Because sometimes the political gets personal

[valarltd]

I ramble a lot, I know. I get distracted. And sometimes I slow to have things click. But this morning, in the shower, it all came together.
(and I couldn't post because I had to meet with the special ed coordinator for Dollface about her reading assessment)

****

Anyway, I'm talking about HPV. Gentlemen, you may want to skip on down the f'list. These mysteries will only discomfit you.


****
So, bad pap smear this year. Squamous cells, minor lesion, possible major lesion.

I do the proper thing and go in for a colpopscopy. Not bad. It shows nothing.

So now I have a LEEP to do. While having an electrode shave off the outer layer of cervical cells doesn't sound like great fun, it beats the hell out of coning. According to Dr. H, they used to shave the WHOLE CERVIX into an inverted cone to get the bad cells. Mom said they used to freeze the lesions as well.

There are times when I wonder if the witch-hunters just took up gynecology instead.

So, where am I going with this?

Bun got an HPV innoculation while she was at the dr. (and will get the two other injections as well)
My insurance covers it, and the FDA finally approved it.
She is going to have her risk of a bad pap reduced by about 70%. With great good fortune, she'll never sit on a table and hear a dr say "We're going to run an electrode all over your cervix and remove a layer of cells. It won't hurt."


There are groups who said this vaccine should not be made available. They claim it will encourage promiscuity. They are angry at the notion they need to innoculate THEIR pure and innocent daughters against an STD. They are angry--their rhetoric implies--because women who have sex DESERVE to die of cancer, and removing this threat of death will make more people have sex.


14,000 women in the US, and 500,000 worldwide will be diagnosed with cervical cancer this year. Tens of thousands more will have abnormal pap smears.

4000 women in the US, and about 275,000 around the world, will die of cervical cancer this year

The vaccine doesn't stop all of it. But it could reduce those numbers to 4000 (170,000) diagnosed and 1300 (92,000) dead.

I'm trying not to be one of the 14,000.
And I'd rather my daughters not be part of it as well.

Comments

I need a wild applause icon.

[sidewinder.livejournal.com]

Actually, I think men NEED to read this. Especially as they are often symptomless carriers of HPV and for the most part no nothing about it. Or want to know anything about it. 'Cause it's just a woman's problem, right? A problem for women who sleep around too much, right?

So if that's the case why is it over 80% of women who are sexually active to any extent will be exposed to HPV?

And women do not know enough about it. And doctors won't tell you enough about it. When I had a bad pap smear two years ago, I was not told a thing about HPV, only mailed vague literature of what would come next, a brochure about HPV, and nothing else. When I went in for my colposcopy, I asked my doctor point blank "Does this mean I have HPV?" and was only given a roundabout non-answer of "Well, we assume 85% of abnormal paps are from HPV, if confirmed, blah blah blah".

Sorry for ranting off in your lj, this is just one of my soapboxes and I couldn't agree with you more.

Re: I need a wild applause icon.

[valarltd.livejournal.com]

Rant away, I totally agree.

I have one of the best women's hospitals in my area, and Dr. H is very good. He will explain, with diagrams, until he's sure the patient understands

OB/gyns who rely on intimidation and vagueness irritate me to no end. The one who "delivered" (and I use the term loosely) my last 2 had an antique forcep collection on the wall of the waiting room.

(I figured the men could skip it, since most of the ones who read my LJ are gay)

Re: I need a wild applause icon.

[sidewinder.livejournal.com]

OB/gyns who rely on intimidation and vagueness irritate me to no end.

Oh yeah. Believe me, that was the last time I went to that hospital's clinic. For *anything*. (The icing on the cake was I had to have my colposcopy "observed" by a number of medical students. As if such an experience isn't unpleasant enough.)

And good luck with everything. *hugs*

Re: I need a wild applause icon.

[reannon.livejournal.com]

Oh, that's infuriating. I had an abnormal pap last year and the next thing out of the nurse practitioner's mouth was, "Of course, we immediately tested for HPV and it was negative." They absolutely should not just ASSUME that it's HPV.

Also, most states have a patients' bill of rights that allows you to choose whether you are observed by a crowd of strangers or not. I usually do, because I'm not really modest (modesty went away when I had my baby) but you should have the right to say NO. Rawr.

Re: I need a wild applause icon.

[sidewinder.livejournal.com]

Also, most states have a patients' bill of rights that allows you to choose whether you are observed by a crowd of strangers or not. I usually do, because I'm not really modest (modesty went away when I had my baby) but you should have the right to say NO. Rawr.

I think if I was more on the ball at the time I would have said no. Not because I'm overly modest myself, but just because this was something I wanted over and done with as soon and as calmly as possible. Having to be on display was not something I was in the mood for at the time.

[kc-risenphoenix.livejournal.com]

Angel, you know you are always in my prayers now, right?

{{{{HUGS}}}}

I know everything will be okay. Make 2007 YOUR year, okay? You are on the right track!

[valarltd.livejournal.com]

I know.
And I love you for it.

We're getting all this done early so the rest of the year can go fine!

[reannon.livejournal.com]

*soapbox*

What angers me even more about this is that it is only being made available to women under 28. Apparently, you've had all the sex you're going to have before you hit thirty. Goddammit, I'm a sexually active woman of 31 with multiple partners, and I'm not ashamed of it, and I want to protect myself. Why the hell can't I have the shot? "Oh, well, if you were going to catch HPV you probably would have by now." Bull. Shit. And some of the bullshit comes from the pro-poly crowd, believe it or not, who refuses to accept that HPV causes most cervical cancer because "it's just them trying to frighten us off of having sex. You've probably already had it anyway and didn't know it, so don't worry about it."

*fumes*
*steps down from soapbox*

[valarltd.livejournal.com]

There was a point where they were going to make it only available to virgins. Basically, "If you're sexually active, you probably already have it, so no shot for you, regardless of whether you're 31, 21 or 11."

[cbpotts.livejournal.com]

That's just so stupid I can't stand it! What, there's some magic cutoff at 28 that says the people you have had sex with up to this point are the only ones you're going to have sex with?

Right.

For my next act, watch me levitate the white house.

I'd rant more, but lack the vocabulary or good analogies right this moment.

[kadath.livejournal.com]

Here's the FDA's rationale. However, since they've approved it, they can't stop your GYN giving it to you, if you can convince her.

[eyeless-angel.livejournal.com]

Yes! Amen!

I have kept up with this issue and it still just blows my mind how much these people must hate women.

My mother had HPV, contracted within holy matrimony that the fundies fully approve of. No infidelity AFAIK in 45 years of that marriage. HPV happens. It has a vaccine. It may prevent your daughters from getting cancer.

There is no lose in this situation.