Home
Common reproductive health problems among women which are often not discussed openly due to fears of stigma have made women in some areas of the country to resort to Female Genital Cutting/Mutilation (FGC/M) for treatment.
Such common infections reported by young and elderly women include bleeding during sex, genital sores, keloids, warts, awful discharges, and redness on the genitalia. The problems are also attributed to maternal/infants morbidity and mortality.
Some of these health problems came out during the interviews with women from various parts of Tanzania who congregated in Dar es Salaam for this year’s Gender Festival Week.
The women interviewed came from Kavambughu areas in Kilimanjaro Region, some from Loliondo in Arusha Region and from Dodoma, Morogoro and the Coast regions.
They were asked to narrate women particular reproductive health challenges in their areas and indicate some ways to mitigate them.
They mentioned that many grass root women suffer silently health problems of different nature including genital keloids as Kigwele Kilenga (56) from Kavambughu mentioned that she is a victim of such formations which developed in her genitalia as a result of raptures that occurred during child birth. In most cases she delivered at home.
Narrating further, she indicated that in most cases women do not report the problems to medical staff and the medical personnel hardly talk about them.
Some other women specific infections, according to her, is the burning and painful urine, genital herpes, ulcers and warts, bleeding during sex, yellow and brownish discharges associated with vaginal itching and awful smell.
Aloysia Mketo (not her real name) from Myiono in Bagamoyo District quickly supported her as she expounded: “many of these problems are neglected by the health officials and the local medical auxiliaries, they hardly talk about them. you found them shouting about use of advanced family planning methods but no word on bleeding during the intercourse, genital ulcers and the warts.”
Elemburisi , a Masai woman from Morogoro, shared her experience that these challenges seem to be taboos as a result women seek medical attention from “traditional gynaecologists” whose answers to the ailment are to remove some parts of the private areas which are infected without knowing that they are performing genital mutilation.
FGC/M can be carried out on girls, women in the reproductive age as well at old age depending on the seriousness of the genital problems of such nature.
Aloysia hinted that some coastal residents or ‘Coasterians’ particularly Wazaramo believe that actually genital warts which is called vikanga in their mother tongue, can kill an infant during child birth, and some disturb during sex particularly the big and cauliflower-like ones, thus local gynaecologists help in treatment by cutting them off.
They hinted that in most cases such challenges are attended to by local physicians who will prescribe removal of the areas of the genital which are infected or use of herbals.
According to web based information (about women health.com) Warts are common in human beings, and in men can grow on the private areas as it happens in women.
In women, genital warts may grow on the private areas and on the cervix. Medically genital warts are caused by a viral infection called human papilloma virus, the increased growth can however lead to development of cervical cancer. The genital warts are highly contagious sexually transmitted disease.
The Web hints that bleeding from the vagina either during or just after sexual intercourse is related to inflammation, presence of sexually transmitted infections or growth of tumour and cancer.
Itching and awful smelling in the female private areas are caused by too much growth of yeast/ fungus in women’s private parts some of the signs are yellow like discharge, swelling and pains of the female private area, all these ailments are preventable and curable.
Hilde Kiwasila, women advancement activist from the University of Dar es Salaam, had some comments on aspects of using FGC to cure common private areas’ medical problems which are not spoken in public.
She observed that although many people believe that FGC is associated with traditions and customs it is not always true, adding that in many parts of Tanzania where women specific health problems such as vaginal warts, genital herpes, and candida (fungus) are not exposed, sometimes FGC is done for “medical reasons.”
Quoting some research findings from Kilosa District in Morogoro region, Kiwasila hinted that the FGC study conducted in that area where you can find almost every tribe of the country revealed that cutting female genitals was advanced by local medical reasons and the treatment was undertaken by local gynecologists.
She noted that the University of Dar es Salaam Women’s Research and Documentation Project (WRDP) did a follow up and assessment study to evaluate the outcome of the massive awareness raising campaigns on anti-FGC in Kilosa.
“we found that new genital cuts after the awareness campaigns were not done on the cultural grounds either. In fact, research showed that the cutting was done to women from various tribes who traditionally do not support FGC. thus the reason was for medical grounds”
However, she said although some people still think that FGC is entrenched in traditions, the fact remains that it’s done on various causes, health being one of them.
Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey 2010 report, recorded that large number of women in areas some with large population such as Shinyanga, Manyara, Mwanza, Rukwa, Mara and Pemba reported huge cases of children home births. In the Isles, Pemba recorded the highest percentage of women delivering their children at home.
In North Pemba, for example, 75 per cent of pregnant women delivered their children at home, Rukwa registered 69.6 per cent, Shinyanga 66.7 per cent and Mara registered 65 per cent of home births.
Considering such figures it is likely that women specific reproductive health problems are likely not to be reported to medical professionals rather will end up in the hands of local gynacologists and traditional midwives, who will resort to local treatments such as FGC or use of herbals. The trend will accelerate infertility, maternal and infant mortality.
Kiwasila recommended that anti FGM awareness raising programmes should go alongside health education on women’s specific reproductive health problems such as genital warts, keloids and herpes. Communities should be informed that such diseases are curable and they should report them to doctors.
She challenged the government to ensure equitable access to basic health care to people in the grass root areas, calling upon various actors in the health sector to help people recognize illness and report them to doctors for treatment. on the hand the government should ensure availability and accessibility of sanitary pads and also subsidizing it in order to support grass root women.
The government has to ensure that community health officers/workers are properly engaged and supervised to do their duties. The health officers should teach women on such reproductive problems, advice them to go to hospital and always remind pregnant mothers to seek medical attention prior and after child delivery.
The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare should ensure that there are programmes and resources-(personnel, funds and medical supplies) to cater for such women reproductive health problems as a way to reduce the risk of women deaths associated with child delivery and lack of maternal and infant attention.
Are teenage girls too hot to handle?
