Human Papillomavirus Essay

The human papillomavirus (HPV) has been established as a substantial threat to public health among the sexually active youth of America. HPV is a common sexually transmitted disease that primarily affects women. It is also responsible for thousands of cancer related deaths each year. There are about 20 million Americans each year that are currently infected with HPV and nearly 5 million people will become newly infected this year with the virus. There are over 100 different strains of HPV, however only four are primarily responsible for causing substantial health complications such as genital warts and cervical cancer. Nevertheless, recent efforts to eliminate these most dominant strains have proven to be extremely victorious with the development of a unique vaccine that can exhibit an extraordinary level of efficiency. As a result, the pervasiveness of HPV has begun to slowly dwindle, but the virus still continues to violently infect millions of sexually active individuals who still remain unexposed to proper vaccination. Of the 100 different HPV strains, types 16 and 18 have been proven to cause cervical cancer. Although cervical cancer is able to be prevented, it is the second most common gynecologic cancer worldwide and the third most common cancer amongst women in the United States. In 2008 alone, 11,070 new cases of cervical cancer were diagnosed in the United States, and among these, 3,870 cases were fatal (Linton 235). In order to effectively protect themselves, it is necessary that women frequently obtain regular cervical cancer screenings and Pap tests to detect any precancerous lesions early on and subsequently prevent any instance of invasive cervical cancer from taking a potentially fatal course. Ultimately, the incidence and mortality rates of cervical cancer are much higher among women who do not obtain these regular screenings. Pap testing is an effective strategy for reducing the risk of invasive cervical cancer. Pap smear screening involves taking cells from the cervix to identify the presence of any abnormal or precancerous cells. In an effort to combat the growing number of cervical cancer cases among young women in the United States, the Center for Disease Control recommends that women receive a Pap test within the first two years following their first sexual encounter (Roland 8). Moreover, since the virus infects women ages 14 – 24 more prevalently than any other age group, it is vital that every woman receives at least one pap smear before they reach 21 years of age, followed by regularly scheduled annual screenings until the age of 30 (Roland 9). In doing so, young women can substantially decrease the prevalence of the virus while also decreasing their risk of contracting cervical cancer through early detection of the cellular abnormalities caused by HPV. Furthermore, recent studies have shown that even the mere act of performing a Pap smear can produce an inflammatory, immunologic response to HPV which subsequently initiates the body’s defense mechanisms that could potentially lead to clearance of the virus. As a result, Pap testing has proven to be an extremely effective method for reducing the incidence of cervical cancer among women exposed to the virus (Roland 9). In addition to HPV prevalence among women, the virus can also affect the overall health of infected males. Although the male is generally considered an asymptomatic â€Å"silent† carrier of HPV, the virus can produce lesions or warts on the male genitalia and can even lead to penile cancer (Rosa 1032). However, currently there is no cost effective test designed to detect the virus in male carriers. The only methods of detection consist of a peniscopy followed by a second-generation Hybrid Capture test. In this process, acetic acid solution is used to identify any lesions on the genitals so that a biopsy can be taken from all infected areas (Rosa 1033). Unfortunately, this manner of detection is far too complex to be performed on a mass scale. Consequently, male carriers continue to spread HPV unknowingly to their sexual partners and subsequently increase the prevalence of the virus throughout the sexually active community. Due to this asymptomatic spread of the virus by male carriers, it is paramount that a male vaccine is developed to further combat the growing prevalence of HPV among young sexually active individuals. On June 8th 2006, the FDA introduced Gardasil, a gender specific quadrivalent vaccine which prevents the initial infection of the four most dominant and high risk HPV types, 6, 11, 16, and 18. Consequently, the vaccine not only directly prevents the development of cervical cancer in women but also defends against the lower risk types 6 and 11, which are generally known for causing genital warts in both genders. The Gardasil vaccine is very unique because it appears to be the only 100 percent effective vaccination ever created. Furthermore, there is no live material inside the vaccine. Instead, it is made up of the virus-like proteins which coat the outer portion of the HPV virus. The vaccine cannot treat individuals already infected with the virus, but it will protect the infected female from attaining any of the other strains in the vaccine (McLemore 559). The vaccination is a three dose process, with followup doses at two and six month intervals from initial vaccination. Furthermore, the observed side effects are minimal but can include fever, nausea, respiratory tract infection, insomnia, and several other complications. Ultimately, the Gardasil vaccine is recommended for women ages 9 – 26 in an attempt to effectively decrease the prevalence of HPV among the sexually active community and also directly lower the related incidence of cervical cancer in young women (McLemore 559). However, even with the development of this vaccine the human papillomavirus still continues to infect millions of Americans and is responsible for thousands of cervical cancer deaths each year. It is absolutely paramount that young sexually active women not only become vaccinated with Gardasil, but also continue to maintain regular Pap test screenings annually with their doctor. In doing so, women can substantially reduce their incidence of cervical cancer and effectively fight to combat the growing prevalence of the HPV virus in the United States. Ultimately, the incidence and mortality rates of cervical cancer are much higher among women who do not obtain these regular screenings, and therefore fail to identify HPV abnormalities and precancerous cells early in their development. REFERENCES Linton, D.M. (2009). Cervical cancer screening interval. Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing. 13(2): 235-7. Roland, K.B., Benard, V.B., Saraiya, M., Hawkins, N.A., & Brandt, H. (2009). Assessing cervical cancer screening guidelines in patient education materials. Journal of Women’s Health. 18(1): 5-12. McLemore, M.R. (2006). Gardasil: introducing the new human papillomavirus vaccine. Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing. 10(5): 559-60. Rosa, N.T., De Carvalho, J.J., & Syrjanen, K.J. (2007). Identification of males at increased risk for genital human papillomavirus (HPV) infection among patients referred for urological consultation. Scandinavian Journal of Infectious Diseases. 39(11-12): 1029-37.