Summing it all up...

Cancer will at touch all of us and some point in our lives.  Some of us will become intimate with the disease and battle it ourselves, while other will experience the disease thru family members and friends.  Cervical cancer in particular is the second leading cause of death among 20 and 39 year old females in the United States (ACS, 2013).  Even with the availability of vaccinations and testing mechanisms awareness about HPV among young adults is still lacking. 

The human papilloma virus (HPV) is one of the most commonly sexually transmitted diseases yet, 32% of young adults do not know HPV is a sexually transmitted disease, 33% of college students have not heard of HPV, only 27% of young adults are aware of the prevalence of HPV (Brewer and Fazekas, 2007; Anhans, Goodman, and Goldie, 2007).  Additionally, 86.3% of young adults are unaware that they could be carrying the HPV virus and not even know it (Trad, Reardon, and Caraveo, 2013).

While these facts are troublesome, it is my hope that my blog on cervical cancer has increase your awareness of the disease, provided you information on detection and prevention, as well as the importance of talking about the disease.  It is only thru educating ourselves that we will be able to try to stay one step ahead of a disease that has taken the lives of some many of those will love and care for.

References:

American Cancer Society.  (2013).  Cancer facts & figures.  Retrieved from http://www.cancer.org/acs/groups/content/@research/ documents/webcontent/acspc-042151.pdf

Anhang, R., Goodman, A., & Goldie, S. J.  (2004).  HPV communication: review of existing research and recommendations for patient education.  CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, 54, 248-259.  doi: 10.3322/canjclin.54.5.248.

Brewer, N. T. & Fazekas, K. I. (2007). Predictors of HPV vaccinr acceptability: a theory-informed, systematic review.  Preventative Medicine, 45, 107-111.  doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2007.005.013

Trad, M., Reardon, R. F., & Caraveo, D. (2013).  Understanding HPV and the future implications of contracting the virus.  Radiologic Technology, 84, 457-466.  Retrieved from http://www.radiologictechnology.org/content/84/5/457

The HPV Controversy....

The consideration of making the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine mandatory brought about much controversy.  The controversy lies in whether or not making the vaccine mandatory inadvertently suggests a false sense of security suggesting having sexual activity after being vaccinated regardless of age at the time is “ok” as well as the removal of parental autonomy and the ability to decide for or against vaccination.  With that being said, let me inform you of some of the pros and cons of the HPV vaccine so you yourself can make a more informed decision when it comes to HPV vaccination.

Pros:

• The HPV vaccine can prevent most cases of cervical cancer in females if it is given prior to exposure to HPV.
• The HPV vaccines currently available (Gardasil and Ceravix) one of which is for both males and females and guards against the strains of HPV that have been found to cause 70% of cervical cancer cases and 90% of genital warts which are a sign of HPV (CDC, 2012)
• The United States Food and Drug Administration and the Centers have approved the vaccine for Disease Control and Prevention.

Cons:

• The HPV vaccine does not protect against all strains of the HPV virus.
• Some individuals may feel as though the recommended age of 11-12 years of age is too young be vaccinated against a virus that is acquired through sexual contact and may not vaccinate their child prior to the onset of sexual activity.
• The HPV vaccine may provide females with a false sense of security against sexually transmitted diseases and cervical cancer.

Reference:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  (2012).  HPV vaccine information for clinicians- Fact sheet.  Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/std/hpv/stdfact-hpv-vaccine-hcp.htm

Cervical Cancer Presentation

Good Afternoon,

The following video is a short clip of a presentation I did on on cervical cancer.  

There are a few things I could have done to enhance this presentation including setting up the introduction video better, speaking louder, and having more eye contact with my audience.

Thank you for taking the time to watch my video.

Sincerely,
Irma C

The HPV Vaccine

     Every sexually active individual is at risk of contracting HPV.  In most cases the person’s immune system will take charge and fend of the virus itself, but for 30% of the population this will not be the case (Saslow et al., 2002).  To your minimize the risk of being one of the 30%, you can choose to be vaccinated against the HPV virus.  There are currently 2 FDA approved vaccines available in the United States, Gardasil and Ceravix, both of which are effective for approximately 10 years and have proven to decrease infection rates by 56% (CDC, 2014).  Ceravix is designated to be given to only females, whereas Gardasil can be administered to both males and females.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that males and females between the ages of 11-26 get vaccinated (CDC, 2014).   

References:

Center for Disease Control and Prevention.  (2013).  HPV vaccine- Questions & Answers.  Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/hpv/vac-faqs.htm

Saslow, D., Solomon, D. Lawson, H. W., Killackey, M., Kulasingam, S. L., Cain, J., Garcia, F. A… Myers, E. R. (2012).  American Cancer Society, American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology, and American Society for Clinical Pathology guidelines for the prevention and early detection of cervical cancer.  CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, 62, 147-172.  doi: 10.1309/AJCPTGD94EVRSJCG.