The box-office success of The Inbetweeners Movie may have taken the film industry by surprise, but for many of its audience it was a no-brainer. A funny, frank film about adolescence that got everything right – the phoney, peer-pleasing, “street” jargon; the perpetually nagging fear of inadequacy, perked up by flashes of hope and well-oiled fantasy; the humiliations ladled out by bodies commanded by the whiff of sex. why wouldn’t film-lovers flock to see such a formative part of their lives recreated so authentically, to spend a couple of happy hours revelling in “thank God it’s not just me” camaraderie (for youngsters) or “thank God it’s over” nostalgia (for older ones)?
Well, one reason might be that they are female. many saw our male counterparts weep with laughter and recognition at The Inbetweeners, and thought: “I must dig out some DVDs that bring back memories of my hilariously embarrassing, hormone-addled schooldays.” A browse of the video cabinet and LoveFilm.com brought it home; there aren’t any British films meeting that need.
It’s not just genital-warts’n'all British teen comedies that steer clear of girls. It’s also rites-of-passage films, teen-scene hipster movies, hoodie horrors – you name it. as well as The Inbetweeners, in the recent past we’ve had Attack the Block, Neds, Harry Brown, Nowhere Boy and Submarine. further back there are This Is England, Sweet Sixteen, Billy Elliot, Trainspotting, Gregory’s Girl, Quadrophenia and Kes. right back to the angry young men of the early 1960s, British films about young people have almost always been about boys.
There are, of course, exceptions. But they’re rare. Which is why Andrea Arnold’s Fish Tank, Menhaj Huda’s Kidulthood, Gurinder Chadha’s Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging, Sandra Goldbacher’s Me without You and even the revived St Trinian’s comedies, perhaps the closest female equivalent to The Inbetweeners, stand out so alarmingly.
Piers Ashworth, the screenwriter of St Trinian’s, proudly describes the boarding school movies as “girl-power films” and claims: “We’d never ever seen that in British cinema before or since.” But he also admits his all-male team of writers did only “small amounts of research” because they weren’t especially concerned with hitting emotional or nostalgic chords. “These characters weren’t meant to be real. The parameters of a St Trinian’s film are already there – it has to be girls and they have to be sexy. this was a comedy about a group of archetypes really.”
To which Julie Burchill, whose candid 2004 teen novel Sugar Rush proved such a hit with young girls, offers a rather withering observation. “Teenage girls tend to be so beautiful and film directors, who are nearly always male, tend to be such lechers,” she says. “I think they probably have a real difficulty in seeing beyond the physical. Which probably doesn’t help character development or any of those little details which contribute to creating memorable heroines.”
Burchill may be being deliberately provocative, but it is true that when girls do appear in teen films they’re either soft-focus objects of desire, or all-too-sensible maternal moppers-up, there to emphasise the stupidity of their male peers.
We can usually find a reason to blame Hollywood for long-running, ostensibly lazy trends, but that doesn’t bear out in this case. though the idea of the teenager was based on American, male archetypes, from Huck Finn to James Dean in Rebel without a Cause, US cinema has since developed a lucrative girl-centred high school strand. But not even the popularity of Clueless, Juno, Mean Girls, Freaky Friday et al has been persuasive enough to inspire a copycat genre in the UK. We’ve been able to change the nationality of the American teenager, but rarely his gender.
It can’t simply be that British cinema is still dominated by male directors and writers who only want to tell male tales. Plenty of them feel comfortable enough tackling female characters once those characters have passed their 21st birthday. But while male film-makers might feel they have some understanding of adult women, it seems the teenage girl remains shrouded in the intimidating mystique of their own baffled, frustrated adolescence.
Then there are matters of taste. The Inbetweeners chuckles at the sudden, rude exposure of boys’ nakedness, or scenes where they unwittingly leave their genitals hanging out of their trousers, but could we really go there with teenage girls? British film director Penny Woolcock thinks not. She still has a fax from a BBC producer regarding her ambitious plans for a 1996 production of Macbeth, that states: “There will be no menstrual blood on the BBC.” She believes the filmic taboo around female puberty is still firmly in place.
“In The Inbetweeners we laugh at the idea of boys masturbating, but we wouldn’t feel the same about girls.” he says. “And we certainly can’t be light-hearted about menstruation. But why not? I remember coming back on a plane from holiday once and getting this flood of a period. I didn’t have any tampons. I had to sit on a magazine all the way home with this blood soaking through my trousers on to the seat. I told that story to my friends and they all laughed. But there has never ever been a scene like that in British drama.”
Most female film theorists agree there has long been an instinctive division in British popular culture regarding teenagers, neatly summed up by Rachel Moseley, who lectures on teen drama at the University of Warwick, as “private female, public male”. At the cinema, that has translated into a situation in which teenage boys are ripe subjects for communal audiences gazing at a big screen, while girls are far more likely to see themselves on television, on soap operas or shows like Skins, Waterloo Road, Grange Hill, or Channel 4′s adaptation of Sugar Rush.
As Moseley puts it: “TV has associations of intimacy, domesticity, the private and personal, so that’s where we see women’s and girls’ issues played out.”
It’s also distinctly possible that, frankly put, British film-makers just don’t believe girls are as funny, or frightening, or angst-ridden as boys. The Brits might have come to terms with the idea that older, and, in Christopher Hitchens’s words, “hefty” women like Miranda Hart, Victoria Wood and Jo Brand can make them laugh, but the notion of a funny girl is still anathema.
But it’s not just comedy that struggles with girls. It’s serious drama, too. Woolcock, whose urban gang movie 1 Day focused almost entirely on boys, is surprisingly honest about why. “Girls just don’t create the havoc that boys do,” she says. “I’ve just spent 10 weeks on the streets working with gangs in Birmingham and I didn’t see any girls. we were in an entirely male world, even when those males were 17-year-old guys who had children. Boys seem more interesting at that age, the kind of problems they’re working through. That’s the truth.”
