<p>Mkm is trying to get me into T-R-O-U-B-L-E! ;).</p>
<p>Actually, as with many things in life, obtaining a good smear is related to practice (how many does the person do) and care. Any person - MD or NP - who has been properly trained, does at least a few a week and is careful with technique can produce good samples. I’ve seen busy OB-Gyns who generally take horrible samples, and Int Med docs who do fewer than one a month make great smears.</p>
<p>The more important thing to me in 2006, is for sexually active women under the age of 50, particularly, to get liquid-based Paps whenever possible. Over the whole population, liquid-based Paps detect more abnormalities (although there are still false negatives), and my personal experience has been that the docs that often gave us uninterpretable smears, did much better when they switched to liquid-based paps.</p>
<p>A woman should always know what her Pap report said (I’m not a big fan of the “No call means your smear is negative” offices), and know that if the report is Unsatisfactory, she should get a re-Pap within about 6 months, unless she is post-menopausal and has a solid history of negative smears - then the interval could potentially be longer.</p>
<p>AS for being “picky” about who reads them, the big issue with that is insurance companies. For many people, the insurance company dictates who reads the Pap smears, and some of the big outfits (Quest for instance) do a good job, some don’t. Data shows that very small labs often do not do as well as medium to larger labs - I’m biased toward the hospital-based lab because we generally do a better job communicating with our OBs, and in correlating positive Paps and subsequent biopsies to be certain the woman’s abnormality has been correctly sampled and diagnosed. But we make mistakes, too - it is not a perfect system, we are human.
At the very least, I want my lab to be CAP accredited and to have a cytopathologist somewhere in the picture.</p>
<p>Sorry to be uninformed, but how do you know if you have a “regular” or “liquid based” PAP? I’ve never known there was more than one type (is ignorance bliss?)
Happily, I think I’m perimenopausal & have only had one odd PAP smear that turned out to be a false positive decades ago. Have had those exams & tests annually.</p>
<p>Ask your MD or NP if they do liquid-based Paps. There are 2 companies that provide these, I won’t get into one company vs the other, because I’m not sure that truly matters. If they don’t understand (get another provider), ask if they collect the sample in a vial or make the smears directly in the office - liquid-based is in a vial.</p>
<p>Second one 2 months after first. Third one four months after that.</p>
<p>By the way, the injections are very expensive. Our insurance didn’t cover them. I am hoping that schools will figure out a way to offer them at reduced rates (bulk buying) but that it hard with the time spread.</p>
<p>According to this Mayo site, this is the dosing schedule:</p>
<p>“What’s the dosing schedule of the cervical cancer vaccine?
The cervical cancer vaccine is administered by injection of three doses during a six-month period. You receive the first dose followed two months later by the second dose. Six months after the first dose you receive the third dose.”</p>
<p>I think my D would be thrilled if it were inhaled instead of a needle. Might not be available to her & other asthmatics tho, like FluMist which is NOT for asthmatics or those with lung conditions. Will have to wait & see.</p>
<p>Thanks to cangel for all the very accurate medical info…I would like to address the other side…emotional
PLEASE READ, FOR YOUR DAUGHTER’S SAKE
My D was in a monogomous(SP?) relationship, both met as virgins, the love of her life! Well he messed up, didn’t tell her and now my D has HPV, broken heart and 3 vaginal outbreaks in 6 months, which i guess is rare, but her luck was plummeting. She has had three treatments an acid burn I think…very painful. She has had 2 doses of the vaccine and is scheduled for the 3rd when she is home over Christmas.
Anyone of you who are hesitant, I rocked my grown daughter in my lap for weeks as she waited for tests and suffered through treatments and nursed a broken heart. Many tears between us. Her dad was devastated, and felt helpless. Her brothers were so supportive and (allowed the ex boyfriend to live!)
So please this is nothing to play around with…protect your daughters and if they are afraid of needles, just message me and I will describe the treatment for an outbreak…needles will look like nothing in comparison.
My D has been instrumental in educating her friends, male and female.
This will always haunt her.</p>
<p>ANYONE can be a carrier and not have any symptoms- there isn’t any reason to take it out on boyfriend- possibly your daughter had it already.</p>
<p>However- I was treated for warts over 30 years ago- by freezing- painless-she should ask her doctor about that treatment.
After initial outbreak, I have not had any subsequent outbreaks, and my husband has never apparently contracted it either.</p>
<p>"“What’s the dosing schedule of the cervical cancer vaccine?
