FitSugar

Gardasil Vaccine For Your Girl?

LilSugar — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 05:00:00 PDT

The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) has become so widespread that there are doctors who compare it to the common cold. While some forms cause cervical cancer, others result in genital warts. According to the American Cancer Society:

In the United States, over 6 million people (men and women) get an HPV infection every year. Almost half of the infections are in people between 15 and 25 years of age. About one-half to three-fourths of the people who have ever had sex will have HPV at some time in their life.

To see what the ACS recommends,

read more. Though the only way to prevent HPV is abstinence, a vaccine prevents some forms that cause cervical cancer. So, the ACS recommends that to be most effective, the vaccine should be given to females before they are sexually active and in a series of 3 doses within 6 months starting with girls as young as nine-years-old. Would you let your girl get the vaccine? Source

Should Boys Shoulder the Burden, Too?

DearSugar — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 13:00:00 PST

A weekend New York Times article is still on my mind. It alerted readers to the possibility of Gardasil - the much talked about HPV vaccine for the prevention of cervical cancer - being administered to young boys as further protection for females. It's widely known that men can carry the virus without any knowledge of it, leading to easy and inadvertent exposure to their partners. According to the article:

By 2009, the vaccine could be approved for boys as well. Although Gardasil also protects against genital warts, which are not life threatening, the primary reason to extend approval to boys would be to slow the rates of cervical cancer. Public health folks charmlessly call this “herd immunity.”

While I have my own reservations about newly released vaccines and drugs, I find the idea of boys taking responsibility for sexually related concerns refreshing. What are your thoughts? Do you think boys should shoulder the burden, too?

Source

Stressed Out? It May Cause Cervical Cancer

FitSugar — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 02:00:00 PST

I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news but a new study shows that stress could play a role in causing cervical cancer. HPV, the sexually transmitted STI that can cause genital warts, is also a main cause of cervical cancer. A good percentage of sexually active women will get HPV sometime in their lives, but 90 percent will get rid of the virus without it causing any problems. For the other 10 percent, this new study suggests that feeling stressed may have something to do with it. Why? When you're under stress, your immune system is less likely to have the ability to fight off illnesses and disease. Stressed out women who were part of the study showed an impaired response to HPV.

This doesn't mean that if your work or day-to-day life is stressing you out that you're automatically going to contract cervical cancer. More research is definitely needed, but in the meantime it'd be a good idea to try and decrease the amount of stress in your life. Take a hot bath, a relaxing yoga class, have a soothing cup of tea, read a book, get a massage, or go on a wellness retreat. You'll feel better mentally and physically.

Fit's Tips: If you're sexually active, and not in a mutually monogamous relationship, then you may want to think about getting Gardasil, the cervical cancer vaccine.

Source

News to Me: The Pill Causes Slight Risk of Cervical Cancer

DearSugar — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 08:00:00 PST

Knowing that so many of you take birth control pills, I thought you'd want to hear the latest news. A recent British study shows that when you take oral contraceptives, you are slightly increasing your risk for developing cervical cancer. The good news is that when you stop taking the pill, after ten years that small risk disappears.

This study showed that out of 1,000 women who didn't use the pill, 3.8 would develop cervical cancer by age 50. Out of 1,000 women who did use the pill, only 4.5 women would develop cervical cancer. This shows that taking birth control pills raises a woman's risk only barely, but doesn't pose a huge risk as previously thought.

This is great news for women who were concerned about oral contraceptives and the negative effects on their bodies. It's still very important to continue regular screenings for cervical cancer, especially since 70% of all cervical cancers are caused by HPV, which is a sexually transmitted virus.

Dear's Advice: Don't lose sleep worrying about your risk of cervical cancer while on the pill. If you have any questions about any other possible health risks, talk to your gynecologist.

Source

What's the Deal With the Cervical Cancer Vaccine?

DearSugar — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 13:00:53 PST

Have you heard about Gardasil? It's a vaccine that prevents cervical cancer, but it only protects you against the type that is caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), the same HPV that causes genital warts.

First off, let me tell you a little bit about HPV. It's an STI that can be transmitted through vaginal, anal, or oral sex. It can manifest itself in flesh-colored warts that show up one to eight months after you become infected. However, some people infected with HPV have no symptoms at all, which means they could pass it on without even knowing it. Now that's just scary.

Aside from causing genital warts, if a woman has HPV and it doesn't go away on its own, it's possible that the virus can cause abnormal cells to develop in the lining of her cervix. If not discovered early and treated, these abnormal cells can turn into cervical cancer.

So what's the deal with the Gardasil vaccine? To find out

read more If you get vaccinated with Gardasil, it will only help to protect you against four types of HPV (types 6, 11, 16, 18). These types are linked to 70 percent of cervical cancers and 90 percent of genital warts, but the vaccine won't prevent all types of cervical cancer or genital warts. Also, you should know that taking this vaccine isn't a cure if you've already been diagnosed with genital warts or cervical cancer. It can be given to girls as young as nine years old, and any woman can get the vaccine if she is sexually active and feels at risk. Dear's Advice: If you are not in a monogamous relationship with someone you know is HPV-free, getting Gardasil may be a good idea for you. Talk to your doctor about it, and be sure to see your gyno for regular cervical cancer screenings. Source

A Test That's Better Than the Pap?

