Your guide to HPV care and insurance cover in China

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are considered a taboo topic that many people prefer not to talk about. The fact of the matter is, however, that almost every sexually active person is going to get Human Papillomavirus (HPV) at some point in their lives.

While most forms of HPV are benign, certain types of the virus can cause cancer (e.g. cervical cancer, anal cancer). Ensuring you’re taking the proper steps to protect yourself from the virus is thus imperative.

To shed some much-needed light on the topic of HPV treatment in China, our team at Pacific Prime China recently created a brand new China Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Guide. Click this link to get your free copy of the guide, or read on to learn more about our brand new health insurance resource.

About our new China Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Guide

HPV is by far the most common sexually transmitted disease in the world. In the US, for example, around 79 million people are infected with HPV. While most types of HPV will go away on their own, certain strains of the virus can cause cervical, anal, mouth, and throat cancer. To demystify the topic of HPV in China, our team created the China Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Guide to answer the most commonly-asked questions about the world’s most prevalent STD, including:

• What exactly is HPV?
• Does my China health insurance plan cover HPV-related treatment?
• How is the virus spread?
• What are my treatment options?
• How do I prevent infection?
• Are there tests available for HPV?
• What symptoms should I watch out for?

Our new Human Papillomavirus Guide is a welcome addition to our growing library of complementary healthcare and health insurance resources, such as our:

• China Chronic Pain Care Provider Guide
• Sleep Apnea in China Guide
• Pap Smear in China Guide
• Colonoscopy in China Guide

Inside our new Human Papillomavirus guide

Our new guide is split into 8 key sections for ease of reading. Read on to learn about the main highlights of each section:

1. What is HPV?

In the first section of our Human Papillomavirus guide, we present the key things all sexually active people should be aware of. The main point to note here is that there are over 150 different strains of HPV, 40 of which can infect the genital area. There is a common misconception that only women can contract HPV, but the fact of the matter is men can get HPV, too.

There exists high and low-risk HPV. Low-risk strains of the virus can cause genital warts, which rarely develop into cancer. Certain types, however, can cause cervical cancer, as well as cancers of the anus, vagina, penis, vulva, and throat.

2. How is the virus spread?

In most cases, the virus is spread during anal and vaginal intercourse, but can also be spread via other sexually intimate, non-penetrative acts. While rare, nonsexual routes of infection can also occur (e.g. transmission to a newborn from their mother during childbirth).

3. What are the symptoms of HPV infection?

It is important to bear in mind here that not all HPV subtypes cause symptoms. When it does, however, here are the symptoms to look out for:

• Genital warts
• Skin warts

4. Are there any tests available for detecting the virus?

Regular sexual health checks do not detect skin viruses like genital herpes or HPV. As most women with cervical cancer have Human Papillomavirus, females aged 30 to 65 can be tested for the virus when receiving their Pap test. For men, however, there’s no FDA-approved test.

5. What can I do to protect myself from contracting the virus?

While there’s no cure for the virus, there are several things you can do to prevent it. These include wearing a condom when having sex, abstaining from sexual contact, getting regular Pap test (if you’re female), and limiting your number of sexual partners.

6. Are there any treatment options available?

Most forms of the virus will go away on their own, but where treatment is involved, it usually centers around relieving and eliminating warts, or any abnormal cervical cells. Both non-surgical treatment (such as creams), as well as surgical treatment options (such as lasers directed at abnormal cells or warts), are available in China.

7. What is the cost of HPV vaccination in Shanghai?

This section of our guide utilizes the expertise of our Shanghai-based team to divulge the typical HPV vaccine costs one can expect at Shanghai’s most expat-popular healthcare facilities. There is a fairly significant range in the cost of Gardasil 9; from around RMB 1,000+ to RMB 3,000. To learn more about vaccinations and insurance coverage in China, read our article on the topic here.

8. Does my China health insurance plan cover HPV?

Last but not least, health insurance cover as it pertains to HPV treatment is another important thing to consider. Without insurance cover, treatment at China’s private facilities can potentially send your medical bills into the stratosphere, so ensuring you read your policy T&Cs can save you from any nasty surprises further down the line. Generally speaking, international health insurance plans will typically cover treatment costs, as well as cancer that can develop from the virus, up to the policy’s annual limit.

Download your FREE copy of our Human Papillomavirus guide today

The above information merely grazed the surface of the in-depth knowledge disclosed in our latest healthcare guide. Download your copy of our guide today to access all the information, or contact our team for answers to any healthcare or health insurance related question, and a free quote!

Disclaimer: Pacific Prime China solely represents, operates and manages locally regulated insurance products and services in the territory of PR China. Any references to Pacific Prime Global Company or Group, the international services, insurance products or otherwise stated written or verbally, is for introduction purposes about our overseas network only as each entity is fully independent.