OMG Everyone Has Genital HPV

Ok, so not everyone has genital HPV but unless you've taken a vow of life-long celibacy (which you intend to take seriously) chances are you've already had a genital HPV infection, you have one now, or you'll get one in the future. Before you freak out and run to your nearest STD clinic for treatment, take a deep breath and read this post in its entirety.

HPV stands for human papillomavirus, an extremely common virus that infects skin cells, including cells that line body cavities such as the vagina, anus, and mouth. Of the 100+ types of HPV that have been identified, about 40 are able to infect the genital region. While HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection, affecting at least 50% of sexually active individuals, it has many characteristics that make it complicated, confusing, and unlike other STIs.

To begin with, the outcomes of genital HPV infection are highly variable. Most people with HPV are asymptomatic, will never know they are infected, and will eventually rid themselves of the virus through the defenses of their own immune system. Those are the lucky folks. Some types of HPV result in the development of genital warts while other types cause cellular changes that over time can lead to the development of cancer. In fact, HPV is responsible for nearly all cases of cervical cancer. Speaking of cervical cancer, if you haven't read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, please stop reading this and proceed to your nearest bookstore immediately. It's that good.

How people become infected with HPV is rather clear: skin-to-skin contact including contact with mucous membranes. That means anyone who is rubbing their naked body on anyone else's naked body is at risk for genital HPV infection. It doesn't matter what your sexual orientation is or what type of specific sex acts you partake in (sorry kids, dry humping won't keep you HPV-free). Barrier devices such as condoms and dental dams can decrease the risk of HPV transmission but the virus can still be spread to or from areas that the device doesn't cover.

What remains rather murky regarding HPV transmission is when exactly people are contagious and how long people can be infected before displaying evidence of the virus. Also, it is completely possible to be infected with more than one type of HPV. These factors make it nearly impossible to tell how long a person has been infected, who they were infected by, and whether they are at risk for infecting their current or future partners.

Even if you are one of the aforementioned lucky folks, it does not mean that the person you share your HPV with will be so lucky. Different strokes for different folks in the world of HPV. Fortunately, prevention against four of the particularly nasty HPV types is now available in the form of a vaccine. The HPV vaccine Gardasil provides protection against HPV types 6, 11, 16, and 18 and is approved for use in females and males ages 9-26. HPV types 6 and 11 cause approximately 90% of genital wart cases, while HPV 16 and 18 are responsible for most cases of HPV-related cancers. Vaccinating against HPV provides a dramatic reduction in risk, for both yourself and your lover(s). And yes, preteens should be vaccinated before they are sexually active in order to save them the agony of genital warts or an HPV-related cancer. Will vaccinating against a STI cause children to run out and have sex (yes, this is actually a debate to some people)? You tell me - does vaccinating against chickenpox cause kids to run around looking for playmates covered in chickenpox since they are now protected from their oozing pox blisters?

For those of us who have aged beyond 26 or who may have acquired one or more types of HPV prior to vaccination, don't despair! There have been many advances in science and medicine that have allowed HPV-related cancers to become increasingly preventable. Just because you have one of the high-risk (cancer-causing) strains of HPV does not mean you have, or will get, cancer. If you follow your doctor's recommendations for routine health screenings, such as for Pap smears*, the early cellular changes that MIGHT eventually result in cancer, can be monitored and treated before any cancer develops.

HPV may be the most common sexually transmitted infection but there is plenty you can do to decrease its potential harm. Don't let HPV catch you with your pants down!


*While cervical Pap smears are routine for anyone with a cervix, anal Pap smears are not nearly as common. Anyone who frequently has anal sex, particularly MSM (men who have sex with men) who engage in anal receptive sex, should find a medical provider who is educated in LGBT health, or at least willing to become educated, and inquire about anal Paps for detection of HPV-related cellular changes. Paps are not fun but anal cancer is far worse.

Naegleria fowleri wants to pick your brain (and eat it too)!

Ahhhh, the sweet relief of unclogged, gunk-free nasal passages! While neti pots and other nasal irrigation devices are weird, gross, and just plain awkward, there's nothing quite like being able to breathe freely out of both nostrils. And who wouldn't pour water through their nose if it meant curing the throbbing ache of sinus pressure?

Here's the catch: your sinuses are close neighbors to your brain. If a parasite hitches a free river ride through your nasal passages, into your sinuses, and up to your brain, a stuffy nose will be the least of your worries. Yes, frighteningly enough, this can actually happen. While rare, there have been reports of at least two individuals who have died from parasitic infections following nasal irrigation using tap water. In these cases, the water contained an ameba known in the microbe world as Naegleria fowleri and commonly referred to as the "brain-eating ameba". These parasites can travel to your frontal lobe via your olfactory nerve (the nerve that carries messages about smell from your nose to your brain). As its common name suggests, once N. fowleri reaches your brain it will begin feeding on it. This results in an infection termed primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), a rapidly progressing infection that leads to seizures, hallucinations, and coma. PAM has a fatality rate of about 97%, and victims usually die within 1-2 weeks of symptom onset.

