>> SOMETIMES WHEN IT COMES TO GOING TO THE DOCTOR IT IS EASY TO AVOID IT BECAUSE YOU DON’T
WANT TO HAVE THOSE AWKWARD
CONVERSATIONS.
>> AMONG OTHER THINGS.
BUT THE REALITY IS SOME OF THE
AWKWARD STUFF IS IMPORTANT IN
MAKING SURE YOU’RE STAYING
HEALTHY ESPECIALLY THE COMES TO
SCREENING SUCH AS THOSE FOR
CERVICAL CANCER.
IN THE HPV VACCINE.
WE MORNING ANCHOR AND HEALTH
REPORTER KIRSTEN O’CONNOR
STANDING BY TO ASK A DOCTOR.
>> SOME SAY IT DOES NOT GET ANY
MORE AWKWARD THAN GOING TO YOUR
OB/GYN.
SO WE ARE WELCOMING BACK DOCTOR
CHRISTINE GREAVES FROM ORLANDO
HEALTH TO TALK TO US ABOUT THE
HUMAN PAPILLOMA VIRUS, HPV.
IT’S SOMETHING A LOT OF PEOPLE
HAVE HEARD ABOUT BECAUSE OF THE
VACCINE IT’S BEEN OUT FOR QUITE
SOME TIME NOW.
BUT LET’S JUST TALK ABOUT WHAT
IT IS AND WHAT MAKES THIS
FIBROUS SORT OF MYSTERIOUS.
>> OKAY, SURE.
HPV STANDS FOR HUMAN PAPILLOMA
VIRUS.
THERE IS NOT JUST ONE VIRUS.
THERE ARE MULTIPLE VIRUSES.
ASSOCIATED WITH HPV.
I LIKE TO EQUATE IT AS IF WERE
TALKING ABOUT FLORIDA.
YOU SAY AND FROM FLORIDA AND
YOU’RE LIKE WHAT CITY.
ORLANDO.
MIAMI, TAMPA ETC. IT IS A
SIMILAR SITUATION TO THAT.
THE VIRUSES ARE DIFFERENT.
SO SOME VIRUSES ARE AFFILIATED
WITH BOARDS SOMEWHAT CERVICAL
CANCER.
IN SOME EITHER.
SO THAT IS HPV.
>> THIS VACCINE IS BEEN UP FOR
A WHILE NOW.
WHAT DOES IT PROTECT AGAINST?
IS IT AGAINST ALL OF THOSE
DIFFERENT STRAINS?
>> GREAT QUESTION.
THE ORIGINAL ONE PROTECTED
AGAINST FOUR DIFFERENT STRAINS,
TWO OF WHICH ARE RESPONSIBLE
FOR CERVICAL CANCER AND TWO OF
WHICH ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR
WARTS.
THE 1 HELPS WITH NINE DIFFERENT
STRAINS SO IT’S REALLY
EXCITING.
>> THIS IS SOMETHING YOU HEAR
ABOUT A LOT OF TIMES WHEN YOU
GO TO YOUR OB/GYN.
YOU HEAR ABOUT THIS VACCINE.
AS OLD OR AS YOUNG AS 16 TO 45.
IS IT REALLY THAT EFFECTIVE AS
YOU GET OLDER?
>> YES.
>> IT IS WONDERFUL BECAUSE
PREVENTION IS KEY.
SO IF YOU CAN PREVENT EVER
ACQUIRING THAT VIRUS THEN YOU
CAN PREVENT IT FROM AFFECTING
YOUR BODY BETTER ULTIMATELY
CAUSING CERVICAL CANCER OR
WARTS.
>> WHAT ABOUT GETTING THE
DIAGNOSIS?
THERE’S A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO GET
THE HPV DIAGNOSIS.
>> YES, THERE ARE A LOT OF
PEOPLE WHO GET HPV DIAGNOSIS.
AND BASICALLY WHAT HAPPENS IS
WHEN YOU GO FOR YOUR ANNUAL
APPOINTMENT OR IF YOU NOTICE
SOMETHING DOWN THERE THAT’S NOT
SUPPOSED TO BE THERE YOU GO AND
GET EVALUATED BY YOUR OB/GYN
AND THAT IS WHEN YOU MAY FIND
OUT EITHER BY A PAP SMEAR OR BY
YOUR ANNUAL EXAM OR BY A
PHYSICAL EXAM.
>> AND IS THAT DIAGNOSIS
SOMETHING YOU LIVE WITH YOUR
ENTIRE LIFE?
>> YES IT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU
NEED TO INFORM YOUR PARTNER OF
HAVING HAD.
SO YES, IF YOU HAVE HAD WARTS
OR IF YOU HAD ABNORMAL PAP
CAN GO AWAY.
THAT IS THE ESSENCE OF A VIRUS.
IF YOU THE CHICKENPOX WHEN YOU
WERE A CHILD YOU PROBABLY ARE
NOT WALKING ON THE CHICKENPOX
BUT MAYBE WHEN YOU’RE OLDER AND
YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM GOES DOWN
YOU COULD HAVE THE SHINGLES
WHICH IS PART OF THAT SO WE CAN
POP BACK UP AND IT’S IMPORTANT
TO MAKE SURE YOU’RE INFORMING
YOUR PARTNER, ESPECIALLY
TALKING WITH YOUR DOCTOR ABOUT
IT AND ESPECIALLY YOUR CHANGING
DOCTORS.
