24
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Panther
      Prints
      February
      13,
      1996
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Other
      Killer
      STD
     
    
   
   
    
     
      by
      Colleen
      Easter
     
    

    
     
      Human
      papillomavirus,
      HPV,
     
     
      seems
      to
      be
      a
      well
      kept
      secret.
      This
     
     
      sexually
      transmitted
      virus,
      long
     
     
      overshadowed
      by
      AIDS,
      has
      in-
     
     
      fected
      millions
      of
      people,
      yet
      it
     
     
      remains
      relatively
      unknown.
      How-
     
     
      ever,
      this
      disease
      should
      be
      getting
     
     
      the
      attention
      it
      deserves
      because
     
     
      there
      are
      links
      between
      HPV
      and
     
     
      cervical
      cancer.
     
    

    
     
      HPV
      is
      more
      commonly
      known
     
     
      as
      the
      wart
      virus
      because
      HPV
     
     
      infection
      causes
      genital
      warts.
     
     
      Ordinary
      genital
      warts,
      tiny
      bumps
     
     
      which
      are
      noticeable
      by
      inspection,
     
     
      are
      not
      the
      only
      kind
      possible.
     
     
      There
      are
      also
      flat
      warts
      which
      are
     
     
      not
      visible
      to
      the
      naked
      eye.
      This
     
     
      means
      a
      person
      can
      have
      genital
     
     
      warts
      and
      never
      be
      aware
      of
      it.
      Or
     
     
      person
      can
      have
      no
      warts
      and
      still
      be
     
     
      infected
      with
      HPV.
     
    

    
     
      The
      possibility
      of
      a
      sexually
     
     
      active
      person
      having
      HPV
      is
      very
     
     
      high.
      At
      least
      500,000
      new
      cases
      of
     
     
      genital
      warts
      are
      reported
      every
      year
     
     
      _
      in
      North
      America.
      When
      scientists
     
     
      factor
      in
      people
      with
      no
      outward
     
     
      signs
      of
      the
      virus,
      they
      estimate
      10%
     
     
      of
      sexually
      active
      people
      in
      North
     
     
      America
      are
      infected
      with
      HPV.
     
     
      This
      is
      over
      fifteen
      million
      people,
     
     
      and
      makes
      HPV
      the
      most
      wide
     
     
      spread
      sexually
      transmitted
      virus,
     
     
      well
      above
      AIDS.
     
    

    
     
      All
      people
      with
      HPV,
      visible
     
     
      signs
      of
      infection
      or
      not,
      are
      able
      to
     
     
      transmit
      the
      virus.
      Studies
      show
      that
     
     
      70%
      of
      the
      sexual
      partners
      of
      in-
     
     
      fected
      people
      are
      also
      infected
      with
     
     
      HPV.
      This
      is
      not
      a
      difficult
      infec-
     
     
      tion
      to
      catch.
      Only
      a
      latex
      condom
     
     
      can
      control
      the
      spread
      of
      this
      dis-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      '
      ase.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      People
      have
      been
      considering
     
     
      that
      cervical
      cancer
      could
      be
      sexu-
     
     
      ally
      transmitted
      for
      over
      a
      hundred
     
     
      years.
      Before
      the
      turn
      of
      the
      century
     
     
      it
      was
      noticed
      that
      nuns
      and
      virgins
     
     
      were
      not
      getting
      this
      disease.
     
     
      Women
      whose
      husbands
      travelled,
     
     
      which
      enabled
      promiscuity
      on
      both
     
    
   
   
    
     
      eis
      iar
      8
      cA
      Si
      SSS
      A
      I
      RES
      I
      I
      ES
      TE
      ED
      EI
      SET
      TE
      SE
      TI
     
    
   
   
    
     
      sides,
      were
      much
      more
      likely
      to
      get
     
     
      cervical
      cancer.
      Also,
      when
      a
      mans
     
     
      first
      wife
      died
      of
      cervical
      cancer,
      it
     
     
      was
      quite
      likely
      that
      his
      second
      wife
     
     
      would
      also
      get
      the
      disease.
     
    

    
     
      A
      recent
      study
      has
      brought
     
     
      these
      age
      old
      findings
      into
      the
      realm
     
     
      of
      scientific
      study.
      The
      international
     
     
      study,
      led
      by
      Michele
      Manos
      of
      the
     
     
      Johns
      Hopkins
      School
      of
      Public
     
     
      Health,
      examined
      1000
      women
      with
     
    
   
   
    
     
      cervical
      cancer.
      The
      tumours
      of
     
     
      these
      women
      were
      searched
      for
     
    
   
   
    
     
      signs
      of
      HPV.
      In
      95%
      of
      these
      -
     
     
      women
      HPV
      DNA
      was
      found.
      This
     
     
      means
      that
      95%
      of
      the
      women
      with
     
     
      cervical
      cancer
      were
      infected
      with
     
     
      HPV.
     
    

    
     
      This
      study
      certainly
      does
      not
     
     
      show
      that
      HPV
      is
      the
      only
      factor
     
     
      involved
      in
      contracting
      cervical
     
     
      cancer.
      If
      a
      person
      is
      not
      infected
     
     
      with
      HPV
      they
      can
      still
      get
      cervical
     
     
      cancer.
      Smoking,
      taking
      birth
      con-
     
     
      trol
      pills,
      and
      the
      presence
      of
      other
     
     
      venereal
      infections
      are
      all
      believed
     
     
      to
      contribute
      to
      a
      womans
      chances
     
    
   
   
    
     
      of
      contracting
      cervical
      cancer.
     
