Human papillomaviruses (HPV) are highly contagious viruses that can develop into cancers. In an interview with Parisian, Arthur Sadoun, husband of Anne-Sophie Lapix, confided in this sexually transmitted disease, the consequences of which were disastrous for him.
He wanted to break the taboo. In an interview given to ParisianArthur Sadoun, the husband of Anne-Sophie Lapix, confided in her throat cancercaused by the Human Papillomavirus, a sexually transmitted disease. “There is nothing to be ashamed of. What is my fault? To have had sex between the ages of 20 and 30? If so, I let prudish minds take offense,” he said. said while urging people with this type of cancer to stop “blush” at the situation.
The case of Arthur Sadoun is not isolated. In 2013, the American actor Michael Douglas also made prevention on the subject by confiding that his throat cancer was not linked to excessive consumption of tobacco or alcohol. “Without going into too much detail, this particular cancer is caused by HPV (human papillomavirus) which comes from cunnilingus,” he said.
Three years earlier, he was diagnosed with extremely advanced throat cancer. A heavy treatment, involving sessions of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, finally allowed him to be in remission for two years, after losing 16 kilos.
During his remission, the star is optimistic because he estimates that there is “95% chance of not having a relapse. I have to do regular check-ups every six months, but everything has been normal for two years”.
In concrete terms, in France, one in three women is vaccinated against the papillomavirus but very few men are immune. As the infectiologist Éric Caumes reminds us at the site Doctissimo“HPV infection is almost obligatory, or at least very common. There are about 200 types of human papillomavirus in nature. The good news is that usually the body manages to eliminate the infection on its own: we gets rid of it on its own in about 95% of cases”. And this, in about two years.
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The importance of screening
But beware, this STI should not be taken lightly because, in some cases, the virus remains in the body and that’s where things get complicated. Cell abnormalities can then evolve into precancerous lesions. And if precancerous lesions are not treated, they can, in turn, develop into cancer. It should be noted that the evolution is slow between HPV infection, the appearance of precancerous lesions, and that of cancer. The timelines are 10 to 20 years.
But let the most anxious be reassured: these cancers (of the cervix, throat, anus or penis) can be avoided thanks to vaccination, which is generally done in adolescents between 11 and 14 years old. , before the start of their sexual life.
In total, the Human Papillomavirus, which is a family of viruses that infect the skin and mucous membranes, is responsible for 3,000 cancers of the cervix per year in women and 16,000 cancers of the ENT sphere in male. Getting tested regularly is therefore highly recommended.
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