ASHLEY GALLARDO
Staff Writer
Whether the message has been seen on TV, read about in a magazine or written on posters taped to the walls of the doctor’s office, Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and its vaccination have received considerable attention recently. HPV is a sexually transmitted disease that is contracted through acts of intimacy, which includes not only intercourse, but also oral sex and, in rare cases, even skin to skin contact.
“We are hearing about the virus now because of the vaccine,” said registered nurse Barbara Stern of the Pepperdine Health Center. “This is the first anti-cancer vaccine manufactured.”
The HPV vaccination, which was created by Merck and Co., Inc, is actually called Gardasil. It is on the market and recommended to all girls as young as 11 years old. Women between 11 and 35 are the highest risk group to contract the virus.
Along with thousands of other viruses, Human Papillomavirus has always been present on Earth. There are more than 200 strains of HPV, and it was recently discovered that four of those strains cause cervical cancer. However, there is a preventable measure.
“The student health center offers the vaccine,” Stern said. “It’s a series of three shots and what we call a 0-2-4 schedule.”
The 0-2-4 schedule means that, after the patient is given the first shot, the second shot is given two months later and the third shot is given four months later.
Stern mentioned that cost is the biggest obstacle, with regard to the vaccination. Each of the three shots given in the Health Center costs $125, which is relatively cheap compared to the price at most other healthcare facilities.
Kevin Teehee, M.D. at the Malibu Emergency Clinic, said his facility offers the Gardasil vaccine for $250 for the first shot and $200 for the following two shots.
HPV has no symptoms, except for the strain that produces genital warts in both men and women. Women can only be tested for the cancerous strains of HPV through a pap-test. There is currently no screening available for HPV in males so it is important that the college-age group be informed of the risks that are now associated with all acts of intimacy.
“One-fourth of the sexually active population has herpes,” Teehee said. “One-fourth of the sexually active population has HPV. I strongly advise before initiating in sexual activity to make an appointment to be screened for STDs.”
STD screenings and pap-tests are available at both the Pepperdine Health Center and the Malibu Emergency Clinic. Both Stern and Teehee made it clear that they stand by the fact that abstinence is the best way to prevent contracting an STD.
While the Gardasil vaccine is a groundbreaking discovery, there are serious hesitations associated with receiving the immunization, due to the fact that it is so new. However, Stern assures that before a vaccine is released, it goes through all the necessary clinical trials. The vaccination is Food and Drug Administration approved and promoted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Which would you prefer — the unknown or knowing that you didn’t protect yourself and you got cancer?” Stern said.
Teehee said that, while he understands a patient’s concern, “the benefits at this point outweigh any risk.”
Students say they can see both the positives and negatives to the vaccination.
“On one hand, the vaccine just came out, so the results aren’t 100 percent, because the results haven’t been around long enough to know if it works,” said junior Jenna Lands. “But, on the other hand, if it works, why wouldn’t you get it?”
Stern said the medical philosophy behind the vaccine is that, in this day and age, it would be unnecessary for a person to die of Tetanus, given that there is a vaccination that prevents this from ever happening. At this point, the same goes for dying of cervical cancer.
Merck & Co. is working on getting Gardasil approved for men, according to an article from the Associated Press called “HPV tied to cancer in men.” HPV has recently been linked to oral cancer in men, so this vaccine could soon benefit the health of males, as well.
“What they’re trying to do is cure the cause of cervical cancer,” Stern said. “It’s not going to happen until everyone is immunized, which may not be until the next generation.”
While the Gardasil vaccination is pricey, it guarantees lifelong protection from contracting the four strains of HPV that lead to cervical cancer.
“We want patients to make a decision based on health, not cost,” Stern said.
She urges students to find out if their personal insurance covers the shot and to come in for the immunization.
Whether cervical cancer is in one’s future is now a choice, as Gardasil is the first vaccination in the history of medicine to eliminate a form of cancer.
02-21-2008
