Hypnosis & HPV Research – Human Papillomavirus

In 2009, researchers from Washington State University and Eastern Washington University studied the effect of hypnosis on human papillomavirus (HPV), which is the most common sexually transmitted diseases and can lead to cervical and other cancers. Hypnosis resulted in statistically significant reduction in areas and numbers of lesions. Hypnosis also was more effective than medical treatment in achieving complete clearance of warts.[9.1]

 References

9.1. Efficacy of Hypnosis in the Treatment of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) in Women: Rural and Urban Samples

Results: Both hypnosis and medical therapy resulted in a statistically significant (p < .04) reduction in areas and numbers of lesions. Yet, at the 12-week follow-up, complete clearance rates were 5 to 1 in favor of hypnosis.

Notes: This article investigates the effect of hypnosis on immunity and whether this is the key mechanism in the hypnotic treatment of the genital infection caused by human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV is the most common sexually transmitted disease and can lead to cervical and other cancers. Current medical treatments are aimed at tissue assault (acids, freezing, surgery). Medical wart clearance rates are only 30% to 70% and reoccurrence is common. This research contrasted hypnosis-only with medical-only therapies, using both urban hospital and rural community samples.

International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, Volume 58, Issue 1, 2009, Pages 102-121
By: Arreed Barabasz, Linda Higley, Ciara Christensen and Marianne Barabasz, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA, Eastern Washington University, Riverpoint, Washington, USA