Twenty-four million Americans may have the Human PapillomaVirus [HPV], yet more than 76% women in the United States have never heard of this sexually transmitted virus that causes more than 93% of all cervical cancers. How is this STD getting past our annual health exams?

Easily. Many of us do not visit our health care provider annually, even though we are aware of the importance of those visits. Many of us who do have annual check-ups do not inform our provider we are sexually active or at risk. Breast and pelvic examinations along with PAP smears are only the beginning, especially for the sexually active woman. An important part of annual exams is also to check for sores, swelling, unusual discharge and to run blood tests designed to find STDs.

Additionally, every month you should be examining your body. This does not just cover breast examination, but also a search for vaginal sores or discharge. When examining ourselves, we should be aware of, and on the alert for, any abnormalities. Each of us needs to know our bodies so well that anything out of the ordinary will be spotted immediately.

Many lesbians make the mistake of assuming that only engaging in sex with women will protect them from Sexually Transmitted Diseases [STDs]. This is just not true. In fact, with a woman's genitals hidden inside her body and within folds of tissue, symptoms of STDs are difficult to spot. The sore you might easily see on a man's penis could - and most often is - hidden up inside the vagina of your lover.

Genital warts [HPV], is even more insidious as in almost half of all the women infected, there are no symptoms of the virus. There are over sixty different types of HPV, and of those, only 1% has visible genital warts and has not been linked to cervical cancer. HPV is the most common STD in the world.

There is no cure for HPV, but there is treatment.

It is time to stop fooling ourselves and get serious about protecting our bodies from disease. Read up more on this connection.

THE MAUTNER PROJECT FOR LESBIANS WITH CANCER