Episode 4 - What is HPV?

Sex & Wellness with Dr. Mary

For this episode, we have Dr. Amanda DiSarro. She is a board certified OB/GYN and is currently working at Hill Country OB/GYN at Austin, Texas.

We will be talking about Human papillomavirus (HPV) because many people have a lot of questions about it and there isn’t a ton of education on it. During my pelvic floor training, this topic was touched on but not to the depth that Dr. Amanda knows.

It is something common that they see every day at Hill Country OB/GYN even if the vaccine for it has been around for a long time. That is why it is very important to educate people about this.

What made me decide to create this topic for this podcast was a question from Kelly. She is 35 years old and was recently diagnosed with HPV. She wants to know if it will affect her ability to have children in the future and what the treatments are.

Let’s talk about:

• 00:36 – Introduction of the guest
• 1:07 – Introduction to the topic
• 2:07 – What is HPV and how is it transmitted
• 4:10 – What is a Pap Smear, who has to get it, what is it testing for
• 7:32 – Where else can you get HPV aside from the cervix region
• 8:05 – HPV in men
• 9:27 – Using protection does not prevent HPV so get screened
• 10:34 – Other processes when there is an abnormality in your Pap Smear
• 14:55 – HPV does not affect fertility, but the procedures may
• 15:33 – HPV can affect the cell matrix in the cervix, which in turn can lead to cervical insufficiency
• 17:16 – Symptoms of cervical insufficiency
• 18:31 – What does it mean when you are diagnosed with HPV
• 20:41 – Understanding more about the HPV vaccine
• 22:12 – What age and under what circumstances should you get an HPV vaccine
• 25:11 – Factors that increase the risk of getting HPV
• 25:58 – How do you know if someone has HPV in the mouth or tonsils
• 26:47 – How often should you get a Pap Smear
• 29:40 – Other facts you should know about other STDs
• 34:11 – How warts look like if you have HPV
• 34:52 – Conclusion

If you want to know more about the work that Dr. Amanda does, follow their clinic on Instagram.

If you have any other questions or topics you want to talk about, send me a message on Instagram. And if you loved this episode, please leave me a rating and a comment with your feedback. Please share this with your friends and loved ones, too!

I also have a free resource for you if you're struggling with bladder urgency: https://resilient-rx.com/bladderdiary/

I’ll see you in two weeks!