by Samara Alpern
Daily Lobo columnist
Sex can lead to cancer.
No, that's not some nefarious falsehood cooked up to scare high school kids into abstinence. The connection between sex and cancer is real, and college students are among the group most at risk. Scary - and sad - but true.
Thankfully, a new vaccine - developed in part right here at UNM - may soon make this cancer a thing of the past. More on that later.
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First, let's look at the sex-cancer relationship. The link between sex and cancer is in an extremely common sexually transmitted virus that isn't as famous as syphilis or HIV. Human papillomavirus, or HPV, was once credited exclusively with causing genital warts. Other strains of HPV have since been identified as the culprits behind almost all cervical cancers. The cervix is the end of the uterus adjoining the vagina.
HPV is also suspected to be responsible for a number of other genital cancers, including cancer of the penis, though the evidence for that connection is less conclusive.
HPV is everywhere, and, unfortunately, condoms don't seem to prevent infection. Conservative estimates calculate there are more than 20 million cases of HPV in the United States alone, with more than 50 percent of the cases affecting people between the ages of 15 and 24. Nationally, nearly half of college students are infected, and the rate across all ages in New Mexico is 42 percent.
On campus, HPV appears to be on the rise.
"We've recently witnessed an increasing number of HPV infections," said Kathryn Williams of the UNM Student Health Center.
While the virus is pervasive, most people are unfamiliar with HPV because not all strains are problematic, and even the more dangerous strains initially produce no symptoms. The majority of people who contract the virus don't come down with a case of genital warts or cervical cancer. However, the threat of cancer is still significant. HPV infections cause almost half a million cases of cervical cancer every year.
The typical failure of HPV to produce symptoms is a blessing and a curse. While no one wants to suffer symptoms of a sexually transmitted disease, symptoms are what signal us that our health requires attention.
With HPV, by the time health problems become noticeable, infection has likely already advanced to cervical cancer. Williams advises that the best protection from cervical cancer comes from regular annual gynecological exams featuring the PAP test.
Fortunately, the threat of HPV may soon become a thing of the past.
UNM researcher Cossette Wheeler is working with scientists across the globe to develop a vaccine against HPV.
The development of the vaccine is no small feat. The vaccine against HPV will effectively be a vaccine against cervical cancer.
Wheeler has been working on the vaccine since 1987, first researching the scope of HPV infection and then testing the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine. The vaccine has been shown to be nearly 100 percent effective in preventing cervical cancer caused by the two deadliest strains of the virus.
Because HPV comes in more than 100 strains, the vaccine cannot target them all. The vaccine works against two of the most deadly varieties, as well as two other nasty strains that most commonly cause genital warts. If approved, the vaccine can be expected to eliminate 70 percent of cervical cancer cases.
The vaccine may be approved as early as this summer.
Though pleased with the demonstrated efficacy of the vaccine, Wheeler is concerned the vaccine will not reach the people who need it most. The proliferation of HPV in rich countries with strong health infrastructures is a significant health concern, but HPV infection is even more destructive in developing countries.
Many nations in Asia, Africa and Latin America lack the resources to vaccinate their populations. These same countries also lack the resources to diagnose HPV and cervical cancers early enough for treatment, and even then, treatments may not be available.
While the vaccine is in the final phase of testing, Wheeler is seeking volunteers to help complete this last stage of trials. Volunteers receive free PAP tests and free birth control for the duration of the study. If you are a woman over the age of 26 and would like to participate in the study, call 277-HOPE.
While the vaccine against cervical cancer and genital warts is a promising tool to safeguard health, it will not substitute for responsible sexual behavior. It's as important as ever to know your sex partner's history and health status, and make decisions accordingly. Condoms don't necessarily prevent the transmission of HPV, but they do help protect you from the more familiar sexual penalties, like HIV and unwanted pregnancy.
It would be great if they could come up with a vaccine to protect us from all the consequences of disastrous one-night stands, but for now, that's still up to you.
