Another Happy Genital Warts Customer
All I can say is that www.picturesofwarts.net always aims to please.....
All I can say is that www.picturesofwarts.net always aims to please.....
We hear this question a lot. I asked Director of Health Services Sandra Hayes to comment on the effectiveness of the ONE condoms. She confirmed the ONE website's assertion that the condoms are as effective as other leading manufacturers.
They do not break or tear any more than other brands and are just as effective in protecting against unwanted pregnancy and many sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
When you think about it, why would Bowdoin buy bad condoms? I think high numbers of unwanted pregnancy and STIs would put an unwelcome message in our College brochures. That being said, there are a couple reasons why a ONE condom—or any condom—might break.
The most prominent reason is improper application, which make condoms more prone to breaking or becoming ineffective. Think back to your middle school health unit and skip past the giggles straight to putting condoms on bananas.
Now, there are some key points in that demonstration that you may not remember maybe because that particular day, you liked the cutest boy in school and made the mistake of telling that social climber Devon, who told all the the popular girls who, with all the cattiness that exemplifies preadolescence, made your day unbearable.
So maybe, just maybe, you were a bit preoccupied. Here we go again: tips for proper condom application. One: Check the expiration date. Two: Pinch the tip of the condom while applying to allow for the collection of ejaculate. Three: Get all of the air bubbles out while rolling down the condom.
Look—safe sex is as easy as one, two, three. However, it is important to remember that this can be a lot harder while intoxicated.
Bowdoin is so small and I feel like I would know if the person I am going to hook up with has an STI. Am I wrong?
Once again, I asked for Hayes' assistance in answering this question. Bowdoin does not have a major problem with STIs because of free condoms and STI testing at the Health Center at a student's request as well as STI screening days.
That being said, Bowdoin is not exempt from STIs.
"We are on par with national statistics—HPV being the number one STI and chlamydia being the number two," said Hayes. But, other STIs have also been reported to the Health Center. Nationally, one in four college students has an STI.
More than 45 percent of college first years did not consider using contraception after binge drinking and 15 percent of them contracted and/or spread an STI, according to Education Training and Research Associates. Interestingly, more than half of college students said they could tell a person had an STD just by looking.
Now, I realize that Bowdoin students are probably not the average college student, but nonetheless, these statistics can apply. In addition, our Bowdoin bubble is tightly knit, but it is not a closed community and, despite what some may think, Bowdoin students do not only have sex with other Bowdoin students. To be frank, it is always better to be safe.
Many STIs do not manifest physical symptoms, so your partner may not even know if he or she has one.
If you plan on being sexually active, the safest course of action is to get yourself and your potential partner tested beforehand at the Health Center.
However, I understand this cannot always be the case, so protection is a good call. Not only do condoms help prevent the transmission of most STIs, they also protect against unwanted pregnancy, which is not unheard of at Bowdoin.
If you or someone you know is worried about potentially having an STI or being pregnant, you can contact the Health Center and ask for an appointment or go to Planned Parenthood in Topsham.
What is HPV?
HPV or Human Papillomavirus is the most common STI in the U.S. The virus has 200 known strands, the majority of which show no symptoms or detrimental effects in humans.
However, some can cause warts, genital and otherwise, and a smaller minority can lead to cancers in both men and women. In fact, HPV is the cause of almost all cervical cancers.
One of the major differences between HPV and some other sexually transmitted infections is that it can be transferred through the skin; either skin-to-skin contact or, in some strands, skin to an infected surface are enough to contract the virus.
The Gardasil vaccine, one of two vaccines available now, prevents the contraction of four types of HPV. Two are the most common strands leading to cancer.
The other two cause most cases of genital warts. In the US, both men and women can get the vaccine, but the vaccine is only preventative and cannot kill the existing virus if already contracted.
Our bodies do a good job fighting HPV as adolescents, but as we age our resistance diminishes. A screening could never hurt and is still recommended, even for those with the vaccine.
I hope that clears up any confusion about the infection. Its quite a big topic, so if you are still confused talk to the health center or check out the CDC website's HPV fact sheet.
To read more - click here
Stephanie, her changed name, a 26-year-old office assistant who recently discovered genital warts, was vaccinated against cervical cancer.
She even told the reporters, "Every time I see women, I am reminded of my condition, and it pains me to realize that I could have prevented it early on".
She said that this news has affected and disturbed her psychological balance. She has to suffer a huge deal to meet the cost of the treatment.
Almost 500,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year. Although scientists have discovered a treatment for cervical cancer, yet the number of people suffering with the disease is still high.
Manalastas noted that cervical cancer and HPV-related diseases can be treated through vaccination. He, however, added that the cost of the treatment is highly expensive or unaffordable but the treatment is worth it.
The cost of vaccination differs from one hospital to another. It requires three shots of Gardasil, the best and cheapest way to get them is through mass immunization.
To read more - click here
Take it from Stephanie (not her real name), a 26-year-old office assistant who told us her personal encounter with genital warts. Scientifically known as condyloma acuminate, these are small bumps in the genital area associated with human papilloma virus (HPV), the most common sexually transmitted infection.
Two months ago Stephanie discovered warts in her genitals and hurried to see her ob-gyne. She was later found positive of genital warts and advised to seek treatment and be vaccinated against cervical cancer.
“Every time I see women, I am reminded of my condition, and it pains me to realize that I could have prevented it early on,” she recently told reporters. She and her boyfriend have been going out for more than a year. Aside from the psychological impact it caused her, the treatment costs also have become unbearable.
Stephanie had to save up for her routine sessions of cauterization and vaccine against cervical cancer. She represented a large portion of the population which is needed to be addressed in the age-old war against cervical cancer and other HPV-related diseases like genital warts.
