More on the HPV Vaccine
October 23, 2006 | Leave a Comment
The November 2006 issue of Glamour (page 114) has a short Q&A about the newly-released HPV vaccine, the vaccine that will prevent HPV-caused cervical cancer. I’ve summarized it here since I could not find the entire article online (I feel this is important information to be shared).
Two basic facts about HPV
About the vaccine
According to Glamour, the current vaccine blocks the two strains that cause the majority of cervical cancer, along with two strains that cause genital warts. A vaccine scheduled for approval in 2007 could offer better cancer protection but no protection against warts.
The vaccine is recommended for women ages 11-26. Since the idea of the vaccine is prevention (it is not a cure), younger women who may not have been exposed to the virus will benefit most. Sexually active women in their late 20s are assumed to have been exposed to the virus already, in which case prevention by proper condom usage and detection through regular Pap smears are recommended. But feel free to ask your doctor about the vaccine even if you’re 27 or older. There are exceptions to every rule.
Even if you get the vaccine, this doesn’t mean you can skip condom usage or regular Pap smears. The vaccine protects against the two strains of HPV that cause 70% of cervical cancer, not all cervical cancer. Detection is still the best tool to surviving this very deadly cancer.
Health insurance will probably cover your costs if you’re under 27. If you’re not covered by your insurance, expect to pay around $360 for the series of three shots.
Help other women get vaccinated
Cervical cancer (not breast cancer) is the number-one deadliest cancer for women in developing countries because they don’t have access to health services like regular Pap smears (and Pap smears are the only way of detecting this particular cancer as it develops). Since countless women could be saved by the new vaccine, you can make a donation to help. PATH.org is an international health organization that will put your funds to good use. Read about their HPV vaccine program here.
Get Tested for Bacterial Vaginosis
October 2, 2006 | Leave a Comment
In a short piece from page 110 of the May 2003 Glamour, women are advised to ask their gynecologist to test for bacterial vaginosis (BV) with every visit. Half the women with BV don’t have symptoms. Left untreated it can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease and cause premature delivery if you’re pregnant. The article recommended the POCkit BV quadro, an in-office test covered by most insurance plans that has a 98 percent accuracy rate.
(my comments below)
BV is treatable with a short dose of antibiotics. But you can never be immune, which is why it’s important to be tested every time you go in for an exam.
BV is not a disease, per se; it’s an imbalance in the natural yeast and bacteria within the vagina. Sexual activity is generally blamed for the infections, but some women are more prone to these imbalances than others. Douching can also cause BV (by creating an imbalance within the vagina), and there are other possible causes that aren’t yet pinpointed.
For more information on BV, read the CDC page. One book that explores BV (and other problems) in-depth is The V Book by Elizabeth G. Stewart and Paula Spencer.