Because of the documented cases of PAM from neti pot use and the risk of infection by other microorganisms, the FDA has recently issued new guidelines for safely rinsing your sinuses. While salt solutions are supposed to be used for nasal irrigation, it would take approximately 18 hours for the salt to kill brain-eating amebas. The only real prevention is to use one of the following water sources when preparing nasal irrigation solutions:

1) bottled water that is labeled as "distilled" or "sterile"
2) water that has previously been boiled  for 3-5 minutes and cooled to lukewarm (if not used immediately, store in a clean and closed container for no greater than 24 hours)
3) tap water filtered through a pore size of 1 micron or less

If you tend to think like me, you'll be wondering: "if this ameba can be found in our tap water, how is it not killing off more people?" The answer is that if we gulp down one of these amebas in a glass of water, it will die once it reaches the vat of acid in our stomachs, leaving us unharmed. But be warned: these microorganisms are usually found in bodies of warm, freshwater and infection most commonly occurs during recreational water activities such as swimming and diving. Do what you will with that fun fact, but I'll be keeping my head above water.

Chemicals for Breakfast

Sure, exposure to certain chemicals can be highly hazardous to your health, or even deadly. You only need to watch one James Bond movie to know that a little ricin or arsenic can go a long way (my fiance will probably correct me later about which poisons are used in Bond films, but you get the idea).That being said, let's discuss one of my greatest pet peeves: when people use the term "chemical" in only a negative sense.

Avoiding chemicals seems like a healthy endeavor, right? You know, let's all be "natural" and "chemical-free". Hey, I'm all for avoiding stuff that's going to give you raging cancer, but let's be accurate and realistic about our health goals. And let's not dismiss the incredible awesomeness of chemistry over a few fatal chemicals. The truth is, without chemicals, you'd be dead. Actually, you wouldn't even exist because dead organisms are still a heap of chemicals.

Scientifically speaking, EVERYTHING is a chemical! Chemicals are anything composed from the chemical elements listed on the grand, marvelous periodic table of elements. That means that ALL solids, liquids, and gases are chemicals. That also means that ALL matter is composed of chemicals. And, that my friend, also means that your entire body is made of chemicals.

If you perform a quick web search for "chemical-free" products, you'll find plenty. Don't be fooled by false advertising! There is no such thing as a chemical-free product. It would be invisible, it would have no mass, and you certainly wouldn't be able to purchase it for consumption.

Using the word "chemical" as a blanket term for all potentially dangerous substances is analogous to using the word "human" to describe all murderers (i.e. all humans should go to prison or I don't want any humans living in my apartment complex). Nonsensical, no? When describing chemicals that can be harmful, the proper thing to do is use an adjective before "chemical" that categorizes it. Take your pick: toxic, carcinogenic, unhealthy, deadly, fatal, detrimental, poisonous, dangerous, destructive, unsafe, noxious...

And next time you see a product like the ones displayed here http://fnochemicalfree.tumblr.com/, have a good laugh or maybe a good cry (as I feel inclined to do).

Join the Herd to Stop Whooping Cough

Pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough is officially infecting more people than it has since you were probably born. Current rates of infection are greater than they have been in over 50 years, including epidemic levels in the state of Washington.

Why is this happening? Much of the rise in infection can likely be attributed to a decline in childhood vaccine rates. Less people getting vaccinated = more people getting sick. Shocker.

I don't mean to poke (pun intended) fun of people who choose not to vaccinate themselves or their children. It's not surprising considering the flurry of misinformation and myth that has resulted in fear regarding the safety of vaccines. The panic about vaccine safety can largely be traced back to a scientific paper published in 1998 which suggested that vaccines may be linked to autism. Several further studies were unable to replicate the author's findings and the paper has since been retracted, in other words officially unpublished, considered to be fraudulent and deemed to be full of hooey. Despite this, the media has perpetuated the vaccine-autism myth, including through famous people who claim to know more than doctors.

I'll be the first to admit that sorting through information about medicine and science can be damn confusing. But, here are the facts, plain and simple: 

1) There is no scientific evidence linking autism to vaccines. I repeat: THERE IS NO SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE LINKING AUTISM TO VACCINES.

2) The pertussis vaccine was created over 100 years ago and has been SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN to prevent whooping cough.

3) Whooping cough KILLS BABIES. Of those infected, about 2 of every 100 will die.

The final kicker is that vaccination really isn't a personal choice. Whether or not you vaccinate can have more far-reaching effects than you realize. You see, pathogens (the buggers that make us sick) cannot thrive well in communities where much of the population is immune. Through a phenomenon known as "herd immunity" or "community immunity", the vulnerable people in a population are protected when a pathogen can't thrive well in their area. This can even lead to complete eradication of a disease, such as happened with smallpox. In the case of whooping cough, infants who are too young to be vaccinated are less likely to be infected if they live in an area where the whooping cough bacteria doesn't have many hosts (non-immune people) to infect.

So, please for the sake of babies everywhere,join the herd: vaccinate your children and keep up to date with your vaccine boosters!

If you have more questions about vaccine safety, check out these evidence-based and easy to understand answers: http://www.vaccinews.net/top20questions.php