Both history and science suggest that while girls mature into something emotionally akin to young adults fairly quickly, boys go through a protracted period of near-madness, when they’re prone to extreme risk-taking or, at best, a general silliness which makes them dream fodder for movies. as Woolcock points out, the statistics for this summer’s riots neatly bear this out – 90% of suspects were male, and half were under 21. Basically, the thing that repels car insurance companies from adolescent males is what attracts film-makers to them.
“The history of femininity has always been about anticipating the next stage,” says Angela McRobbie, author of Feminism and Youth Culture and The Aftermath of Feminism. “Girls’ magazines have always promised a kind of inside knowledge about their future selves not available in school or the outside world. So if you produce a sexy, risque magazine full of information about dilemmas and issues, you might call it, say, 17, but you can be sure it’s aimed at 12- or 13-year-olds. Boys have a much longer period of licence and freedom. in fact it’s expected that they have this time to explore and investigate. Of course, until quite recently most young women were anticipating marriage and motherhood at a relatively young age, whereas it was expected of young men that they would go out into the world and explore it.”
McRobbie also points out that, despite a plethora of individual female musicians, writers and artists, popular culture still sees young men as the main drivers behind the music, drug-taking, rivalries, and even the language of subcultural scenes like mod, punk, dance or hip-hop.
“I’m very critical of the concept of hip because it’s usually used to suggest an elitist access to certain kinds of subcultural insight which becomes a form of social exclusion,” she says with a sigh. “And of course this person with the special status – it’s almost always a he.”
In other words, let’s be real. The probability of a British teen film that basks in its own cool being led by female characters remains lower than Dizzee Rascal’s trousers.
Zambia: Another study fails to find that foreskins increase risk of HIV…
A study of the possible link between genital herpes and increased risk of HIV in Zambia did find that men with herpes were more likely to be HIV-positive, but also found that lack of circumcision did not increase the risk of HIV infection. Quite the contrary, the study found that uncircumcised men were less likely to contract HIV. In their discussion of the results, however, the authors of the study failed to mention this vital fact, and concluded by recommending that circumcision be promoted as an AIDS control strategy – thus violating the most basic principles of evidence-based medicine.
The Zambian study was conducted by researchers from the United States Centers for Disease Control – well known for its pro-circumcision agenda. they recruited 1062 male farm workers at a sugar estate in Zambia to participate in an experiment known as a prospective cohort study. the researchers were looking for a link between genital herpes (herpes simplex type-2 or HSV-2) infections and developing an infection with HIV-1. the study had two outcomes of interest.
First, they looked at factors that affect the prevalence of HIV-1 infection (whether the men were infected at the time of recruitment). Second, they measured the incidence of HIV-1 infection (new infections detected during the follow-up period). At the time of recruitment 20.7% of the men were HIV-positive. Men with a positive blood test for past herpes were five times more likely to be HIV-positive at the time recruitment. other factors significantly associated with being HIV-positive were self-reported genital ulcers in the past year and being widowers. Rates of HIV-1 infection at the time of recruitment were the same in circumcised men and uncircumcised men (20.71% versus 20.76%). when adjusted for other factors, there was no significant association between circumcision status and HIV-1 prevalence.
The second half of the study involved following 731 participants who started off as HIV-negative and who made at least one follow-up visit. Becoming HIV-positive during the follow-up period was independently associated with a positive blood test for herpes at the beginning of the study, and 18 times more likely in men who developed a first-time HSV-2 (herpes) infection during the follow-up period. during the follow-up period uncircumcised men developed 23 infections in 5686 months of patient follow-up (4.04 per 1000 months), while circumcised men developed four infections in 817 months of follow-up (4.89 per 1000 months). this means that uncircumcised men had a slightly lower (but probably not statistically significant) risk of HIV infection. when adjusted for other factors, circumcision status made no difference to the risk of infection with HIV.
A significant weakness of the study is its reliance on self-reported circumcision status – something about which men are surprisingly uncertain. while the investigators assumed that all the HIV infections were transmitted sexually, it is also possible (even likely) that men with genital herpes would seek medical care, and in doing so placed themselves at greater risk of HIV infection through non-sterile medical treatment (iatrogenic infection) – notoriously common in the over-stretched health services of underdeveloped countries.
This is yet another study that fails to confirm the “60% reduction in risk of HIV infection” claimed for circumcision in the three famous randomized clinical trials. Such a reduction is outside the 95% confidence intervals of this and several other studies, indicating serious doubts about the clinical trials. despite this, the researchers in the Zambia study recommend that company health centres should “promote and provide medical male circumcisions” as a part of the effort to decrease infection rates: yet their own data that shows that circumcision would either have no impact, or might even increase the risk of HIV infection. it would appear that the authors, even in light of their own negative findings, are unwilling to stray from the CDC’s pro-circumcision agenda, and thus fail to observe the basic principles of evidence-based medicine: that recommendations for treatment must follow logically and directly from the evidence. According to the data in this study, to recommend circumcision as a preventive strategy in Zambia is ideological and plainly anti-scientific.
Originally published on: circinfo.org/
The article is: Heffron R, Chao a, Mwinga a, Sylvester Sinyangwe S, Sinyama a, Ginwalla R, Shields M, Kafwembe M Kaetano L, Mulenga C, Kasongo W, Mukonka V, Bulterys M. High prevalent and incident HIV-1 and herpes simplex virus 2 infection among male migrant and non-migrant sugar farm workers in Zambia. Sex Transm Infect 2011; 87: 283-8.
About Internship
Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited is one of India’s leading television, media and entertainment companies. It is amongst the largest producers and aggregators of Hindi programming in the world, with an extensive library housing over 80,000 hours of television content. With rights to more than 3,000 movie titles from foremost studios and of iconic film stars, Zee houses the world’s largest Hindi film library.
