Posted on 08/01/2007 11:01:53 AM PDT by mngran
Controversy continues to plague efforts to protect young women against cervical cancer by vaccinating them against HPV, the human papillomavirus, but one leading scientist's discovery could throw a monkey wrench into the debate.
"We found HPV under the fingernails of young men," said Dr. Laura Koutsky, a University of Washington epidemiologist.
Koutsky led some of the pioneering research and clinical trials that resulted in an HPV vaccine, Merck's Gardasil, recently approved for use in girls and young women. The reason her fingernail finding is a potential bombshell has to do with why the vaccine is controversial.
HPV, which is the leading cause of most cervical cancers, is primarily a sexually transmitted disease. Opponents of HPV vaccines believe that immunizing girls against this virus sends the message that engaging in sex at a young age is acceptable behavior.
The presence of HPV under fingernails, she said, at the very least suggests another possible route of transmission. It's an additional route of infection, she said, that could explain some previous apparent anomalies such as HPV infection in infants and young girls who had not yet engaged in sexual activity.
(Excerpt) Read more at seattlepi.nwsource.com ...
Oh.
HPV virus in men can cause health problems, too. The vaccine doesn’t work for them?
“It can increase a man’s risk of getting genital cancers, although these cancers are not common. HPV can also cause genital warts in men, just as in women.”
Or it may not, not to get too graphic about it. And it definitely doesn't suggest that there has been a long-term study of this vaccine's effects on . . . anyone at all! Talk about making a market for yourself by government fiat. Yeah, I trust your research.
Merck's been nailed for carelessness and a shallow research bench before. I wouldn't bet on that pony, thanks.
Many people feel that the vaccine itself carries too many risks.
Also, no one has to answer you. Parents make the decisions about what is best for their children here in America. Not overwrought “nannyism” bantering on about people they know who got had cancer.
Both are the siren call of the Moonbat Liberal.
Take it someplace else.
L
How did the HPV get under the fingernails of the young men..., Oh...
Divide and conquer. Make it a “women’s issue” even though HPV affects everyone. If men were also vaccinated, even in the absence of their own medical risks from HPV, it would protect even women who had not gotten the vaccine.
Well I now know how I got HPV in my nose, between my toes, and under my arms.
The key to your statement is as best they can. Have you seen the recent TV commercials from a lawyer trolling for "victims" of the dye used in kidney MRI's? There are many of us concerned about what we don't know about medical technology and what is put into our bodies. I will not subject my prepubescent daughter to a vaccine with little if any history of trials with children her age, certainly not following them through puberty and into their childbearing years. As best I can means educating her about the morality and consequences of sexual activity, NOT subjecting her to medical experimentation. Further, she STILL needs the behavior modification since the vaccine offers only partial protection.
Signed, DES baby. Yeah, been there, done that. Thank goodness I was male (but it might explain a few things - who can I sue?)
I didn’t say anything about having the nanny state force people to take the vaccine. I said I thought everyone should get this vaccine, and here’s more evidence why. But I’m sure posting is more fun for you if you can call me a moonbat and a liberal and an advocate of nannyism instead of thoughtfully considering new scientific evidence that may help save people’s lives.
AFAIK the vaccine doesn’t work on men.
Hey, if someone wants to do it because their family suffered, that is fine. But if you don’t want to, fine. But slamming someone for trying to encourage others is not “nannying,” its advice.
Have you had many family members die from cervical cancer? You know, all adult women have been advised for at least 30 years (long before the HPV/cancer connection was even hypothesized) to get annual Pap tests with prompt follow-up treatment for any irregular results.
It does, but the cancer risk to men is minimal, unless they're gay, which puts them at risk for anal and rectal cancers.
Btb, a recent study found HPV 16 in 25% of the tissue samples taken from 253 patients diagnosed with head and neck cancers, which suggests a strong link between HPV 16 and oral cancer. So, it's theoretically possible to catch HPV 16 from kissing.
HPV presents a much greater risk for women so the benefit of vaccinating them is much greater. Thus justifying spending more money on vaccinating them.
Men shouldn’t feel completely left out. Straight young men should receive some benefit from “herd immunity”.
Can you give an example of "head cancers"?
How about between your teeth and under your tongue???? ; )))
The men who are pushing the vaccine don't care about that.
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