A new weapon in the battle against sexually transmitted diseases will soon be a reality for students at UB.
In June 2006, the FDA approved "Gardasil," a vaccination for the human papillomavirus, the most common sexually transmitted virus. It will be available to UB students as soon as it is cleared by the Center for Disease Control, according to Dr. Frank Carnevale, director of health services.
Carnevale said approximately 20 million people are currently infected by HPV and it is most common among 15- to 24-year-olds. Seventy-five percent of new HPV cases are contracted during the first few years of sexual activity among young people.
HPV can cause genital warts or cervical cancer in women, and is the second most common cause of cancer amongst women worldwide.
Public knowledge about the dangers of HPV is limited despite the prevalence of the disease, which could be especially dangerous for college students according to Carvnevale.
"Awareness is key to protecting yourself and our ultimate goal is prevention," he said.
Increasing media coverage alerting women to the silent, deadly effects of HPV have helped improve awareness in past months.
"The only reason I knew what HPV was and that it could cause cervical cancer was because of the new commercials on television," said Molly Maloney, a junior German and linguistics major. "Before that I had never heard of the disease, let alone that it could cause cancer."
While the vaccination Gardasil won't protect against every strain of HPV, it will against the most serious ones.
According to Carnevale, HPV can be prevented through abstaining from sex, and also by practicing safe sex. Condom use helps significantly reduce the chances of spreading the disease.
"Some men can get genital warts, but many have no signs or symptoms so they may never know they are infected," he said. "It's just one more reason to use a condom, since HPV can only be transferred between partners during vaginal intercourse."
As with most STD's, the symptoms can be treated but there is no cure - after initial exposure the disease can never be completely eradicated from the body's system. Gardasil is only a preventative measure and will not treat those already infected.
Men infected with HPV often show no signs or symptoms, but can still pass on the potentially deadly disease to their partners. It may take months or even years before a woman shows any signs or contracts cervical cancer.
"Early detection is key," said Carnevale.
Annual pap smears and pelvic exams for women and blood tests for men are recommended to ensure individuals are not carrying the disease.
Canevale believes it is likely that most insurance companies will cover the cost of the new HPV vaccination.
Acknowledging the risks of this invisible disease, some students are not overly interested in the three shot series because they just don't see the need.
"I don't really see myself getting the vaccination," said Lauren Krasnoff, a junior occupational therapy major. "If something changed in the future, like I broke up with my boyfriend of two years, then I guess I would think about it, but I don't really see the need at this point."
Others, however, are open to the vaccination, weighing certain personal health concerns.
"As long as there are no serious side effects and it is a one time deal I would have the shots," said Jason Hildreth, a second year physical therapy doctoral student. "Especially if symptoms are hard to detect on males, I would take it to protect my partner but also myself."