Through its strong presence worldwide, Zee entertains over 500 million viewers across 167 countries, including USA, Canada, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, South East Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
Pioneer of television entertainment industry in India, Zee’s well known brands include Zee TV, Zee Cinema, Zee Premier, Zee Action, Zee Classic, Ten Sports, Ten Cricket, Ten Action+, Zee Cafe, Zee Studio, Zee Trendz, Zee Khana Khazana, Zee Salaam, Zee Jagran, Zing, ETC Music and ETC Punjabi. The company also has a strong offering in the regional language domain with channels such as Zee Marathi, Zee Bangla, Zee Telugu, Zee Kannada, Zee Talkies and Zee Cinemalu.
The Zee stable owns an integrated range of businesses. All of these in singularity adhere to the content-to-consumer value chain model of media and entertainment business. Zee is a pioneer in every aspect of content aggregation and distribution through traditional media like satellite and cable and new media like the internet, in India.
Republican Debate Reignites Controversy Over HPV Vaccine
Published Online: September 22, 2011 Premium article access courtesy of Edweek.org.
The contentious debate over requiring middle school girls to be vaccinated against the virus that causes cervical cancer had largely quieted before erupting again at this month’s Republican presidential debate in Tampa, Fla.
At the Sept. 12 debate, U.S. Representative Michele Bachmann, of Minnesota, and Rick Santorum, a former senator from Pennsylvania, attacked Texas Gov. Rick Perry for a 2007 executive order he issued that would have required 6th grade girls to be vaccinated against the human papillomavirus, or HPV, before starting school. They said the governor’s mandate represented the government intruding into a decision best left to parents.
The order was later overturned by the Texas legislature but, even if it had taken effect, Texas would not be the only state today with requirements on the books aimed at either requiring HPV vaccinations or some form of HPV-prevention education targeted to preteens. Virginia and the District of Columbia now require the vaccine for young girls, though many more states have considered and dropped the idea since the vaccine was first introduced in 2006.
Far more common has been passage of state laws that require teaching about HPV in school and sharing information with parents about where their daughters can get the vaccine, according to experts.
With or without laws requiring it, “what I have found in schools is, where they are talking about sexually transmitted diseases, HPV tends to be included,” said Elizabeth Schroeder, executive director of Answer, a program based at Rutgers University that provides and promotes sexuality education to students and educators. “It used to be just [discussed] as genital warts, now they talk about cervical cancer and vaccines.”
Gov. Perry’s action on the vaccine could resurface tonight during another Republican presidential candidate debate in Orlando, Fla.
HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. there are more than 40 types of the virus that can infect the genital areas of males and females as well as the mouth and throat. most people who get the virus don’t know they have it, and the CDC says that in 90 percent of cases, the body’s immune system clears HPV naturally within two years. in some cases, however, an infection can lead to genital warts, cervical cancer, and cancers of the vulva, vagina, penis, anus, and the back of the throat. Different strains of the virus cause warts and cancer.
The two available vaccines protect women against some of the strains of the virus that cause cervical cancer. one brand, Gardasil, protects women and men against genital warts and other types of cancer, too, according to the drug’s manufacturer.
But because the vaccines protect against sexually transmitted illnesses, and because they are most effective in preventing an HPV infection when they are given as early as ages 9, 10, or 11, some have argued the vaccines are a gateway to promiscuity. The reasoning is that when children know they are protected against an illness, they may become less cautious about having sex with multiple partners.
Coupled with the general backlash against vaccines in recent years, as some claimed that they could trigger autism and other illnesses, the HPV vaccine has been especially controversial. during this month’s debate, Rep. Bachmann, referring to Gov. Perry’s executive order, said of the vaccine “little girls who have a negative reaction to this potentially dangerous drug don’t get a mulligan.”
The next day, Ms. Bachmann said a mother had approached her after the debate and said her daughter became mentally retarded after getting the HPV vaccine, which can have side effects similar to other vaccines, such as pain, redness, and swelling at the site of the shot.
The American Pediatric Association quickly refuted Ms. Bachmann’s claims. “There is absolutely no scientific validity to this statement,” the organization said. “Since the vaccine has been introduced, more than 35 million doses have been administered, and it has an excellent safety record.”
Back in 2006, when the vaccines were first introduced, dozens of bills about the HPV vaccine cluttered state lawmakers’ desks, and the drug maker of one of the vaccines was lobbying heavily for laws requiring it for girls along with more typical requirements for measles and whooping cough.
Other more widely passed laws include those that mandate creating public-awareness campaigns about the causes and prevention of cervical cancer and those that require insurance companies to pay for the vaccine, said Karmen Hanson, a policy analyst for health for the NCSL.
Washington State is among those with a law requiring HPV to be addressed at school. in Seattle Public Schools, Madison Middle school nurse Samara Hoag said students hear about HPV and the vaccines in 8th-grade health class several times, both in discussions about sexually transmitted infections and in classes on birth control. Students can get the vaccine at any of the district’s 10 high school clinics or five middle school wellness centers.
“I would say that 100 percent of the girls seeking medical care will have a conversation with the nurse practitioner at some point about getting the HPV shot,” Ms. Hoag said in an email. “Last year we also started targeting boys to get the HPV shot.”
In the District of Columbia, girls entering 6th grade must either show proof that they have been vaccinated or that they are opting out. Virginia’s requirement targets the same age group, but parents don’t have to fill out paperwork saying their children aren’t complying.
During the last school year, about 70 percent of public school 6th graders in the District of Columbia had been vaccinated, as had 93 percent of all 6th grade girls. The District’s requirement extends to charter schools, parochial schools, and private schools. in Virginia, state records show only a small number of girls have been vaccinated, said Sandra Sommer, the quality assurance and policy manager at the Virginia Department of Health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 54 percent of girls ages 13 to 17 in the state, slightly better than average, have had at least one of the series of three shots needed to be vaccinated. Nationwide, about 49 percent of girls in that age range have done the same, the CDC data show. All three shots must be given, each about two months apart, for the vaccine to be effective.
The CDC does have a health-education curriculum assessment tool that provides science-based information school districts can use to develop sexual health curricula, spokeswoman Karen Hunter said. It includes information on preventing pregnancy and HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. It does not specifically reference HPV but discusses STD prevention in general.
