Page
      14
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _
      at
      the
      top
      of
      every
      young
      woman's
      to-do
      list.
      It’s
     
    
   
   
    
     
      CADRE
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Eight
      out
      of
      10
      Canadians
      willbe
     
     
      infected
      with
      HPV
      in
      their
      lifetimes
     
    
   
   
    
     
      —
      will
      you
      be
      one
      of
      them?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Not
      if
      the
      Society
      of
      Obstetricians
      and
      Gynaecologists
      of
      Canada
     
     
      has
      anything
      to
      do
      with
      it.
      The
      SOGC
      is
      urging
      young
      adults
      to
     
     
      expose
      what
      lurks
      between
      the
      sheets
      in
      order
      to
      protect
      them-
     
     
      selves
      against
      this
      highly
      contagious
      —
      and
      potentially
      dangerous
      —
     
     
      virus.
     
    

    
     
      HPV,
      or
      the
      human
      papillomavirus,
      is
      a
      common
      sexually
      trans-
     
     
      mitted
      infection.
      So
      common,
      in
      fact,
      that
      there
      are
      over
      100
      differ-
     
     
      ent
      types
      of
      HPV.
      Most
      will
      clear
      on
      their
      own
     
     
      within
      two
      years,
      without
      you
      even
      knowing
      you
     
     
      had
      it,
      however
      some
      are
      more
      persistent
      and
      may
     
     
      lead
      to
      long-term
      consequences.
      Also,
      certain
     
     
      sexually
      transmitted
      strains
      can
      cause
      genital
     
     
      warts,
      and
      others
      can
      even
      cause
      cancer.
      The
     
     
      warts
      can
      vary
      in
      size
      and
      appearance,
      ranging
     
     
      from
      growths
      that
      look
      flat,
      raised,
      or
      even
     
     
      cauliflower-shaped.
      The
      swellings
      can
      sometimes
     
     
      be
      itchy,
      and
      if
      they’re
      allowed
      to
      grow
      they
      can
     
     
      cause
      sores,
      bleeding,
      and
      can
      even
      block
      vaginal
     
     
      openings.
     
    

    
     
      You're
      probably
      thinking
      that
      someone
      would
     
     
      have
      to
      be
      pretty
      clueless
      to
      hook
      up
      with
      a
     
     
      partner
      who's
      covered
      in
      genital
      warts.
      But
      there's
     
     
      just
      one
      problem
      -
      not
      everyone
      infected
      will
      have
     
     
      symptoms.
      So,
      whether
      you're
      all
      about
      staying
     
     
      exclusive
      or
      playing
      the
      field,
      a
      partner
      can
      still
     
     
      pass
      HPV
      on
      to
      you
      without
      even
      knowing
      they
     
     
      have
      it.
     
    

    
     
      And
      as
      if
      the
      thought
      of
      genital
      warts
      isn’t
      |
     
     
      enough
      to
      kill
      the
      mood,
      other
      types
      of
      HPV
      are
     
     
      the
      number
      one
      cause
      of
      cervical
      cancer.
      It’s
      a
     
     
      serious
      disease
      -
      this
      year,
      about
      1,350
      women
      will
     
     
      be
      diagnosed
      with
      it,
      and
      another
      400
      will
      die
     
     
      from
      it.
     
    

    
     
      Condoms
      do
      provide
      a
      safety
      net
      against
      HPV,
     
     
      but
      they
      can’t
      promise
      to
      be
      100%
      effective.
      This
      is
     
     
      because
      HPV
      spreads
      so
      easily
      that
      all
      it
      takes
      is
     
     
      skin-to-skin
      sexual
      contact
      for
      it
      to
      make
      the
      jump
     
     
      from
      one
      person
      to
      the
      next,
      and
      a
      condom
      might
     
     
      not
      completely
      cover
      an
      infected
      area.
     
    

    
     
      There’s
      too
      much
      of
      a
      risk
      involved
      to
      stay
      pow-
     
     
      erless
      against
      HPV.
      Up
      to
      80%
      of
      Canadians
      will
      be
     
     
      exposed
      to
      it,
      many
      before
      they
      turn
      26
      years
      old,
     
     
      so
      why
      not
      make
      today
      the
      day
      you
      take
      charge
      of
     
     
      your
      sexual
      health?
      Since
      HPV
      infections
      can
      go
     
     
      undetected,
      getting
      regular
      Pap
      smears
      should
      be
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      best
      way
      of
      identifying
      HPV
      and
      catching
      early
     
     
      signs
      of
      cervical
      cancer
      before
      it’s
      too
      late.
     
    

    
     
      Of
      course,
      prevention
      is
      just
      as
      important
      as
      awareness.
      In
      case
     
     
      you're
      not
      convinced,
      let’s
      get
      into
      some
      more
      heavy
      numbers:
      The
     
     
      one
      and
      only
      option
      that
      provides
      close
      to
      100%
      protection
     
     
      against
      HPV
      types
      16
      and
      18,
      which
      cause
      about
      70%
      of
      cervical
     
     
      cancers,
      as
      well
      as
      types
      6
      and
      11,
      which
      cause
      90%
      of
      genital
     
     
      warts,
      is
      the
      HPV
      vaccination.
      Medical
      experts,
      such
      as
      the
      Society
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      of
      Obstetricians
      and
      Gynaecologists
      of
      Canada,
      recommend
      vacci-
     
     
      nation
      of
      all
      women
      aged
      nine
      to
      26.
      But
      don’t
      think
      that
      once
     
     
      you're
      vaccinated
      it
      means
      no
      more
      Pap
      tests.
      It’s
      not
      a
      question
      of
     
     
      choosing
      one
      or
      the
      other
      —
      they're
      both
      important
      components
      in
     
     
      the
      fight
      against
      HPV.
      This
      year,
      more
      than
      400,000
      women
      will
     
     
      have
      an
      abnormal
      Pap
      smear,
      many
      indicating
      pre-cancerous
     
     
      conditions.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      eee
      cece
     
     
      eee
      ee
     
    
   
   
    
     
      hpvinfo.ca
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Getting
      informed
      is
      another
      major
      component
      in
      keeping
      your
      _
     
     
      body
      and
      your
      sex
      life
      healthy.
      This
      doesn’t
      just
      go
      for
      young
     
     
      women,
      but
      young
      men
      as
      well.
      A
      recent
      study
      found
      out
      that
      less
     
     
      than
      a
      third
      of
      both
      men
      and
      women
      have
      ever
      heard
      of
      HPV.
      Rise
     
     
      above
      the
      statistics.
      Get
      all
      the
      facts
      at
      www.hpvinfo.ca
      and
      talk
      to
     
     
      a
      doctor
      about
      protecting
      yourself,
      and
      your
      partners.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Oct.
      24,
      2007: