Spring Break
HPV vaccine not covered by student medical fees
Leah Bigelow
Issue date: 9/26/07 Section: News
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HPV may clear up on its own, she said, but it is still important to get the vaccine because of the risk of getting cervical cancer. More than 500,000 pre-cancerous cell changes will be diagnosed in the U.S. each year, she said.
Chu-Yang said that about 20 million people are currently infected with HPV in the United States, and at least 50 percent of men and women who are sexually active will get HPV.
"Students should know that HPV is very common and can be transmitted through sexual activity, not just intercourse," Chu-Yang said.
Although both men and women can carry the disease, said the representative from the National Cancer Information Center, there is no way to test for HPV in men or to treat them for it.
There is no treatment for women either, she said, but the vaccine does prevent someone from getting the disease. This is why it is important, she added, for females who are not yet sexually active, or who are between the ages of 9 and 26, to get the vaccine.
Chu-Yang said that about 20 million people are currently infected with HPV in the United States, and at least 50 percent of men and women who are sexually active will get HPV.
"Students should know that HPV is very common and can be transmitted through sexual activity, not just intercourse," Chu-Yang said.
Although both men and women can carry the disease, said the representative from the National Cancer Information Center, there is no way to test for HPV in men or to treat them for it.
There is no treatment for women either, she said, but the vaccine does prevent someone from getting the disease. This is why it is important, she added, for females who are not yet sexually active, or who are between the ages of 9 and 26, to get the vaccine.
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