The District of Columbia’s law hasn’t been challenged, and this spring, the school system will become the first in the country to give students a standardized test on health and sex education, in part because rates of sexually transmitted diseases and teen pregnancy are among the highest in the country. but Virginia’s law has been under fire ever since it was passed.
Several Virginia lawmakers who sponsored legislation to repeal the state’s requirement did not return phone calls or declined to comment to Education Week about the issue and whether they would support a repeal again.
Some parents who have had their children vaccinated say at first, even they were skeptical.
Although her 21-year-old daughter, Caroline, has been vaccinated, Austin, Texas, parent Sara Stevenson said that didn’t happen until Caroline was a senior in high school.
“I would have completely been against it” had her daughter been required to have the vaccine when Gov. Perry signed his executive order, Ms. Stevenson said. but now that time has passed, she believes she would feel differently.
In Ithaca, N.Y., parent Amy Cronin said HPV never came up at her daughter’s school. Erin, now 16, had heard about the virus and the vaccine from her friends when she was younger.
Erin just finished her third shot in the HPV vaccine series, Ms. Cronin said. she decided she wanted to get the vaccine after she learned from her doctor that it can protect her against cancer.
“To me, the availability of what is a safe vaccine against a disease like cancer strikes me as something you would do for your child,” Ms. Cronin said, although she does believe people should have a choice about getting the vaccine.
“What I don’t agree with is the misinformation,” she said, referring to Ms. Bachmann’s comments.
New York Democratic state Rep. Amy Paulin, who represents part of the northern suburbs of New York City, has stood firm on requiring the vaccine for all children born after 1996, including boys. she said the renewed interest in HPV could help her pass her bill, one she believes is especially important for the uninsured and those who may not get regularly tested for HPV and associated cancers as adults.
Resistance to her bill has come from both houses, which are controlled by different parties.
“What I’ve heard from various people is the same as what we’re hearing nationally. ‘It’s somehow going to encourage girls to be more promiscuous,’ and ‘It’s a drug that hasn’t been tested’,” Ms. Paulin said. “I’m glad it’s back on the radar screen. hopefully, the publicity will show that it’s a positive.”
Back to top
Warts and all – YumaSun
DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I’ve been plagued by recurrent, common, garden-variety warts for many years. Although I know they’re not a serious health problem, they’re a nuisance. I also know they’re caused by papillomaviruses. Once I treat with OTC preparations, they disappear, but why do they come back in a matter of months or years? I am unaware of any direct contact. where is the reservoir? — M.B. ANSWER: You’re right about the wart cause — the human papillomavirus. the teaching is that close contact with another’s wart transfers the virus to a new host. that information has never been definitely proven. Whether people pick them up by touching objects a warty person has handled is another issue that’s uncertain. both meat handlers and people who must immerse their hands in water many times during the day are prone to come down with warts. It might be that trauma to the skin of these peoples’ hands give warts an open invitation to become a permanent guest. Wart recurrence has a number of possible explanations. One is that although treatment gets rid of the visible wart, it doesn’t always get rid of the virus, which often remains in the skin. a person with a permanent wart still living in the skin touches other body sites, and a new wart emerges. sometimes the papillomavirus is latent in the skin, living undercover, and pops up at a later date. or it is possible that you happen to come in contact with a person who has a visible wart, but you fail to see it. Prevention? I haven’t any good information. you can consider yourself blessed by your success with over-the-counter wart preparations. Salicylic acid, often combined with lactic acid, is a reliable treatment. Doctors have many more, like freezing. An interesting piece of information is that 23 percent of children with warts see them disappear in two months; 30 percent in three months; 65 percent to 70 percent in two years; and 90 percent in five years. none of this applies to genital warts, and often not to warts on the soles of the feet. DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I was diagnosed with a prolapsed bladder almost two years ago. I am 66 and have had a hysterectomy because of large fibroid. I have been fitted with a pessary, which I take out biweekly for cleaning. I am not incontinent. Do you recommend surgery for the prolapsed bladder? — J.D. ANSWER: “Prolapse” indicates that one of the pelvic organs — the urinary bladder, the uterus, the rectum, one or all three — has fallen down into the vagina. Pelvic pain, difficulty urinating or holding urine and trouble eliminating stool are the signs of prolapse. Laxity of the ligaments holding these structures in place is the cause. Childbearing and age create that laxity. Pessaries come in many shapes and sizes. They’re designed to fit over the vagina and prop up the fallen organ. if you have any symptoms from your bladder prolapse or if the pessary isn’t doing its job, then you should consider surgery, a permanent answer to prolapse. DEAR DR. DONOHUE: My wife, 37 years old, sometimes goes off her rocker. One minute she’s fine and happy. Then, suddenly, she’ll accuse me of saying or doing something that I have not said or done. About a month ago, she did this to her aunt. Friends tell me that she’s going through the change of life. I don’t have a clue about what to do. — J.F. ANSWER: Menopause usually occurs at age 51. Thirty-seven is unusually young for menopause. Personality changes do occur during menopause, but the changes you describe don’t sound like the kinds that happen with the change of life. your wife needs to see the family doctor for help finding any physical conditions that could prompt her to act the way she is. if the doctor can’t detect any physical reason, he or she can refer your wife to a mental health professional.
* * *Dr. Donohue regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but he will incorporate them in his column whenever possible. Readers may write him or request an order form of available health newsletters at P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Readers may also order health newsletters from rbmamall.com.
(c) 2011 North America Syndicate inc. all Rights Reserved
10 health myths shattered! on SameSame.com.au
Growing up, we’ve all heard those classic lines from our parents and grandparents. “Don’t eat chocolate, it will give you acne!” is one we hear every time we chow down on a Mars Bar. And I can bet everyone has been lectured on the classic ‘cracking your knuckles gives you arthritis’ tale.
