The human papillomavirus is known to not only cause genital warts, but also be a contributing factor to certain types of cancers. Recently, a vaccine, Gardasil, has been issued to help prevent genital warts and cancer, but there has been worry the vaccine may cause herpes. This is a misconception; HPV vaccines do not cause any diseases.
Two Seperate Viruses
Human papillomavirus and the herpes simplex virus are two separate viruses and have different pathologies. The herpes virus travels from the skin to nerve endings in the body. HPV is localized to the skin and does not travel inside the body.
Specidic to HPV
Gardasil contains particles that are similar to the HPV virus but does not actually contain viral agents. This precludes its ability to transmit any type of virus to the person receiving the medicine.
Immune System
The HPV vaccine does not inhibit the immune system or white blood cell count. Therefore, people who take the vaccine are in no increased danger if exposed to disease.
Herpes Transmission
Herpes, both the genital and oral types, can only be transmitted by direct contact with the virus.
Other Vaccines
While Gardasil is the most popular of the HPV vaccines, a second type, Cervarix, has recently become available on the market. There is no connection between Cervarix and herpes. In fact, it has been shown to boost the immune system.
Tags: genital warts, immune system