Doc's Blog
The Blog of Dr. Barry Slotky.
HPV Vaccination and Rates of Sexual Behavior in Young Women
In spite of unsubstantiated fears that the HPV vaccine would promote a greater amount of sexual activity in young girls and women receiving it, a study in the January, 2012, issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine showed that, of the 1243 women aged 15-24 who responded to a survey about HPV, there was no difference in either sexual activity or the number of sex partners between those women who did and did not receive the HPV vaccine. Patients in the study were more likely to have been vaccinated if they had insurance, and non-Hispanic blacks were less likely to have received the vaccine, regardless of their insurance status.
The good news is that the vaccinated girls and women were more likely to be regularly using condoms; the bad news is that vaccination rates are still low, and approximately 25% of girls 14-19 and almost 45% of young women 20-24 are already infected with the HPV virus.
By and large, HPV infection is a preventable disease. We would be glad to discuss any questions and concerns you might have about vaccinating your daughters and sons against this all too common problem; call for an appointment. Thanks to vaccinations, we never see patients with smallpox or polio in the office; we rarely have an office day, however, where we don't see HPV. What's keeping you from doing the right thing for your children?
HPV Vaccine for Boys
The CDC has recommended that all boys age 11-12 receive the HPV vaccine in order to prevent the risk of them developing anal and throat cancers and, as well, to decrease the risk of their transmitting the HPV virus to female partners. This is the same vaccine that is already approved for girls from 9-26 and has proven to decrease the risk of abnormal Pap smears and cancers of the cervix, vagina, and vulva. Articles about these CDC recommendation appeared on 10/26/11 in the New York Times, the Washington Post, USA Today, and the Wall Street Journal.
Sexual activity among young people is extremely common, and barrier contraception is not often used. In addition, there is a growing segment of this population that believes oral-genital sex is not the same as intercourse and that it is somehow a safer form of sexual activity. This incorrect assumption (along with sex between men) is a likely reason for the increase in anal and throat cancers caused by the HPV virus.
Besides preventing unwanted pregnancies, abstinence is the best way to prevent this disease transmission and the cancers that accompany it; for those that are sexually active or who will at some time become sexually active, vaccination against the HPV virus is the safest, smartest and most proactive choice. Our office is happy to answer your HPV questions and to help get these youngsters vaccinated; please call us.
25 Octobers of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
As you may know, October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM); what you may not know is that this October is the 25th anniversary of NBCAM. Take some time this month to reflect on your or your family’s experience with this all-too common killer: keep in mind and remember other women you know or knew with the disease.One of our patients recently published a book detailing her experience with breast cancer; visit my bookshelf for a link to her book I Am Still Here.
If you have not done so yet this year, take a moment and make an appointment for your mammogram; call us and we will be glad to facilitate getting it ordered at the location of your choice. To find out about the Pink Ribbon Challenge and how you can help underserved women obtain free mammograms, go to www.nationalbreastcancer.org.For more information on October breast cancer events or about breast cancer in general, go to www.nbcam.org. or the American Cancer Society at www.cancer.org.
Happy Anniversary, NBCAM! We all hope it won’t be much longer before a cure is found for breast cancer.
To Vaccinate or Not To Vaccinate
To vaccinate or not to vaccinate their children is an ongoing debate with parents. But, parents aren't the only ones debating vaccination.The HPV vaccine was brought up during the recent GOP debate and is discussed in this USA Today Editorial from September 18, 2011.
If you would like more information about HPV and the available vaccine, please call our office at 309-663-6338. We are more than happy to answer any questions you may have.
Fiber = Longer Life
A new study in the Archives of Internal Medicine shows that women from 50 -71 who eat a diet rich in whole grains, fruits, and vegetables yielding 26 grams of fiber a day were 22% less likely to die than those women eating lesser amounts of daily fiber. Specifically, they were less likely to die of heart disease, infections, and lung problems.
The study looked at almost 400, 000 men and women; men who ate 29 grams of fiber each day also lived longer.
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