Andrew's Anus and the Quest [yes, he's back with part 7]

For 20 years, Andrew thought of the warts that occasionally sprang up on me as well . . . just warts.

I’m Andrew’s Anus, and I have HPV.

Eventually Andy realized that the human papillomavirus could lead to dysplasia and even anal cancer.

Andy had a good deal of confidence in his HIV providers, but his quest to find better care for me and my HPV uncovered a sad truth about living in the U.S.:

The best anorectal HPV care is available only in a relatively small number of large cities in a minority of states, and the clinics that offer it don’t have the capacity to treat everyone who needs their services.
Getting a high resolution anoscopy (HRA) in just such a clinic had become a priority for Andrew. He’d had three surgeries to remove HPV-related growths and lab testing had twice indicated middle grade dysplasia. Meanwhile, he kept hearing that cancers not historically considered AIDS-related were being observed more frequently in HIV patients. The point was brought home when Andy was diagnosed with a basal cell carcinoma on his left shin. It was treated successfully, and he realized there wasn’t necessarily a direct connection, but all the same . . .

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