While the world has embraced breakthrough technology in cervical cancer treatment, the mortality rates remain high. The incidence of cervical cancer starts rising at age 35. Worldwide 500,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year. In the Philippines alone, an average of 12 Filipino women die of cervical cancer each day according to pharmaceutical firm Merck Sharp & Dohme Philippines. The number of people who has genital warts remains unaccounted for.
If you want to read more - click here
http://picturesofwarts.net - There has been an extremely exciting announcement in the health world today. As you can read below, there is real hope for a cure for the HPV virus. Many of us though this day would never come, so here is hoping they are proved correct.
MONMOUTH JUNCTION, N.J., Nov. 29, 2010 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --Tamir Biotechnology, Inc. (Pink Sheets: ACEL) formerly Alfacell Corporation) announced today that scientists supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) reported test results confirming two of our lead compounds showed excellent in vitro antiviral activity and no cellular toxicity at dose levels tested for Human Papillomavirus (HPV). Testing was performed using the HPV 11 strain, which along with HPV type 6, is responsible for ninety percent of genital or anal warts.
According to the scientist performing the test, the results were among the top one to two percent seen by the researcher for testing of HPV type 11. The report states the following: "Excellent antiviral activity and no cellular toxicity at doses tested."
Within the last several months, we have reported significant results for our compounds against Dengue Fever, Yellow Fever, SARS, CMV, and now HPV. We are on the cusp of building an impressive antiviral portfolio that will be targeting viruses where there is currently an unmet need. Besides the fact that our drugs have shown significant antiviral activity against the viruses mentioned above, equally impressive is the fact that very low concentrations of our drugs were needed in order to show this significant antiviral activity.
It is important to realize that Onconase®, our lead compound, has been in clinical studies for other oncology indications and has proven itself to be well tolerated in over 1,000 patients treated to date. We cannot stress enough how significant our drug safety profile is as we look into entering into human clinical trials for those viruses where we have reported significant antiviral activity without the toxicity levels inherent with other viral therapies.
"This latest HPV result confirms and validates the broad range of antiviral activity our compounds have demonstrated in both RNA and DNA viruses. It is quite unusual to find a group of compounds targeting a broad range of viruses from different viral families. These are very exciting times for our shareholders, primary care physicians, and for those patients suffering from these diseases who, for so long, have been waiting for drugs that are safe and effective," stated Tamir Chief Executive Officer Charles Muniz.
About Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is the name for a group of viruses that includes more than 100 types. More than forty types of HPV can be passed through sexual contact. HPV is the most common sexually transmitted disease (STD) in the United States and the world.
When referring to HPV, there are four types of the virus one should know about. This is because these four types cause the most cases of HPV-related diseases in males and females. HPV type 6 and 11 cause about 90% of genital wart cases in males and females. HPV types 16 and 18 cause about 75% of cervical cancers, 70% vaginal cancers, and up to 50% vulvar cancers in females. HPV is thought to be the only cause of cervical cancer, as well as vaginal infections with discharge and chronic infections of the urinary tract.
HPV affects both males and females. HPV transmission can happen with any kind of genital contact with someone who has HPV. Intercourse isn't necessary in order to contract HPV. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), approximately twenty million Americans are currently infected with HPV and an additional six million are infected every year. HPV has become so common that at least fifty percent of sexually active men and women will be infected with HPV at some point in their lives. Half of those infected with HPV are between fifteen and twenty-four years of age.
How Is HPV Spread
HPV is spread through direct sexual contact or, more rarely, skin-to-skin contact during sexual acts. Genital warts, the most obvious sign of HPV infection, are highly contagious. About two-thirds of people who have sexual contact with a partner with genital warts will develop warts, usually within three months of contact.
Signs and Symptoms
The most easily recognized sign of genital HPV infection is genital warts. Genital warts are usually flesh-colored growths that can be raised, flat, or cauliflower-shaped. They can be small or large, and appear alone or in clusters. In males, they can appear on the surface of the penis, scrotum, thigh, groin, or in and around the anus. In females, warts can grow inside a woman's vagina, or on the cervix, making them hard to see. Most people who have a genital HPV infection do not know they are infected because many types of the virus remain latent and cause no symptoms. Noticeable symptoms are warts over the genital areas of men and women, including the inner thighs and sometimes the inside of the mouth and throat.
The Different Types of HPV Warts
Common warts usually appear on the hands, but can appear anywhere.
Flat warts are generally found on the face and forehead. They are common in children, less common in teens, and rare in adults.
Genital warts are usually found on the genitals, in the pubic area, and in the area between the thighs, but they can also appear inside the vagina and anal canal.
Plantar warts are found on the soles of the feet.
Subungual and periungual warts appear under and around the fingernails or toenails.
Treatment
Although there is currently no medical cure for human papillomavirus infection, the benign lesions and warts these viruses cause can be treated. However, treatment for genital warts can be a painful process which can involve cutting, freezing, laser, or burning the warts with Trichloroacetic acid (TCA). Another treatment is loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP), where tissue is removed using a hot wire loop. Even after treatment, genital warts can come back. In fact, twenty-five percent of cases come back within three months.
The HPV vaccine used in Australia is Gardasil, developed by CSL Biotherapeutics in Australia and licensed to the U.S. firm Merck. Gardasil is a four-way vaccine that protects against the two HPV strains that cause most cervical cancers as well as the two HPV strains that cause most genital warts.
In 2007, Australia launched a school-based vaccination campaign for all girls ages 12 to 16 and a catch-up program for all women up to age 26. The three-shot vaccination was free, and nearly two-thirds of young Australian women received the Gardasil vaccine.
Now a survey of more than 112,000 people attending Australian sexual health services finds that genital warts cases have dropped substantially since the vaccination program -- but not for everyone:
