“Por mi mente nunca había pasado morirme, hasta días después de haber empezado el tratamiento contra el Virus del Papiloma Humano. Quería desaparecer del mundo, ya no le encontraba razón a vivir”.

Thus recounts a young ethical, 22 years old, which went through her mind approximately three months ago, upon learning that she had been infected with the human papillomavirus (HPV) and being forced to undergo chemical treatment.

The woman -who for the purposes of this article will call Mariana to protect her identity-, was considered a young woman like any other, who divided her time working and studying at the University of Costa Rica the career of history.Therefore, he never imagined that at his age he was going to receive this diagnosis, because he affirms that he had always been "a very healthy sexually" person ".

In addition, Mariana thought that being so young he was not going to spread;However, the virus arrived to give a turn to his life.

It all started a day when he returned from his work, in San José, after feeling discomfort and discomfort in the genital area.Upon arriving at his house he realized that he had some injuries, a type of warts and did not understand what was happening, because something similar had never happened.

Then he called the gynecologist to take care of her emergency.Some photos of the injuries were taken to be able to show them to the specialist and already in the office the doctor confirmed his diagnosis.

[Human papillomavirus: the origin of cervical cancer]

“At that moment the first thing I thought was that I was going to die, I wanted to cry, a lot of frustration.I said: ‘Why does this happen to me? Who infected me? What will happen to my life?’;And I felt a lot of fault that maybe I did not take care of myself enough, because people with this virus can develop cervix cancer and that was my concern, ”he explains.

While dealing with what he defines as a bucket of cold water, the specialist told him that he had to intervene at that same moment.She agreed, because she wanted to "heal" immediately.

Minutes after that medical warning he experienced a physical pain that he had never felt.They were applying a chemist that is used to burn genital warts.

"Imagine that I had a normal life before.I arrive, they tell me that I have HPV and that it is important to deal with once.Then they apply a chemist that burns not only wart.

This is how what Mariana calls "her new life" began: he often had to go to apply the chemist, because although he could wait between session and session more time, she wanted to be very soon as possible.

However, this caused the entire genital area to be burned.

“There was a week where the entire genital part was practically burned because the skin did not heal quickly, unlike other sessions.I had to walk with my legs open and was very uncomfortable.I wanted to get home to take my clothes, many times I slept without underwear because it is more comfortable, also for the cream to dry.In my case, the skin did not recover and I wanted to make llagas.I had never faced something like that, ”said Mariana.

"The worst thing is that if I was talking to someone I had to hide the pain I was feeling because people see it well physically and do not imagine what one is happening," he added.

Since then he had to stop using pants and getting used to dressing with enaguas, because that garment hurt her less.In addition, he had to change his underwear for more loose garments.

Un culpable

All those changes that occurred, in a matter of days, made her blame her first and then look for a culprit.However, later he understood that this made no sense.

However, on the recommendation of his gynecologist he spoke with the people with whom he had been sexually linked, so that the HPV detection test was done.Mainly he did it for a subject of responsibility with them and other people who in the future could involve them.

“It was very difficult because we are still in an extremely macho society, where they believe that the woman is the culprit and that is perhaps one of the toughest steps.It happened to me in a case of a person who did not take it well, but he understood me and was precisely the only person who was infected and was the one who infected me.

“And I assure you that I do not charge resentments towards him, but I see it now and keep dating many women.Then he puts me to think that what I told him, that my process had been his hard and painful moment, he didn't care.And I don't care that I don't worry about me, because I don't have an attachment relationship with that person anymore, but what hurts me is what many other women can suffer because he still has no awareness of how serious and dangerousBe this, ”he says.

The truth is that HPV arrived to change many aspects in your life.Consider that she is a more mature woman, that she values more what she has and now makes more awareness.Mariana considers that she was never "a person with debauchery", but accepts that he often made "bad decisions".

“Many times, perhaps, we believe that a person with a pretty face will not have an infection or a sexually transmitted disease, or we subtract importance from contraceptive methods.In addition, when we use them, we also believe that they are 100% safe and not so.We must be more aware, ”he says.

On the other hand, in the psychological field, this virus marked it and although it hopes to overcome it one day, it still dealt with its thoughts and the rage that sometimes feels.

In addition, neither the short or long term is visualized with a couple, because it details that their trauma is such that it cannot even let a man approach him.

"Pain generates a very big trauma.That type of news is so ugly that they also change the way in which one sees men and, for example, I no longer want to have a boyfriend or meet people.I know that we are all different but, in my case, when a man approaches me to tell me beautiful things, I don't feel the same as before, I feel a lot of distrust, ”he says.

En datos

Mariana believed that, because of her age (22 years old), she was not so prone to spread of the virus, but the reality is very different.

According to Dr. Alejandro Calderón, a doctor of the strengthening project in the comprehensive cancer care, this is the most common sexually transmitted disease that exists.It is estimated that eight out of 10 sexually active people will have an HPV infection at some point in their life.

Most of the time they are transitory infections and even many people spread, eliminate the virus and never find out that they had it.The problem is that there are more than 200 types of HPV, which are named by number, being 16 and 18 the most dangerous, as they are more likely to develop cancer.