     
      If
      a
      person
      does
      have
      HPV,
      that
     
    
   
   
    
     
      does
      not
      mean
      they
      will
      get
      cervical
     
     
      cancer.
      There
      are
      over
      50
      different
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _
      strains
      of
      HPV.
      This
      study
      showed
     
    
   
   
    
     
      that
      two
      specific
      strains
      are
      pre-
     
     
      dominately
      linked
      with
      cervical
     
     
      cancer,
      HPV-16
      and
      HPV-18.
     
     
      Women
      infected
      with
      other
      strains
     
     
      have
      little
      reason
      to
      worry
      about
      an
     
     
      increased
      likelihood
      of
      getting
     
     
      cervical
      cancer.
     
    

    
     
      Cervical
      cancer
      kills
      thousands
     
     
      of
      women
      every
      year.
      Millions
      of
     
     
      women
      have
      increased
      their
      chances
     
     
      of
      dying
      of
      cervical
      cancer
      by
      being
     
     
      infected
      with
      HPV.
      The
      only
      way
     
     
      you
      can
      be
      sure
      you
      have
      HPV
      is
      to
     
     
      go
      to
      the
      doctor.
      All
      doctors
      at
      the
     
     
      Heath
      Center
      on
      campus
      check
      for
     
     
      HPV
      during
      a
      Pap
      smear.
      Women
     
     
      who
      know
      they
      are
      infected
      with
     
     
      HPV
      are
      more
      aware
      of
      their
      risks
     
     
      for
      cervical
      cancer.
      The
      awareness
     
     
      of
      the
      risks
      is
      the
      first
      step
      in
      early
     
    
   
   
    
     
      detection
      of
      cancer.
     
    

    
     
      These
      tests
      are
      particularly
     
     
      important
      for
      younger
      women.
     
     
      Another
      study
      conservatively
      esti-
     
     
      mates
      that
      15%
      of
      all
      sexually
      active
     
     
      teenage
      girls
      are
      infected
      with
      HPV.
     
     
      Up
      to
      60%
      of
      these
      girls
      could
      have
     
     
      a
      strain
      of
      the
      virus
      linked
      to
      cervi-
     
     
      cal
      cancer.
      This
      is
      because
      a
      teen-
     
     
      ager
      has
      a
      much
      more
      immature
      and
     
     
      vulnerable
      cervix.
      So
      all
      sexually
     
     
      active
      women,
      no
      matter
      how
     
     
      young,
      need
      to
      see
      their
      doctor
      and
     
     
      get
      a
      Pap
      smear
      on
      a
      regular
      basis.
     
     
      They
      also
      need
      to
      always
      use
      a
     
     
      condom
      or
      run
      the
      risk
      of
      catching
     
     
      this
      and
      other
      STD’s.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      CONDOM
      PRICES
      IN
      CHARLOTTETOWN
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Sherwood
      Drugmart,
      ARP
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Shoppers
      Drugmart,
      Charlottetown
      Mall
     
     
      Pharma
      Save,
      Ellis
      Brothers
      Mall
     
    
   
   
    
     
      West
      Royalty
      Pharmacy
     
    
   
   
    
     
      K-Mart
      Pharmacy
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Regular
      Prices,
      as
      seen
      February
      1,
      1996.
      All
      prices
      are
      for
      boxes
      of
      12.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      SHEIK.
      ARP
      SHOPPERS
      |
      PS
      WEST
      R.
      |
      K-MART
     
     
      Excita
      (Ribbed,
      8%Spermicide)
      $7.95
      $10.29
      $8.99
      $8.99
      N/A
     
     
      Sensi-Creme
      (Lubricated)
      $3.99
      $7.29
      $6.49
      $5.49
      $6.69
     
     
      Sensi-Thin
      (Lubricated)
      $6.99.
      $8.49
      $7.79
      $6.49
      56.69
     
     
      Elite
      (8%
      Spermicide)
      $7.39
      $8.59
      $8.69
      $8.49
      $7.79
     
     
      Non
      Lubricated
      $5.59
      $7.29
      $6.49
      $5.49
      N/A
     
     
      RAMSES
     
    

    
     
      Ribbed
      (8%
      Spermicide)
      $10.19
      $11.29
      $10.99
      N/A
      N/A
     
     
      Sensitol
      (Lubricated)
      $8.99
      $8.59
      $7.79
      $6.49
      $8.99
     
     
      Thin
      (Lubricated)
      $9.99
      $9.19
      .
      $9.99
      $7.99
      $9.99
     
     
      Extra
      (8%
      Spermicide)
      $10.99
      $11.29
      $10.99
      $9.99
      $10.29
     
     
      Non
      Lubricated
      $9.99
      $8.59
      $7.79
      $6.49
      N/A
     
     
      TROJAN-ENZ
     
    

    
     
      Ultra
      Texture
      (5%
      Spermicide)
      $8.29
      _
      |
      $9.19
      N/A
      $6.69
      $6.69
     
     
      Lubricated
      $5.75
      $6.59
      N/A
      $5.99
      $5.79
     
     
      Thin
      $6.25
      $7.89
      N/A
      $6.99
      $6.49
     
     
      Spermicide
      5%
      $7.99
      $8.79
      N/A
      N/A
      $7.49
     
     
      Non
      Lubricated
      $5.79
      $6.39
      N/A
      $5.89
      $5.49
     
     
      ORTHO
      SHIELDS
     
    

    
     
      Supreme
      (Sensitive)
      $7.99
      $9.29
      N/A
      $9.99
      $7.99
     
     
      Lubricated
      N/A
      N/A
      N/A
      $9.99
      $7.49
     
     
      Thin
      N/A
      $9.29
      $8.99
      $7.99
      $8.79
     
     
      Plus
      (5%
      Spermicide)
      N/A
      $9.29
      $9.29
      $7.99
      $8.29
     
     
      Non
      Lubricated
      N/A
      $8.29
      N/A
      $7.99
      N/A