Could 1 in 4 Women be Infected with HPV?
Monday, May 14, 2007
Nancy L. Brown, PhD
In case you are still struggling with the question of whether or not to have your teen daughters vaccinated against HPV, there was another report that may encourage you to make the first (of three) appointments. A February article in USA Today reported that one in four U.S. women ages 14 to 59 is infected with HPV, the sexually transmitted virus associated with cervical cancer. The highest prevalence is in women ages 20 to 24, which includes the age range that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends should receive the new HPV vaccine, Gardasil. The study they cite was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) which was conducted in 2003-2004 with 1,921 women. The results suggest that the highest risk group for HPV is young, sexually active women.
Previous related posts: New Hampshire & HPV; New HPV Vaccine
Photo credit: euthman
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Labels: HPV
2 Comments:
At Mon Jun 04, 09:40:00 AM 2007,
Anonymous said…
I BELIEVE THAT ANYONE WHO HAS HEARD ABOUT GARDASIL SHOULD DEFINETILY CONSIDER IT FOR THAMSELVES OR FOR THEIR TEENAGE DAUGHTERS.
WHY? WELL HERE'S MY STORY.
YOU KNOW, IT'S FUNNY THEY TEACH US TO BE SAFE AND TO NOT HAVE SEX IN SCHOOL BECAUSE YOU COULD BECOME INFECTED WITH SOMETHING. I BELIEVED IT BUT I NEVER THOUGHT THAT I WOULD BECAUSE I WAS SMARTER THAN THAT AND I WOULD KNOW TO USE PROTECTION.THEN MY FIRST YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL I MET SOMEONE WHO I THOUGHT I LOVED. DON'T GET ME WRONG, I DID WITH ALL OF MY HEART AND WE REALLY CARED ABOUT EACH OTHER DEEPLY. WE THOUGHT THAT WE WOULD NEVER END. WE WERE BOTH ALSO VIRGINS (FROM WHAT I WAS TOLD) AND AFTER A GOOD 7 MONTHS WE BOTH DECIDED TO HAVE SEX. PROTECTION WAS USED BUT THEN AFTER A WHILE I GOT ON THE PILL AND WE STARTED HAVING UNPROTECTED SEX. I TRUSTED HIM AND I HONESTLY DID NOT THINK THAT I WAS GOING TO CATCH ANYTHING. THEN AFTER A YEAR AND A HALF, WE BROKE UP. AFTER THAT MY MOM DECIDED TO TAKE ME TO GET A PAP DONE AND THEY HAD FOUND THE TESTS TO COME BACK ABNORMAL.YOU KNOW, I'M ONLY 16 YEARS OLD AND I CAN SAY THAT I DO HAVE THE VIRUS. AND WHEN FIRST FINDING OUT ABOUT IT, I WAS SHOCKED. I COULDN'T BELIEVE THAT ME OUT OF ALL PEOPLE HAD JUST BECOME ANOTHER STATISTIC. I'M ONLY 16 YEARS OLD AND HAVE ONLY BEEN WITH ONE PERSON. AND THAT'S ALL IT TOOK.
NOW I HAVE TO LIVE WITH UNCERTAINTY AND I QUESTION MANY THINGS. THIS COMING UP MONTH I HAVE TO GO GET CHECKED OUT AGAIN AND MY DOCTOR ALREADY TOLD ME THAT I WILL HAVE TO GO AND GET SURGERY DONE NOW TO TAKE ALL THE CANCEROUS CELLS FROM MY CERVIX. I MEAN YOU KNOW IT STILL IS AT AN EARLY STAGE THANK GOD, BUT, I STILL LIVE WITH REGRET. AND NOW THAT I SEE THAT THERE'S VACCINES, IT MAKES ME SO HAPPY TO KNOW THAT IT COULD PREVENT A LOT OF GIRLS OUT THERE FROM BECOMING INFECTED WITH THE VIRUS. AND IF ANYONE OUT THERE WHO'S READING THIS AND YOU HAVE A TEENAGE DAUGHTER OR EVEN A YOUNG GIRL WHO'S NINE, I STRONGLY DO RECOMMEND THAT YOU GET YOURSELF AND YOUR CHILDREN VACCINATED. PLEASE. I KNOW SOME PEOPLE THINK THAT IT'S JUST GIVING KIDS THE THOUGHT THAT THEY CAN HAVE SEX AND THAT IT'S OKAY TO, BUT WE ALL KNOW HOW KIDS ARE. EVEN THE REALLY GOOD KIDS. I'M A STRAIGHT A STUDENT AND LOOK AT ME NOW. YOU KNOW? AND ALSO, THINK ABOUT THE GIRLS THAT GET MOLESTED OR RAPED, THEY MAY JUST HAPPEN TO GET TOUCHED BY THE WRONG GUY WHO IS INFECTED AND DOESN'T EVEN KNOW IT OR MAY JUST NOT CARE. ANYONE IS A TARGET. ANYONE.
At Mon Jun 18, 04:09:00 PM 2007,
Nancy L. Brown, PhD said…
Thank you for sharing this story and I am so sorry that you have had to experience this, especially since you are so young.
I am glad that your mom was there for you, and really appreciate you telling others how important it is to use condoms, to protect yourself from sexually transmitted infections, every time you have sex, and with every partner, no matter what he says about his sexual history.
You are strong, brave, and self-reflective - and will find success. Be well!
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