But have you ever stopped to wonder whether these sometimes ridiculous myths are true? below, same Same’s resident fact-finding pharmacist Glen Swinburne debunks a few of the most common ones floating around.————————————————1 – You should drink at least 8 glasses of water a day
Wrong! It’s easy to see why this myth has become an assumed truth. we are faced with healthy lifestyle campaigns nearly everywhere we look, and while this is a great way to preach lifestyle change to the public, the information is not always as reliable as you think.
While it’s important to remain hydrated, the need to gulp down 2 litres of water a day is regarded as unnecessary. Coupled with the body’s excellent ability to maintain a good water balance, and the fluid we get from other sources such as fruit, vegetables, juice, soft drink, tea and coffee, the need to drink so much water isn’t as vital as once thought.
Obviously there are circumstances where drinking more water is important, such as after exercise or for those who live in more tropical or warmer climates.
#2 – Natural products are always harmless
We all know snake venom is natural, and definitely not harmless, so whoever spoke this myth wasn’t thinking very hard. Herbal medicines are still essentially medicines, and can contain active compounds which can interact with your body, sometimes in a positive way, yet not always. It is possible to overdose on vitamins and natural medicines as well! Might be hard to believe but you can even take too much vitamin C, leaving you with stomach aches and bloating. always chat to your doctor or pharmacist before you start on anything herbal, especially if you already take other medicines, just to be sure they don’t interact!
#3 – Cracking knuckles gives you arthritis
This habit is more annoying (and creepy) than detrimental to joint health. a recent US study showed that there was no increase in the frequency of hand osteoarthritis in people who crack their knuckles. Knuckle cracking is the sound created when small vacuums are created in the joint fluid and then quickly collapse. this may be a myth, but it doesn’t make it any less gross!
#4 – the flu vaccine gives you the flu
I’ve heard this one at work from a few patients, and I’m here to tell you, it’s not true! the flu vaccine is made up of broken up fragments of the influenza virus, which are enough to trigger the immune system to mount an attack, but not enough to be able to replicate and bring you down with a man-cold. like with all medications though, the vaccine does come with possible side effects which your GP or pharmacist would be more than happy to discuss with you on request.
#5 – It’s OK if I have unprotected sex, I can just use PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) medication, right?
Totally, totally wrong! PEP medication is in no way a substitute for safe sex practices. for those who aren’t in the loop, PEP or post-exposure prophylaxis, is a combination of anti-viral medications used daily for usually a month after suspected exposure to the HIV virus. It works by preventing replication of the virus in the body, and therefore stops it developing into a chronic infection. Although very effective, it does not assure complete success every time, and in some cases, it may fail to work. Besides, other infections such as hepatitis, chlamydia and syphilis, are spread through sexual contact, and the HIV PEP regimen won’t do a whole lot for preventing these infections.
Always practice safe sex with any partner, and if you do believe you’ve been exposed to something untoward, seek medical attention immediately as PEP is only effective within 72 hours of exposure. your local Emergency Department of major hospitals will be of assistance in these circumstances.
#6 – Chocolate gives you pimples
Busted. Chocolate (or any other high fat food) does not cause acne and is instead caused by a bacteria which loves the oiliness of the skin. Good skin care, such as washing with a neutral pH soap substitute, will help prevent acne and there are plenty of options now for treating it, so have a chat to your doctor about which one would suit you best. Remember, don’t pick or pop the pimples, they will scar.
As a side note, fatty food won’t cause acne either but it can cause a raft of other complications. as with everything, moderation is the key.
#7 – It’s impossible for girls to catch STIs if they only have sex with other girls
It’s easy to see why this one is commonly thought to be true. When people are asked how STI’s are spread they commonly suggest semen, therefore identifying the man as the requirement for transmitting infections. Look, I know men can be pretty gross, but hey, it’s not just us!
Vaginal discharge also carries viral particles, which when in contact with broken mucous membranes (such as in the mouth) can sneak into the body and develop into an infection. the skin is also a common place for infections to hide, including HPV (human papilloma virus – warts) and HSV (herpes simplex virus – herpes), and can be spread from any contact with broken skin, both on the face or on the genitals.
So ladies, safe sex practices, and getting regular sexual health checkups, is just as important, even if you’re sticking exclusively with women.
#8 – Cholesterol is bad for you
This isn’t entirely a myth, but some aspects are definitely incorrect. When the word ‘cholesterol’ is mentioned, thoughts of heart disease, clogged arteries and greasy hamburgers automatically spring to mind. There has been a lot of hype about how horrible cholesterol is for your heart and that limiting intake is important for your health.
But what a lot of people don’t know is that there are two types of cholesterol: low-density (bad cholesterol) and high-density (good cholesterol). the good cholesterol is important for making steroid hormones and bile acids, which are essential for growth and digestion. Foods such as fish, lean meats and nuts contain unsaturated fats which are the best fats for cholesterol production.
Eating in moderation and taking a proactive effort to lead a healthy lifestyle is enough to keep you kicking along nicely.
#9 – Heat, massage and anti-inflammatories are the best treatment for a sprain
Surprisingly, this one is a big no no! Heat and massage can actually cause further damage to the tissues that have been traumatised, leading to more inflammation, and possible complications. On top of this, anti-inflammatories (what we call NSAIDs), like ibuprofen and diclofenac, can lead to prolonged bleeding and mask the pain, making you believe that you can continue to play on the injury, only creating more damage!
A simple rule is to follow the RICE approach: Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. Going to blatantly plug pharmacy here, but your local pharmacist can give you great, free advice on the care of sporting injuries.
#10 – Taking pain killers before you hit the hay after a big night will prevent a hangover
So wrong! Going to bust out my pharmacy geek on this one. I have friends who swear by this method, but I’m telling you now, it’s completely false.
Taking a pain killer, like paracetamol, before you go to bed will do…well…nothing. By the time you wake up in the morning, your body is going to have metabolised the paracetamol, leaving you with nothing but a thumping headache and a wallet full of shrapnel. if anything, it’s more likely to be bad for your liver, since it’s trying to breakdown all that alcohol you drank last night, plus the paracetamol you needlessly took.
