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HPV Infections On The Rise In US

by Jyothsna on Feb 28 2007 2:30 PM

According to a study conducted by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more and more women are reported to be affected by Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) infections in the United States. This was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

In the current study, 7.5 millions women in the 14-24 age groups are found to be affected by HPV infections when compared to 4.6 million of the same age group in the previous finding. All in all, the study indicates 26.8% of US women between the ages 14-59 are infected with HPV which can cause cervical cancer. The chance of cervical cancers in this age group is likely to go up with the increase in the number of sex partners.

As per Dr. Tanvi Sharma, assistant professor of pediatric infectious diseases at the University of Miami School Of Medicine, regular pap smear tests and vaccines are very essential to bring down this infections. She also adds that low risk strains of HPV may automatically clear up while the high risk ones may result in cancer. But it is difficult to conclude which patient is likely to develop cancer.

Gardasil which is the latest vaccine against cervical cancer produced by Merck is effective against HPV strains which are responsible for 70% of cancers. The scientists fraternity reiterate the significance of the newly approve vaccine. The state of Florida is contemplating bills that would immunize girls before they start their active sex life.



Source-Medindia
JYT


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