Antiviral chewing gum to reduce influenza and herpes simplex virus transmission

I never got the HPV vaccine and am now too old. Recently I had a papilloma removed from my soft palate near my uvula. They checked it for cancer but not HPV, even though they said it was almost certainly HPV.

So for $129 I took the OraRisk HPV test which tests for 51 strains, including the ones associated with cancer, and the results came up negative.

So I maybe sort of probably don't have HPV, or may have but don't anymore. Or maybe something like that.

Yeah, the whole HPV testing landscape is kind of a mess - lots of "maybe, sort of, probably" vibes even after paying out of pocket for extra tests. It's frustrating how unclear everything still is, especially for something so common.

>I never got the HPV vaccine and am now too old

It can still help even with previous exposure. This is outdated information. Also it helps against 9 strains. Most people are not exposed to all 9 instantly.

Further you can be exposed without having intercourse. Skin contact is enough. Even walking barefoot in the gym.

You will have to pay yourself probably, but since you paid $129 for a test I'm assuming you could afford at least one vaccine dose.

Also the NHS did a study and found a single dose is sufficient.

Every source I see says the vaccine is approved only up to age 45, but are you saying my doctor will give it upon request?

The old tried and true Pap test is still the best screening tool we have for cervical cancer.

So I showed my doctor sources from the NHS (I'm not in England), and he agreed to do it, although I had to obviously pay out of pocket. There's also no safety limit for age[1], so there's no reason not to give it to you if you pay for it.

[1] https://www.mskcc.org/news/think-you-re-too-old-get-hpv-vacc...