or covered options. I had to spend Covid money when I had it. I still need the rest of the regime.

      Thank you thread for the reminder.