The Rice Thresher

Location: http://the.ricethresher.org/opinion/2006/10/27/health_services_vaccine_campaign

October 27, 2006 > Opinion > Health Services scores with vaccine campaign

Health Services scores with vaccine campaign

By Schuyler Woods | Thresher Editorial Staff

TELL SOMEONE YOU KNOW! Emblazoned on Christmas-green paper, the phrase caused my heart to drop. Did they know something? Was this some sort of secret message? I read a little closer, and underneath the emboldened statement read, “Gardasil protects against four types of HPV that cause 70 percent of cervical cancers and genital warts!”

As part of Health Services’ campaign to persuade Rice students to take advantage of a new human papillomavirus vaccine, green fliers were stuffed into student mailboxes.

My heart settled for a second but quickly accelerated once more as I read the statistics of one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases. You could have it and not even know it. It affects half of sexually active people in their lifetime, and approximately 80 percent of women will contract the genital HPV infection by the ripe age of 50. Certain high-risk strains of the disease result in cervical cancer, the second most common cancer in women. But a simple Pap test can detect cellular abnormalities within a week of examination, halting the progression of the disease.

Completely absorbed by the fact sheet’s frank discussion of the STD, I entered the Lovett College elevator with three guys. Looking over my shoulder at my literature, one of my fellow Lovetteers uttered, “I heard something like 90 percent of sexually active people have encountered HPV at one time or another.”

“I read somewhere that condoms don’t protect you from it,” another chimed in.

In a matter of a half a minute, all four of us discussed horror stories of pus and infections while contributing to the bank of ever-pervasive STD statistics. Such was the topic of light conversation on the ride to the fifth floor of Lovett.

At a college notorious for its Hookup Tree, the open and candid nature of the elevator HPV conversation should not have surprised me. In fact, I am glad that the topic of sexual infections is not taboo at Rice. And I am relieved Rice Health Services is offering a cutting-edge vaccine that addresses one of sexual health’s most concerning issues.

Although the vaccine is relatively expensive — the three boosters cost $140 each — it is a wise procedure sexually active women should seriously consider. Because of the high prevalence and cancerous potential of HPV, herd immunity is most desirable for the sexually active population at large. This would prevent cryotherapy, the subsequent treatment of genital warts, and — worst-case scenario — a hysterectomy.

Also, regular screenings are an absolute necessity to prevent the development of this common disease. Simply because a woman does not see any peculiarities or she is completely asymptomatic does not mean she is not at risk for HPV and should not be examined. In fact, the CDC Genital HPV Infection Fact Sheet reported that “most women who develop invasive cervical cancer have not had regular cervical cancer screening.”

And from a purely financial perspective, preventative care is the most economical approach to diseases. Taking such low-cost, precautionary measures as wearing condoms, having regular sexual screenings and taking advantage of vaccinations such as Gardasil reduces transmission as well the high costs of intensive and invasive gynecological visits.

Receiving the vaccination and avoiding a sexually transmitted disease will give Rice students one less thing to worry about. So TELL SOMEONE YOU KNOW … that they should get the HPV vaccine.

Schuyler Woods is a Lovett College sophomore and assistant opinion editor.

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