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HPV VirusSante Public Woodline Gedeon HPV Abstract This research is about the Human Papillomavirus also known as HPV. This research will be explaining how serious it is when it comes to how many people are affected by the virus worldwide and within the U.S, and the measure one can take to prevent themselves from getting the virus. I will be using several peer reviewed journal such as the American Journal of Public Health, The Internet Journal of Academic Physician Assistants, Gynecologic Oncology , Journal of the National Cancer Institute to prove my point. Introduction I was about 21 years old when I learned from my primary physician, Dr. Jennifer Negrin, about the importance of the HPV Vaccine and the relation it has with cervical cancer which is known as the second type of cancer killer among women. It is not a virus that is only base in the United States but it is worldwide. According to a recent survey, about 300,000 of women are killed on a yearly basis. Within the US, about 20 millions of people both men and women are affected with the Virus which is “a recent study estimated that 26.8% of US women are infected with some form of HPV, meaning that 1in 4 US women aged14 to 59 years is infected with this sexually transmitted virus that in some forms can cause cervical cancer” (Balog, 2009). Who gets HPV? “The term HPV encompasses a group of more than100 viruses; 30 are sexually transmitted.” (Balog, 2009).Women are not the only people that can be affected with this virus; both heterosexual and homosexual men can also be affected by the virus. It can lead to several different type of cancer such as “cancer in the cervix, vulva, vagina, anus, or penis” (Balog, 2009). The virus can cause men to have warts. HPV can be transmitted during sexual activity; it can be through both vaginal and anal sex. Sometimes the disease does not present any symptoms or signs, so therefore the infected person does not know that he/she has the HPV virus. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, “at least 50% of sexually active people will get HPV at some times in their life.” HPV is a serious problem in the U.S because the U.S Department of Health and Human Services stated that about half of young women who are between the age of 18 and 22 are infected with the virus. The reason young people are the most affected with the virus it is because of lack precautions such as not using condoms on a regular basis during sexual intercourse, they started having sex at an early age, and also they have multiple sexual partners or is involved with someone who has multiple sexual partners. Prevention There are several ways that HPV can be prevented and the key factor is Education which has several categories that fall under it. Educating teenagers at an early age, explain to them about HPV because with my own experience, I feel like there is a lack of education in this topic. When I was in High school, which I graduated in 2005, I heard about sexual transmitted infections (STIs) but they didn’t really goes into specific details about how serious and dangerous those infections can be, and when it comes to HPV, I saw the commercial regarding the vaccine a year later and I didn’t really focus on it. Parent should take charge in educating their child about the virus. Educating the youth includes several factors such as: practicing abstinence, which is by far, is the best prevention in a country like the United States where only 5% practice abstinence, which means 95% of people are having premarital sex. A great amount of focus should be on the use of condoms because if people were having protected sex, 20 millions of people living in the U.S would not be infected with some sort of HPV. The use of condoms can lower the risk of getting HPV but it does not protect skin related STIs such as herpes. Another way to prevent HPV is by getting the vaccination called Gardasil, which is the only vaccine approved by the FDA designated to prevent from HPV but will not cure anyone if you were already infected, and also it will not protect anyone from STDs such as Syphilis, HIV, and Gonorrhea. The reason a lot of women died from cervical cancer, it is because not everyone is able to afford the shots offered to reduce the risks of catching the virus. They are 3 injections recommended for the vaccine in order to be effective during a 6 month period, and each injection cost about $200 each if you don’t have insurance but with most insurance, it is free of charge. The best way to prevent and protect yourself from the virus if you are sexually active is to get a routine PAP SMEAR every year, it is one the best way for early detection of the virus and also to be sure of yourself. People who are already infected with some sort of HPV can get treated through medications prescribed by a physician or laser treatment. Conclusion Overall HPV is very severe and I believe the same way the US have mandatory laws for young children to get vaccinated in other to prevent certain disease, I believe the US Department of Healthcare and services should make it mandatory for young people to get vaccinated at an early age. The reasons that I believe that they are a lot of death caused by the virus is because the population is not educated enough on the topic and also lack of self-love; the reason I said lack of self- love is because if I love myself enough, I will know that it is my responsibility to protect myself from certain things that can be prevented and HPV can be prevented. One more thing that can encourage more people to get vaccinated is to reduce the price of the injections, make it mandatory and free of charge for everyone. The best education always starts at home but is also the duty of Public Health officers to find a better way to educate everyone regarding the virus. Citation Reference: Balog, Joseph E. (2009). The Moral Justification for a Compulsory Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Program. American Journal of Public Health Apr2009, Vol. 99 Issue 4, p616-622. DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2007.13165 Reference: Pincock Stephen (2009). Nubia Muñoz: defining the role of HPV in cervical cancer. Lancet (North American edition) v. 374 (November 7-13 2009) p. 1587. Reference: Huh Warner, Einstein Mark H., Herzog Thomas J., Franco Eduardo L (2010). What is the role of HPV typing in the United States now and in the next five years in a vaccinated population? Gynecologic Oncology Jun2010, Vol. 117 Issue 3, p481-485 Reference: Munsel Debra, Gray Christina, Reed Jennifer, Vasquez Jennifer, Vlasak Jeanette (2010). A study of women and mothers'- of- minor- age- daughters’ knowledge of HPV as well as the attitudes toward the HPV vaccine. The Internet Journal of Academic Physician Assistants July 2010, v7 i2, pNA Reference: F. Xavier Bosch, M. Michele Manos, Nubia Muñoz, Mark Sherman,Angela M. Jansen, Julian Peto, Mark H. Schiffman, Victor Moreno,Robert Kurman, Keerti V. Shan, International Biological Study on Cervical Cancer. JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute (1995) 87(11):796-802; doi:10.1093/jnci/87.11.796 Rubrique: Divers Auteur: Gedeon Woodline | Date: 27 Mars 2011 |
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