Cure for a hangover? Time.————————————————So I hope I’ve shot down a few of the most common myths floating around, and shown that not everything you hear on the grapevine bares truth. There are thousands more misconceptions floating around in the media, on the net and in the minds of your grandparents, so before you take them as gospel, release your inner geek and search for some scientific articles to get down the real truths.
Remember, if you ever have any questions or concerns regarding your health, make an appointment to see your GP or visit your local pharmacist for advice.
Was Perry Wrong to Push HPV Vaccine?
Whether you are against politicians helping Pharma loot our health care dollars or mandatory medicine, Texas Governor Rick Perry’s facilitation of Merck’s Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, Gardasil, has angered Repubicans and Democrats alike.
Gardasil and GSK’s Cervarix vaccine protect against the virus which causes cervical cancer and genital warts.
The vaccine protects against the two HPV strains that cause 70 percent of cervical cancers and 90 percent of genital warts but isn’t effective against all HPV strains. Nor does it outperform the Pap smear or even make subsequent Pap smears unnecessary. Researchers also don’t know how long protection lasts and when, or whether, a booster is necessary to retain protection.
The HPV vaccine is also the most expensive of all recommended vaccines at $359.25 for all three doses says Pew Research.
Despite poster-sized ads at city train stations and fancy TV commercials, many women are just saying no to the vaccines, according to research presented at the American Association for Cancer Research in Philadelphia.
Vaccine envy by Martha Rosenberg
Fewer than one-third of 9,658 teenagers and young women who were eligible for the vaccine actually began the three-injection series between 2006 and 2010, according to data analyzed at the University of Maryland. others started the regimen but didn’t get their second or third injection.
Merck is also using Continuing Medical Education (CME) courses to sell product. one, on Medscape, written by two Merck employees, was titled “Quadrivalent HPV Vaccine may Be Effective in Women 24 to 45-Years-Old,” sounding like the commercial it was. Upon completion of this activity, you’ll be able to “specify the currently recommended age range for the administration of the quadrivalent human papillomavirus vaccine,” doctors who take the “course” are told. who can say Dumbed Down?
In addition to causing fainting, allergic reactions, Guillain-Barré Syndrome and blood clots, girls have died after receiving the vaccines, according to the CDC, though the vaccine is not clearly the cause. Trials were suspended in India in April after the vaccine was suspected in the deaths of six children in clinical trials.
Critics also question the science behind clinical studies that make the vaccines look effective against placebo and why cervical cancer, not malaria, Dengue fever or potable water, is a burning third world is$sue.
“I was greatly offended that Merck suggest I vaccinate my nine-year-old daughter against an STD,” says Kelley Watson, a mother of two in the Chicago suburb of Oak Park. “Especially insulting to me was that there was never any mention of HPV as being a sexually transmitted disease. It was presented as something women can contract through tampons or nylon stockings–as if men played no part.”
There are also transparency questions beyond Perry’s Faux Pas. Why did former First Lady Laura Bush promote the original vaccine, even working with Pharma-funded citizen groups, according to some reports? Why was University of Queensland lecturer Dr. Andrew Gunn silenced by his own university when he questioned the vaccine and ordered to apologize to the vaccine maker, CSL, according to the Courier Mail?
Dr. Gunn expressed doubts about marketing the vaccine “as a solution to cancer of the cervix when at best it’s expected to prevent about two-thirds of cases.” He was also concerned about “the incorrect and dangerous perception that it might make Pap smears unnecessary; and the difficult question of the best age to give a vaccine whose effect might yet prove to wear off before many recipients even start having sex.”
It’s no secret that Pharma is pushing vaccines as a new profit center now that many of its expensive blockbuster pills are going off patent. It’s no secret that Pharma is using high level politicians to accomplish the task, like former CDC Director Julie Gerberding, MD, now head of Merck vaccines.
Will parents uphold public health by giving the vaccines to their children–the public health of Big Pharma?
San Ramon Express : Ask the Vet: What should I consider as my pets grow old?
This month’s column is all about our aging companions. with good preventative medicine, pets are living much longer than they did in the past. an annual physical exam, annual blood work, good nutrition and better dental care are just some of the factors involved in extending the golden years of your pet’s life. when is my dog considered a senior? Dogs age at different rates based on their size. Small breed dogs tend to live a lot longer and are not considered a senior until 9 years old, whereas giant breed dogs are considered a senior at 6 years old. Cats are also considered senior when 9 years old. These numbers are just a guideline; some 10-year-old dogs still act like puppies. Why does it take my dog so long to get up in the mornings? Arthritis is very common in both dogs and cats as they age. The hips and elbows are most commonly affected but arthritis can plague any joint. Dogs with arthritis usually take a long time to get up after a nap but seem to loosen up after a bit of activity. We use X-rays to diagnose arthritis and rule out other problems such as a bone tumor or infection. Treatment typically consists of pain medications, supplements, weight control and a modified exercise routine. My dog’s eyes are cloudy, can he still see? when most people ask this question they are referring to a common aging change called nuclear sclerosis, or cloudiness of the lens. yes, dogs can still see when they have nuclear sclerosis; their vision is not affected. The lens is like an onion that constantly grows new layers of cells. As more layers accumulate over time, the density changes and the lens reflects light differently, appearing cloudy. There are other causes for eyes to appear cloudy so it is always good to have your veterinarian check them out. what causes the lumps and bumps all over my senior dog? several different types of growths show up in older dogs, some benign and some malignant. One of the most common growths is a lipoma, a benign fatty tumor. These are typically soft, movable and under the skin. although lipomas are not that attractive, we usually recommend leaving them alone. Another common benign growth in older dogs is sebaceous hyperplasia. These are pink, wart-like growths that are usually less than 1cm in diameter. in order to tell a benign growth from a malignant one, your veterinarian needs to take a sample of it. Treatment depends on the type of growth and can range from doing nothing to aggressive surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. My dog has horrible breath, what can I do about it? Bad breath in dogs and cats is most often caused by periodontal disease. just like us, dogs get gingivitis, plaque and tartar as well as other dental diseases. Bacteria