The cervical cancer vaccine is administered by injection of three doses during a six-month period. You receive the first dose followed two months later by the second dose. Six months after the first dose you receive the third dose.”</p>
<p>It’s pretty sad when the Mayo Clinic can’t even get it right. There is NO cervical cancer vaccine - there is an HPV vaccine.</p>
<p>fyi, I recently read about a natural alternative therapy for HPV. I think it was called ‘glucomannon’ or something like that. It was a 3-month therapy and supposedly had a guarantee to get rid of the HPV.</p>
<p>fyi, I recently read about a natural alternative therapy for HPV. I think it was called ‘glucomannon’ or something like that. It was a 3-month therapy and supposedly had a guarantee to get rid of the HPV.</p>
<p>I’m not sure why anyone wouldn’t want to get the vaccines. I had HPV 15 years ago–series of abnormal pap smears, biopsy, freezing treatment of cervix. Not fun, especially the biopsy. Why not avoid this if you can?</p>
<p>I think they certainly sound like a good idea & I hope that our ins at some point covers them-( although coverage has been getting more sparse not better & older D doesn’t have any at all)
not to mention that a long time womens health care provider has closed apparently because abortions were becoming a larger part of their business over the years, and because they served low income women without
insurance , their expenses were too high to stay open.
ttp://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/health/2003476798_aradia14m0.html</p>
<p>It seems that in terms of comparable cost $350 for a series of shots is much cheaper than treatment for cancer- so shouldn’t the govt subsidize this?</p>
<p>I think if the vaccine had been on the market longer, I’d be putting my foot down, the way I did for the meningitis shot. Since D’s an adult now (barely), I think I am going to let her weigh the risks and benefits and make the final call.</p>
<p>I hope no one who wants the vaccine is prevented from getting it by the cost. The vaccine is included in the fed’s Vaccines for Children program according to this CDC page.
<a href=“HPV - STD information from CDC”>HPV - STD information from CDC;
<p>emerald:
My point was that even in a apparently monogomous relationship, things happen. treatment in the vaginal and anal area are far different that regular warts. It is the period after the treatment during the healing that is difficult.</p>
<p>I certainly support your position that funding the vaccine is far less costly that treatment for cancer.</p>
<p>JC- yes I realize that warts on mucous tissue are different than plantar warts on the soles of your feets.
Thats why I made the point of saying that I haven’t had any outbreaks for 30 years, ( since before I met my husband) and he has never contracted the virus apparently. I thought it might help your daugther to know that once she is done with the treatment, it isn’t necessarily going to recur.
<a href=“http://www.aafp.org/afp/20041215/2335.html[/url]”>http://www.aafp.org/afp/20041215/2335.html</a></p>
<p>I have also oddly enough contracted Hep B, which seems to be transmitted through blood-fluid, although all other members of my family are negative, and I don’t have any unusual practices, like using needles or having sex with vistors from developing countries.</p>
<p>My point was just that we don’t always know everything about how diseases are transmitted. The vaccine for HPV for instance is only effective in females for some reason, which if males can both have HPV/be carriers, im not sure why the vaccine wouldn’t be recommended for males.</p>
<p>If my husband had decided to freak out about the Hep B, as he very well could have, being that he was negative as were the girls, I really wouldn’t have had any way to prove that I contracted it in a non sexual way.
( however, it is much more transmissible than HIV)</p>
<p>Ive also never had to have a repeat of a pap test- or any other problems-although I realize that I may just have a really strong immune system- I contracted and threw off the HepB without even knowing I had had it until I was tested when I gave blood.</p>
<p>Michigan is considering requiring the vaccine for girls although some researchers- wisely point out that even if men dont contract cancer of the cervix they can be carriers for HPV- and I think the only way to do it- would be to have everyone get the shots</p>
<p>Hep B can also be transmitted through saliva (and other bodily fliuds) and can stay active on surfaces up to 48 hours, I think, which is pretty scary. It kind of surprises me that more people don’t have it, all things considered. It’s a mandatory vaccine in our state now.</p>
<p>Emerald, thank you for the article, we have greatly researched HPV and consulted with several specialists in the medical profession and appreciate any additional information. Every case is different to some degree. Her physician has been very informative and supportive.
Each of the 3 outbreaks were treated, even though this is not the norm, so it has been difficult each time they reoccured. Each time the warts reoccured it reduced her faith that she would be free of symptoms, although the virus remains as well as the possible threat of cervical cancer. We are thankful that the type she has does not seem to be one of the 4 major causes of cervical cancer.
The fact that men rarely have symptons or physical repercussions, does reduce their concern and their assumed responsiblity for transmission. Ultimately, it is the female who must be responsible, starting with the vaccine and responsible sexual practices. Nothing is a sure thing.
So again my point is merely to advise moms and Ds that the vaccine, as a step toward prevention is so worth it, even to those who are afraid of needles. The physical and emotional repercussions have greatly affected my D, however she is strong and a trooper and will move forward.</p>
<p>IMO, this vaccine has the potential to be of great benefit. Cervical cancer has been killing women and causing sterility for generations. About 250,000 women died of cervical cancer last year. This vaccine holds out some real hope for prevention. I’m going to ensure that my daughters get it.</p>
<p>One caution to note is that there is some worry that this vaccine might be “enhancing.” Which is to say that it may make an <em>existing</em> HPV infection actually worse. It’s just a concern at this time, since the data are skimpy on this point. So that is one reason why it is recommended for young girls - to build up immunity before they become sexually active and thus prevent infections later. It’s not recommended for say middle-aged women, because there is a fair chance that they are already HPV infected. So far there is no data that I have seen to suggest that this vaccine is of any benefit to boys. </p>
<p>Here is some very preliminary research linking HPV with breast cancer as well:</p>
<p>This is not to say that the vaccine will prevent breast cancer too or that HPV for sure even plays a role in breast cancer. It may just be an “innocent bystander” virus in this case. But these new developments do perhaps suggest another reason to avoid HPV infection.</p>