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Hump Day: Gardasil's health benefits dubious
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Editor's Note: Since last January, "Hump Day" has sparked dialogue and lots of opinionated comments about sexual education by openly addressing topics from birth control to sex toys. We hope that by talking about sexual curiosities, we can lessen social taboos that often come attached to them. So, as a new semester begins, we're jumping right back in where "Hump Day" left off. Bring on the comments, outrage and, most importantly, questions. We're ready.
Dear Mary,
I heard on CNN that the HPV vaccine has been tested and shown effective in males. Now that the vaccine is available for men, I am confused about its importance. What exactly does it protect me from and how important is it that I get the vaccine?
- Vaccine Vexed
Dear Vaccine Vexed,
I, too, just learned the Food and Drug Administration advisory committee's almost unanimous decision to approve Merck's Gardasil vaccine for use in male patients. And I admire how quickly you inform yourself about issues of your health and well-being.
However, I don't think throwing a few hundred dollars Merck's way for a few injections of Gardasil will actually contribute to your overall health and wellness.
First of all, let's pin down what exactly the HPV acronym means for you.
Human papillomavirus, or HPV, is a skin-to-skin sexually transmitted virus with more than 100 distinct strains. The American Social Health Association estimates that nearly three out of four sexually active people will have an HPV infection in their lifetimes.
This statistic may sound alarming, but what Merck would hate for you to know is that the majority of these infections are benign and most clear up without treatment.
Some serious, less common strands cause genital warts, while other strands may lead to cancer. However, most strains cause no illness at all.
As the FDA's approval stands now, Gardasil is only approved for use in males as a vaccine against genital warts.
Genital warts are a nonfatal, treatable symptom of certain HPV infections. Genital warts "appear as growths or bumps, flesh-colored or whitish in appearance, and usually do not cause itching, burning or pain," according to the American Social Health Association.
Although genital warts are not curable, the majority of people with them have an initial episode with no subsequent outbreaks. And only 1 percent of genital wart-causing HPV infections ever lead to "clinically obvious warts," according to a 2005 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Dermatology.
Gardasil has proven effective at preventing genital wart infections in clinical trials.
However, the importance put on this issue far surpasses the actual risk that HPV and genital warts pose for our sexually active population.
Gardasil is approved for use in women for the prevention of cervical cancer caused by HPV. While it is true that 70 percent of cervical cancer cases are caused by a specific HPV infection, it is also a known fact that the few women in the U.S. who are diagnosed with cervical cancer - and the even fewer who die of cervical cancer - are almost always women who did not have access to receive proper health care. This is because routine health screenings, like Pap tests, are proven to find the cell precursors to cervical cancers, which can be treated.
For women in America who receive proper health care, an HPV vaccine, in many instances, is a waste of money.
So for men in America, the whole HPV scare is only a few steps above silly. While I'm not saying Gardasil won't be effective at preventing genital warts (and fattening Merck's net worth), I will urge you to consider other options. Save your $300 or so, buy some condoms and work to prevent the transmission of infectious diseases that can actually have a noticeable effect on your life and well-being.
Additional information:
Genital warts in a neonate as a possible sign of abuse Cortlandt
Genital wart Dermatology Image Atlas: Dermatology Images
Dr John Wishart Dermatologist Warts Healthpoint
Depilatory cream vs. shaving: does it influence recurrences of
Green Tea Extract Treats Genital Warts The Dermatology Blog
American Chronicle Gential Wart Treatment Acclaimed by
Warts Genital (Diagnosis)
Genital warts Disease, Dermatology FitSugar Fitness, Health
Treatment And Diagnosis Of Genital Warts Skin Tags Freckles
Pulsed dye laser versus podophyllin resin in treatment of female
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