SO THEY CAN KEEP A RECORD OF
IT.
THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE THAT HAVE
HEARD THIS IS CLEARED AT SOME
POINT IN THEIR LIFE.
SAVAGE REFERRING TO?
>> YES.
WHAT BEING CLEARED MEANS IS
THAT IF YOU HAD IT PREVIOUSLY
AND THEN YOU WENT IN FOR YOUR
NEXT ANNUAL EXAM MEANING FOR
ANOTHER PAP SMEAR AS WELL.
AND IF YOU’RE SUBSEQUENT PAP
SMEAR WAS NORMAL.
AND IT SHOWED NEGATIVE HIGH
RISK HPV.
SO THAT IS WHAT IT MEANS BY
CLEAR BECAUSE IT CAN GO AWAY.
JUST LIKE WE GO TO SLEEP AND
WAKE UP.
>> IMPORTANT TO KEEP TABS ON
BECAUSE IT COULD POTENTIALLY
CAUSE CANCER.
>> CORRECT.
VERY MUCH SO.
IN THIS VACCINE IS DEMONSTRATED
A REDUCTION IN THAT.
IT IS SO EXCITING.
>> AND STILL IMPORTANT FOR
PEOPLE NO MATTER WHAT AGE DO
CONTINUE TO TALK TO THEIR
DOCTOR ABOUT THAT VACCINE.
WHY DO YOU THINK A TALKING TO
PATIENTS ABOUT HPV, WHY IS IT
IMPORTANT FOR THEM TO NOTIFY
YOU THAT THEY HAVE IT OR THAT
THEY DID RECEIVED A DIAGNOSIS
BEFORE?
>> IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTIFY ME
THAT WE ARE NOT RECOMMENDING
THAT THEY GET IT IF THEY ARE
LESS THAN 45 YEARS OLD.
FURTHERMORE BECAUSE I DO
RECOMMEND THAT.
FURTHERMORE IT IS HELPFUL TO
KNOW IF DAVE HAD IT OR NOT
BECAUSE OF THEIR -- IF I SEE
WARTS OR WHATNOT I KNOW THE
VACCINE IS EFFECTIVE FOR 90
PERCENT OF ALL BOARDS.
>> WE CAN HELP WITH YOUR
DETERMINATION OF THEIR
TREATMENT.
>> YES.
>> VERY GOOD.
SO AGAIN THIS IS JUST ONE OF
THOSE THINGS YOU HEAR ABOUT AND
YOU ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT.
COULD IT AFFECT PREGNANCIES IN
THE FUTURE HAVING THE HPV
DIAGNOSIS?
>> HAVING THE HPV DIAGNOSIS --
TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION SIMPLY.
NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT WITH
FUTURE -- WITH YOUR FUTURE
PREGNANCY.
IT IS NOT GOING TO HARM YOUR
BABY.
IF YOU HAVE HAD HAVE PROCEDURES
TO CORRECT HIGH RISK HPV’S
EFFECT ON YOU LIKE IF YOU HAD
PART OF YOUR CERVIX REMOVED IT
CAN BUT DOES NOT CAUSE THE
CERVIX TO BE WEAKER BUT IT HAS
BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH THAT
MEETING SOMETIMES IF WE AS
PEOPLE HAVE YOU EVER HAD PART
OF YOUR CERVIX REMOVED IF THEY
CAME IN WITH HER CERVIX NOT
COOPERATING AND THAT IS BEEN
AFFILIATED BUT OTHERWISE NO.
IT WILL NOT HARM YOUR BABY.
>> BUT STILL IMPORTANT FOR
PEOPLE TO THINK ABOUT AND TAKE
NOTE OF.
WHAT ABOUT FUTURE PARTNERS.
LET’S SAY SOMEBODY IS FINDING
OUT THEY HAVE IT BUT THEY ARE
HAVING A NEW RELATIONSHIP.
IS IT SOMETHING A MAN CAN GET
TESTED FOR OUR NO THEY HAVE AS
WELL.
>> THE WAY A MAN WOULD FIND OUT
IF HE HAS IT AS IF HE HAD HAD
WARTS FOR EXAMPLE.
AS FAR AS THE KIND THAT CAN
CAUSE CERVICAL CANCER DO NOT
TEST MEN.
SO NO.
>> THEYCAN RECEIVE THE
VACCINE.
>> CORRECT AND THAT WOULD BE
WONDERFUL IF THEY WANT TO GET
THE VACCINE BECAUSE THAT WAY
THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO TRANSMIT
TO FURTHER PARTNERS.
>> OKAY.
AND SO JUST TO BE CLEAR YOU
HAVE BEEN ABLE TO LET CERTAIN
PATIENTS KNOW THAT THEIR
PARTNERS, MEN CAN GET THE SAME
HPV VACCINE.
>> YES.
>> IT SOMETHING THAT YOU
RECOMMEND?
>> I DO.
WELL WHEN THEY ARE CHILDREN
AGES 9 TO 26 FOR BOYS.
YES.
MAINLY IT IS THE PEDIATRICIAN
THE ONE OFFERING THE VACCINE
EARLY ON NOW.
THEY ARE HUGE AT THAT AND SUPER
HELPFUL BECAUSE IT HELPS AT
YOUR JOB TOO.
>> YES.
>> WITH THE LADIES.
>> YES.
>> INFORMATION ALL ABOUT THE
HPV VACCINE AND WE APPRECIATE