flourishes in an unhealthy mouth and can spread to the rest of the body causing an infection in distant organs like the kidneys or heart. some senior pets really benefit from having their teeth cleaned and examined under anesthesia. Extractions may be necessary to maintain a mouth free of pain and infection. Brushing your pet’s teeth and providing safe chews can also help improve bad breath and keep your pet healthy. what food should I be feeding my senior dog? If your senior dog is overall healthy but slowing down, he should be on a senior diet. Senior dog foods are usually lower in calories and higher in fiber. some senior diets contain supplements such as glucosamine and chondroitin, omega 3 fatty acids and/or vitamin E. If your dog has a medical problem like kidney disease, diabetes or food allergies your veterinarian will probably recommend a specific diet. If your senior dog is underweight or extremely active he should stay on an adult or performance diet. how can I keep my senior cat happy and healthy as long as possible? once your cat is a senior, we recommend an annual physical exam and annual blood work. During the physical exam your veterinarian may find treatable problems such as periodontal disease or an enlarged thyroid. Blood work is useful to evaluate for kidney or liver disease, diabetes, hyperthyroidism, anemia and more. for some of these problems, early diagnosis leads to early treatment and can slow the progression of disease keeping your pet happy and healthy as long as possible. how do I know when it is time to let my pet go? it is really difficult to watch your pet endure a painful disability or terminal illness. you know your pet better than anyone and will know when he or she is suffering. But to help you make that decision about euthanasia, consider your pet’s quality of life. Does your pet still want to eat? Does your pet want to be scratched and enjoy getting attention? Does your dog still bark when the mailman comes to the door or chase squirrels in the yard? Does your cat still sleep on your bed at night? when your pet no longer cares about the things that are typically important to him, then it is time to make that difficult decision to say goodbye.
Dr. Kristel Weaver is a graduate of the Veterinary School at the University of California, Davis where she received both a DVM and a Master’s of Preventative Veterinary Medicine (MPVM). she has been at Bishop Ranch Veterinary Center & Urgent Care in San Ramon since 2007. she currently lives in Oakland with her husband and their daughter, Hayley. If you have questions you would like Dr. Weaver to answer for future articles, please email info@webvets.com.
Are you receiving Express, our free daily e-mail edition? See a sample and sign-up for Express.
Age no protection as STI rates skyrocket
Updated September 15, 2011 20:47:45
Older people are becoming more and more sexually active, but according to the experts they are a little out of touch when it comes to sexual health.
A new study from the University of Florida has found older women need and want sex education just as much as young people.
The research, which looks at women aged 50 and over, shows older women are uncomfortable about seeking sexual health information from their doctors because they feel as though they should already possess the knowledge.
It also found they avoid negotiating condom use with new partners because they fear it will result in rejection.
However, the researchers highlight the fact that most education campaigns designed to prevent sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) target younger generations.
They say while this is appropriate, given young people are most susceptible, neglecting sexual health is an issue for all age groups that could potentially lead to a “senior epidemic” of STDs.
Dr Deborah Bateson from Sexual Health and Family planning Australia (SH&FPA) says the US study could not have come at a better time.
She says in Australia, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are increasing just as much in older age groups as their younger counterparts.
From 2004 to 2010, for example, chlamydia doubled in Australian women aged between 40 and 64, with infection rates among women in their early 40s rising 42 per cent between 2009 and 2010 alone.
Dr Bateson, who is also a medical director at Family planning NSW, says other STIs such as genital warts, genital herpes and gonorrhoea are also increasing in Australia’s older population.
“Older people perhaps sometimes feel a bit more invincible; they’ve got this far in their life without catching an STI so they think it won’t happen to them,” she said.
“Another thing is whether older people feel it’s a low priority, if they were to catch an STI they might have less concern about it.
“The chlamydia message is often that chlamydia can cause infertility, and I’ve had patients say to me, ‘well, I’m 55 now so I don’t really care about that’.
“And older women also don’t have the added incentive to use contraception for pregnancy reasons.”
Condom challenge
Dr Bateson says the findings in the US study also rings true for Australian women.
“We do know that women can find it challenging to raise the topic of safe sex and STIs with their doctor, and interestingly, research in the UK has also shown that GPs can also find it difficult to raise the topic with their older women patients,” she said.
With about one-in-three marriages ending in divorce these days, Dr Bateson says many women around the 40 to 50-year mark are starting new sexual relationships for the first time in decades.
But they do not always know what they are doing.
“In that context, it can be very challenging for women to introduce the topic of condoms, also in terms of just not being part of a condom generation,” she said.
“The younger people are much more savvy when it comes to insisting on a condom whatever the context… whereas the older women may have missed out on that messaging and some of those earlier campaigns and just not have the skills when it comes to negotiating condom use.
“Certainly in studies we’ve conducted we found older women were quite happy to buy and carry condoms but there seemed to be a bit of an issue in negotiating their use.”
She says menopause, which most women experience about the age of 51, also plays a part.
“There are some physiological changes that happen with menopause which may cause women to have some discomfort when they’re using particular types of condoms,” she said.
“And if older women are meeting older men, then men in that age range may also have some fears or issues with erectile dysfunction and there may be some concerns around condom use for them as well.”
Dr Bateson says it is important that more information and support is provided for older people who are sexually active.
“STIs don’t discriminate on the basis of age, and we need to get the word out there,” she said.
“There hasn’t been very much research at all in this area, it hasn’t been prioritised, and I think as the Australian population does age this is a very important thing to look at.
“As more and more older Australians do re-partner and do enter new sexual relationships, they absolutely need to have this evidence-based information so they can stay safe in new relationships and look after their sexual health.”
She says older people should not feel as though they are alone and should contact their GP or family planning clinic for more information.
First posted September 15, 2011 15:05:30