“The prevalence of infection varies depending on the women's group.For example, about 12% and 14% of women between 30 and 65 have the virus at a given time, but they can be transient infections.In 90% of the time, in a matter of the year and a half or two years, the virus is eliminated and most of the time does not affect the body, ”explains the specialist.

Among all types of HPV there are some that are cutaneous and that cause the petty and some skin lesions that are not related to the sexual part.There are also the mucous people, who are those that affect the mucous membranes of the organism and that generate a genital affectation causing warts (if this type of injury is not treated in time, they can later cause cancer).

"A woman who has a high degree injury, has a 60% chance that this develops in about five or 10 years in cancer, so it is important to remove it," Calderón warned.

According to Calderón, the World Health Organization has raised a world goal for 2030, which consists of eliminating cervix cancer by carrying the disease to an incidence of less than 4 percent.000 women.In Costa Rica, according to the specialist, cervix cancer affects 12 out of 100.000 women, esto significa que para cumplir la meta hay que disminuir la incidencia de cáncer de cérvix casi en un 70% en los próximos ocho años.

In addition, the doctor is emphatic that even in the most serious cases Cervix cancer can be prevented.The first way to do it is to start from the vaccine, which is achieved in pharmacies and private health centers for a price that goes from ¢ 55.000 and up to ¢ 60.000, depending on the establishment.This is both for men and women.

The second form of prevention, according to Calderón, is screening, which consists of detecting the virus properly through Pap smear, which what it does is detect pre -cancerous lesions that are caused by the virus.Finally, there is HPV detection test.

"It is very important that all women have the habit or habit of making these exams: Pap smear at least every two years and the HPV detection exam at least every five years," says the specialist.

In addition, it must be borne in mind that HPV can also cause anus cancer, pharynx and penile cancer cancer.

Currently the Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS) Vaccine only girls between 9 and 14 years.Women older of that age must pay their doses on the outside, as well as men, who can also be vaccinated without problem.

It should be noted that this decision is due to the fact that resources are finite and the population of risk should be prioritized, as a public health measure.

De mitos y tabúes

Mariana decided to tell her story because she wants to make a call to women and men about what this virus represents and the difficult process that infected people must go through, even when it is a type of "low risk".

As we notic.Fears that they criticize her or judge her if she reveals her name and, according to her, she is not yet prepared to deal with that.

“I feel that this virus is very difficult to accept.In addition, it is difficult to openly tell society, because they are going to judge you and they will see you different because there is a lot of misinformation with respect to this virus.

"And, in a certain part, as is so recent, I am ashamed to tell the people who have this virus, mainly because one would like to have a partner and I do not want me to judge me or that marks who I am," he explains.

Maybe that's why Mariana decided to face this process alone, without sharing it with anyone.Remember that until a few weeks ago I stopped crying every time he was with anyone around him.

Now, from her experience, the young woman considers that it is necessary that more people with testimonies like her dare to talk about what they have gone through.For Mariana it is crucial to raise awareness in society, which keeps in mind that this is a virus that anyone with an active sex life can get infected.

It also reiterates the ignorance regarding the subject, as the virus continues to be a taboo, mainly because it is sexually transmitted.

“I think it is important that people know stories like mine, mainly young women, and that they serve them as a lesson, because I think that society is not sufficiently informed.There is not enough sex education in the country and there is no awareness that anyone can be infected with a sexually transmitted disease.

“And it doesn't matter if he is a lower class person, whether or not he studies, whether he works or not.That is, anyone can get into human papilloma, ”he adds.

Dr. Calderón coincides with Mariana: “In this country, when we talk about sexual issues, because people cohhy.We have very little sex education ".

"There is a lot.

Another myths is related to the fact that many people associate the virus with infidelity.However, for the doctor this is very relative, because there are women who can load with the virus many years and find out that they have it until a long time later.

On the other hand, there are people who do not see with good eyes that nine -year -old girls are vaccinated against HPV, because in many cases they consider that they are encouraging the beginning of their sexual life.

However, investigations reveal another completely opposite panorama.

“There are studies that indicate that in the countries where vaccination began in girls, those girls delayed the beginning of their sexual life, so we are not sexualizing them, we are simply preventing them and we are doing a responsible sexual education.There are people who scare and think that we are sexualizing, but rather we are giving them tools to have scientific and truthful information so that they can make decisions, ”explains Calderón.

In the case of Mariana, when HPV was infected, he did not have the virus vaccine.However, the first dose was already applied and in the next few days they will place the second.

It also has the test to know what strain of the virus is the one she suffers, because her doctor told her that it was better to wait a little.For now the aspiring historian continues her treatment and although she does not know when she will be able to overcome this stage, she feels relieved to tell her testimony.

Meanwhile, Mariana rethinks many aspects of her life and tries to change the perception she has come to herself.

"It hasn't been an easy path.I have suffered a lot, but it was worth every second and every pain that I have had to be better, because now I am better.When I see back everything that I have happened, it fills me a lot with strength and motivation, see how I have been able to get ahead.

"Now I understand that I have to keep alive for my goals and I can't drop, because life does not end with a diagnosis of HPV, although we often create it," he concluded.