Note from Ilena Rosenthal: The industry scaremongers continue to feed
the frenzy that is putting over $4.5 billion in Merck's coffers this
year... as the evidence of the deaths and other serious complications
unfold.

Gardasil flacks trivialize the reported deaths and repeat the Merck
cervical cancer propaganda, refusing to admit that testing and better
hygiene will also assist in lowering the rates of the many types of
HPV (estimates between 30 and 100). They march around Usenet claiming
if we are cautious about wanting to mass innoculate pre-pubescent
girls, that that means we are "flacking" for the funeral industry and
other cheap propaganda fallacies.

As the new school year is starting around us ... we must be vigilent
that the Vac Machine is NOT the only point of view being spread.

http://ilena-rosenthal.blogspot.com


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20473947/?from=ET

IMPORTANT EXCERPTS:
The study didn't evaluate the long-term progression of HPV infections,
the extent of future abnormalities in cervical cells, or the
development of cervical cancer in these women. There's still a
possibility that the vaccine may diminish the progression to cancer,
but it seems unlikely since it didn't cause the virus to disappear.

Those who have persistent viral infections are a small minority of
women who are then at risk for cervical cancer.

We do know that within two years of HPV exposure (and infection), most
women clear these viruses on their own. Thank goodness for our
cervical “powers of viral destruction.”


Can a vaccine treat my existing HPV infection?
Dr. Judith Reichman shares some answers and explains the vaccine
Health on

By Dr. Judith Reichman


Q: I tested positive for high-risk HPV on my recent Pap smear. I'm
freaked! If I get the HPV vaccine will it help cure me?

A: First, the good news. It's most likely that your body will clear
the virus by itself through your own immune reactions. But the bad
news is that we don't know how to help that process along and the
vaccine won't do it.

A recent article in the Journal of the American Medical Association
(JAMA) detailed a study in which more than 2,000 women between the
ages of 18 to 25 were followed for over a year. These women lived in
Costa Rica and were found, on initial testing, to be positive for
human papilloma virus (HPV). They were divided into two groups: Half
the women got a vaccine that immunizes against HPV 16 and 18, the
other half did not. There are over 30 types of HPV, but only some are
high risk. Type 16 and 18 are found in (and felt to be the cause of)
70 percent of cervical cancers. (The vaccine currently available in
the U.S. is called Gardasil. It's a quadrivalent vaccine because it
protects against four types of HPV: 16, 18, 6 and 11. These last two
types of HPV are not involved in cervical cancer development but do
cause genital warts.)



The women were then followed and tested for viral shedding at 6 and 12
months. The study found that there was no significant difference in
viral clearance (i.e., the virus disappeared) between those who
received immunization after becoming infected with HPV and those who
didn't. The clearance rate of HPV in the women who took the vaccine at
six months was 33.4 percent vs. 31.6 percent in the control group. At
12 months, the rate of continued shedding of the virus was 48.8
percent in the vaccinated group and 49.8 percent in the control group.

The study didn't evaluate the long-term progression of HPV infections,
the extent of future abnormalities in cervical cells, or the
development of cervical cancer in these women. There's still a
possibility that the vaccine may diminish the progression to cancer,
but it seems unlikely since it didn't cause the virus to disappear.

We do know that within two years of HPV exposure (and infection), most
women clear these viruses on their own. Thank goodness for our
cervical “powers of viral destruction.” HPV prevalence is
frighteningly ubiquitous — 50 to 70 percent of sexually active young
adults test positive for one of the HPVs within two years of
initiating sexual activity, especially if they are not consistent in
using condoms. (And even then there can be “oops” occurrences).
Because of its overwhelming prevalence, the current recommendation is
not to test for HPV infection in young adults (under the age of 30).

Those who have persistent viral infections are a small minority of
women who are then at risk for cervical cancer. Finding a persistent
HPV infection in women after the age of 30 should be a signal for
careful follow-up.


Despite this study's results, there are those who feel that it is
worthwhile to give the quadrivalent vaccine (Gardasil) to young women
aged 11 to 26 who have tested positive for one of the high-risk HPVs.
This is because, in theory, the vaccine may provide immunity against
HPV types that these young women were not exposed to and/or infected
with. Whether it is cost-effective to do this, especially in a large
population, is still under discussion.

Dr. Reichman’s Bottom Line: If you are infected with HPV, getting the
HPV vaccine will not help you clear the virus; the vaccine should not
be used to treat current infections.