FitSugar — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 02:00:00 PDT

Women have been getting Pap tests for over 60 years to test for cervical cancer. Now two studies show that the test that detects HPV, a virus that can cause certain types of cervical cancer, may be far more effective at catching malignancies.

One of the studies tested more than 10,000 women between the ages of 30 and 69. The HPV test detected 94.6% of the abnormal growths that lead to cervical cancer, while the Pap test only found 55.4%. If both tests were used together, 100% of the growths were found.

The HPV test still requires a sample of your cervical cells (yes, they use the stirrups and the speculum), but if your doctor recommends getting both tests, she can do them both at the same time.

The only thing about this HPV test is that it has a slightly higher rate of false positive readings, and it's not as effective in younger women. I also found that the HPV test isn't always covered by health insurance, so if you want the test, you may end up paying for it yourself.

Right now, using this HPV test as the primary screening tool instead of the Pap test is not FDA approved. Who knows though? Down the road the Pap test may be replaced by the HPV test, and because it's so effective, it may only need to be performed every 3-5 years. This is great news for those of us who despise our annual exams.

Fit's Tips: Gardasil is a vaccine used to prevent certain types of HPV. Sexually active women who are not in a monogamous relationship may want to think about getting the vaccine, although it should be noted that it doesn't prevent all types of cervical cancer, so gyno visits are still necessary.

Source

Merck Is Donating Gardasil

FitSugar — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 02:00:00 PDT

It is easy to take your annual gyno exam for granted. It is one of those preventive measures you suffer through once a year. We are really lucky to have such easy access to the diagnostic pap smear since cervical cancer, caused by a sexually transmitted virus, is the second leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide! The majority of the 250,000 annual deaths worldwide occur in poor nations, where women rarely receive pap smears to detect cervical cancer early, when it is most curable.

On a more positive note, Merck, maker of Gardasil the cervical cancer vaccine, will be donating three million doses of their vaccine to the Clinton Global Initiative. The vaccines will be distributed to countries in need over the next five years, inoculating one million women, since the vaccine is given three times over a six month period.

In our increasingly "global economy," it is uplifting to see an international philanthropic gesture for a woman's health issue.

And you? I am wondering if any of you have gotten the Gardasil vaccine? Please share your experience in the comments section below. I, for one, would love to hear it.

Source

Gardasil: Cervical Cancer Vaccine

FitSugar — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 03:00:00 PST

Wow - am I glad I have TiVo because I had to rewind this one. Did I hear correct? A commercial advertising a vaccine for cervical cancer?

Yup. It's true. And being vaccinated with Gardasil could also help protect you against most cases of genital warts.

Of course there's a disclaimer that says, "Gardasil may not fully protect everyone and does not prevent all types of cervical cancer, so it is important to continue regular cervical cancer screenings."

And taking this vaccine isn't a cure if you've already been diagnosed with it. It's only for women ages 9-26. And you can't get the vaccine if you are pregnant. This is revolutionary and could help save the lives of so many women. I can't help thinking this is a great idea after watching last week's Grey's Anatomy.

SNL Imagines a Way to Vaccinate Little Girls Against HPV

Annie Scudder — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 11:10:49 PDT

The writers of Saturday Night Live's fake commercials have come up with a product that could end HPV: Lil Poundcake, a doll that administers the Gardasil vaccine to unsuspecting girls under the age of 10. Melissa McCarthy rocked her first hosting appearance this Saturday, but between watching the recent Emmy winner give it her all alongside Bridesmaid costar Kristen Wiig, we couldn't help but laugh at this vaccine-injecting doll. The spot channels recent debates and misinformation about the HPV vaccine, which can prevent cervical cancer, as some find it problematic to vaccinate young girls against an STD. Check it out.

Why HPV Is Suddenly a Man's Problem, and What That Means For Women

Colleen Barrett — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 12:50:13 PST

HPV is a tricky STD. It's largely been considered a woman's problem, because its most well-known effect is cervical cancer in women. But suddenly, HPV in men is making headlines not only for causing oral cancer but also anal, penile, head, and neck cancer.

Last week I told you not to freak out, because only a few strains cause cancer, but with another headline today - 50 percent of men have HPV - it's hard not to be concerned. The problem is HPV is so complex, it's hard to portray the true risk: its symptoms range from nothing to a wart on a foot to genital warts to deadly cancer. I am staunchly against nonspecific, fear-based sex ed, but I don't want to be unrealistic about an STD that has the potential to do harm.

So why suddenly has HPV become a man's problem? Science did not just discover it causes mouth, throat, anal, and penile cancer - the National Cancer Institute cites a 2002 study for that fact - but suddenly it's everywhere. Why the media blitz?

In December, Merck, the manufacturer of the HPV vaccine Gardasil, got the FDA's blessing to market the vaccine for the prevention of anal cancer. This opened up a huge market of men, particularly gay men (even though you don't have to have anal sex to get anal cancer through HPV). So, yes, there's a pharmaceutical company behind the media push, but that doesn't mean it's not worth taking seriously. Because, even though the FDA agrees with the drug manufacturer, US health officials have not recommended the vaccine for boys and young men. The result? Doctors aren't ordering it for boys and young men, and patients don't know to ask.

When the vaccine came out in 2007, there was some initial fear that it would give young women a false sense of security, but the truth is it helps prevent four troublesome strains. Find out which below.