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PAST ISSUES

Little awareness about HPV on FPU campus

by Christiana Amesquita
Exchange Staff

     The new HPV vaccine, Gardasil, has not been purchased once by students at Health Services even though statistics say that women have an 80 percent chance of catching the virus, which can lead to cervical cancer by the age of fifty. Seventy-five percent of sexually active Americans will catch it in their lifetime. Yet a national survey and an informal survey on the FPU campus found little awareness about the virus among women.

     Health Services Director Lee Potter said, "Most students don't think about it, they are bombarded by so much information and at that age I was the same way." This is one of the reasons Health Services does not send multiple e-mails out about the vaccine. Potter believes that if students are "overloaded" with e-mails they will just delete them.

     Potter's efforts to promote awareness include discussing with young women who come in for reproductive health about HPV and a work in progress advertisement that will be put out for students to learn more about the virus.

     Gardasil is a vaccine given in the form of three shots over a course of six months. Each shot costs $150. According to Lynne Brookshire, Nurse Practitioner and also Medical Director of Health Services, this price is less than what most doctors can offer.

     Junior Tonya Faulkner, who knows about HPV, said, "A lot of students can't afford that. At our age, $150 is like three textbooks for me." Faulkner said she will wait until she can afford the vaccine in the future.

     Potter knows that $150 a shot is not always affordable to students on campus. "They don't have that much money and that's understandable."

     According to Brookshire the price of the vaccine should decrease within five years, but "there are a lot of young people who should get vaccinated before then."

     HPV, also known as the Human Papillomavirus, is the most common sexually transmitted virus according to ASHA. Brookshire said, "We've known it was around for a long time but only recently, research on HPV has shown that 99 times out of 100 it causes cervical cancer."

     In a national survey conducted by ASHA, 70 percent of women did not know that HPV could lead to cervical cancer and 76 percent didn't know what HPV was. An informal survey on campus showed that students did not know much about it either. 

     Sophomore Nyroni Wright, who had never heard of HPV, said, "There should be a rally or sermon or something." After Wright heard some statistics she added, "I'm definitely going to research it more online."

     Junior Mary Jellonek said she had seen some commercials about HPV but did not know much about it as well.  "I don't really think about it, I'm not that worried about it," Jellonek said.

     Potter, who looked back at her own youth, said, "You feel invincible and that nothing will happen to you, but when you get older you realize it could happen to you."

     Senior Rose Champagne who awaits the third shot of the vaccine has taken action against the risk of contracting an HPV virus. "I don't want to end up with cervical cancer [the vaccine] is a way to protect yourself and its ignorant not to get it done because it's so easily spread."

     If you feel that you don't know enough about HPV here is what you should know about it according to ASHA:
 

• The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is the name of a collection of viruses that can infect the skin. It's contracted skin to skin and not by body fluids. It can not be completely protected by condom use.

• Some infections can cause warts on the skin or genitals. Some never have warts or ones they can see, which makes it difficult to know if you have it.

• HPV can also lead to cell changes on the cervix, and if not caught during an HPV screening for several years, it can lead to cervical cancer.

• HPV can be contracted from one partner, it can be "dormant" and then unknowingly given to another sexual partner. Many men and women do not have symptoms of HPV, but can spread the virus to another partner.

• There are 100 HPV types, while 30 of them are sexually transmitted and cause genital HPV.

• In many cases, the immune system can keep the HPV virus under control.

• Request an HPV testing while receiving your yearly screening.

• The HPV test is done during a pap test and a small, soft brush is used to gather cervical cells. The cells are sent to a laboratory to be examined.

• Gardasil vaccine prevents cervical cancer and genital warts and is recommended for women ages 9-26. The vaccine is only been approved for women. There is no screening or vaccination for men at this time.  (CDC)

     For those with health insurance, Brookshire said students should call their family practitioner in order to see how their insurance covers the HPV vaccination. Or if under 18, NH provides free vaccinations in an effort to help decrease the spread of HPV. Depending on your health insurance, students could get the vaccine for a much cheaper price at home.

     Champagne said, "I only had to pay a $10 co-pay." Champagne's insurance covered the vaccination and significantly decreased the price with her family doctor.

     Health Services could provide the vaccine for students who may not be going home to see their own doctors for a while. According to Potter, having the vaccine available to students helps if family doctors do not "educate or advise" a student to use the vaccine and it also gives students the ability to make their own health choices.

     Potter and Brookshire would like students to be safe. Free condoms are always available at Health Services.

     Brookshire said, "Whatever your sexual preference is, condoms are a good thing to use."

     Students should contact Health Services with any other questions about HPV screening, Gardasil vaccination or any other information.