Should My Daughter Get The HPV Vaccine?
Physicals and immunizations are all part of the back-to-school ritual. After a summer of information overload about the new HPV vaccine, many parents are wondering if it’s necessary for their daughters. According to the doctors at the University of Southern California, you may want to consider adding the HPV vaccine to your daughter’s to-do list.
‘The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, which advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, haves recommended that all girls from 11-12 years old routinely receive the HPV vaccine,’ says Nandini Datta, M.D., assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. ‘This vaccine is meant to prevent cervical cancer by preventing infection with cancer-causing HPV. The vaccine has been shown to be safe in women aged 9-26 and the ideal candidate is a girl prior to sexual activity. If the patient is older than 12, I think it¹s reasonable to discuss with your physician if this is something right for her.’
Human papilloma virus (HPV) is one of the most common sexually-transmitted infections in the U.S. While most HPV types cause no symptoms, according to the CDC there are a few types that can cause cervical cancer in women. In the U.S., about 6.2 million people become infected with HPV each year and more than half of all sexually active men and women become infected at some time in their lives.
Earlier this year, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first HPV vaccine, Gardasil, which is indicated for girls from nine to 26 years old. Gardasil protects women from the HPV strains that are responsible for 70% of all cervical cancers and 90% of all genital warts. Although it does not protect women from all variations of HPV, studies have shown that the vaccine is effective in preventing disease caused by four HPV strains.
‘Since the vaccine does not protect against all HPV strains, it is still important for women to continue to receive yearly screenings,’ continues Datta. ‘Women should have regular Pap tests beginning at the age of 21 or three years after the onset of sexual activity.’
Cure for genital warts
Genital warts can be an embarrassing problem. Physically manifesting themselves as cauliflower-textured bumps occurring in and around the genital area, genital warts are a sexually transmitted disease that is rarely talked about or discussed. In this article, we’ll discuss what you can do if you come down with genital warts to better help your body to fight off the disease.
When people think of genital warts, they often think of a condition that will stick with them for life. However, if you employ the proper methods of treatment for the disease, you can cause it to go into remission to such a degree that your body will naturally rid itself of the problem. While there are several different methods that doctors use to get rid of genital warts, there are certain things that you can do on your own in order to help your body fight the disease.
Getting rid of a genital warts issue is largely a responsibility undertaken by the body’s immune system. When the body can successfully fight off the disease, it will no longer be a problem. The first step in helping your body to rid itself of the infection is to get rid of any warts that are already present. This can be done by a doctor, who may employ such methods as cryotherapy to freeze the warts off or surgery to clip the warts away from the body. Since the warts are largely the stronghold of the disease, getting rid of them is tantamount to curing the disease.
After the warts are gone from your body physically, one of the best things that you can do is to boost your immune system in any way that you can. One great way of doing that is to maintain a healthy diet that is rich in foods that contain the vitamins and minerals that the body requires to function properly. Many take supplements such as tea tree oil, Echinacea, and Vitamin C in order to boost their immune function. Also, high levels of exercise are encouraged in order to get your body into the best working shape that it can be in. Be cautioned when looking for wart cures at the store, however; you shouldn’t use normal wart treatment for the treatment of genital warts. Salicylic acid is commonly used to treat normal warts, and some believe that it would help their genital wart condition, but they could be no more wrong.
Using home cures such as salicylic acid can only damage your body. If you believe that you have genital warts, one of the most important things that you can do for your health is to visit a doctor to get a proper diagnosis for your problem. While home cures may seem to be a little less scary since you don’t want to have to admit your problem to someone, the only guaranteed method of properly diagnosing the disease is to speak to a doctor. With proper treatment, diet, and exercise, the disease may go into remission and eventually disappear altogether within a few years. Practice safe sex, and get a proper medical consultation if you deem it necessary.
Pictures of Genital Warts
Although HPV doesn’t always present symptoms, one of the most common symptom of HPV is genital warts. These clustered, cauliflower like growths can affect the penis, vagina, anus, and perineum area.
Pictures of genital warts are displayed for purposes of identification.
Please be advised that these links will take you to genital wart pictures that are graphic.
Please Note: All genital warts pages on this web site contain pictures of genital warts on women and pictures of HPV in men, which may be disturbing to some visitors. Please read our website disclaimer to avoid any issues that may arise from the opinions or the genital wart cure or treatment reviews, or due to the genetal warts images or HPV images presented on this website.