My pleasure Laurie, it's what I'm here for my dear. Generally it takes around two years for your body to clear an HPV infection, however it's been found that it actually takes longer to clear HPV 16 which is the usual culprit in Oral, Cervical, Skin, Penile, and Anal cancers.
There is a lot we still have to learn about HPV, transmission, vaccination, treatments etc, however it is believed that it can be bounced back and forth between couples (even if one is testing clear of the virus) for decades and only becomes a problem when the immune system is overtaxed or compromised.
So this is where taking care of yourself through "proper maintenance" is key, exercise and nutrition is paramount, as well as stress management and overall emotional wellbeing. Sadly nutrition and exercise in our society are almost like dirty words or a strange fetish, however they are very important for overall physical, mental and emotional wellbeing.
The more I've researched nutrition the more I understand the importance of it as well as how poorly understood it is among our medical professionals, they are sadly poorly educated on it and are generally a poor resource to turn to, particularly in a cancer patients case.
Making sure that your husband has a good diet with plenty of fruits and veggies, lean proteins, and good sources of mono & polyunsaturated fats, keeping the Omega 6 to Omega 3 fatty acids in a close ratio (most Americans are a sad 20/1 or higher where it should be at or below 3/1). Balancing out the diet to close macronutrient ratios (carbs, proteins, fats) and cutting out foods that raise the blood sugar levels, like simple starches, sugars, and processed white flours and other processed foods. Little known fact, 20% of all cancer deaths are caused by malnutrition, not the cancer nor the treatment of.
Many also discount the effects of physical exercise, which is very important in balancing hormone levels, particularly cortisol and testosterone (studies show physical exercise is as effective as antidepressants at treating depression), circulation, cardiovascular health, lean muscle mass percentage (studies show that there is a direct correlation between lean muscle mass percentage and survival rates in cancer). There are other countless benefits to physical activity however it is paramount to keeping a healthy immune system.
Lastly there are natural plants and herbs used as "home remedies" that have been shown in small studies to be effective antivirals, however PLEASE NOTE that any supplement, herb or any home remedy should be discussed with your physician before using.
Turmeric, Lemon Balm, Astragalus, Echinaechea, Olive Leaf Extract, Pau D'Arco are all well known antivirals that have been used in Chinese and herbal medicines for a very long time. There is also dangers in using herbs, like Pau D'Arco is toxic in high dosages and all of the above have some interactions with prescription drugs so it's important to research and work with your medical professional if you go this route.
Personally I take some of the above (turmeric, lemon balm, astragalus and a small amount of Pau D'arco) as part of my nutritional regiment however I also work very closely with my Primary Care Provider and am really good friends with my pharmacist...my sister-in-law is also a pharmacist so I use her as a reference too. The University of Maryland Medical Center has a great website as well to research supplements, herbs etc and I use it often.
Hope that helps, keep your chin up
Eric
