The Red Knob

Sitting in my dentist’s waiting room earlier this week, and feeling apprehensive about my forthcoming checkup, I picked up a copy of The Times. In the health section of said paper was an article on the debate that Ms Fatale has described in the previous blog entry – the debate over whether in the UK the arbiters of which drug may be sanctioned for use – or not, would choose Gardasil over Cervirax as the vaccination of choice for the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). Ms Fatale has laid out the argument, so no need to cover the territory again – too much. However the article in The Times, penned by a Dr Thomas Stuttaford adds another dimension to this. The article, An unwanted gift at Christmas points out that not only are types 16 and 18 of HPV responsible for cancer of the cervix – and hence the debatable choice of Cervirax as the vaccine given to 12 year old girls, but also other cancers. Many sexual health professionals will be aware that HPV is responsible for cancers of the anus and penis; fortunately these are rare cancers, however the eye-opener, and a point of contention, is that HPV is also, in the words of Dr Stuttaford responsible for 47% of cancers of the head, neck, throat and mouth. HPV likes warm, moist, mucosal surfaces – hence transmission may be through oral sex, but kissing is also implicated (doubting Thomas’s are referred to Cancer Research UK -  YES, it can! ) As Dr Stuttaford goes onto say that:

‘vaccinating boys as well as girls would protect both sexes not only from the nasty below-the-belt cancers but from some unpleasant tumours above the collar. Vaccination of boys would also probably reduce the risk of men later handing on HPV to their partners’.

The Christmas season is almost upon us. Perhaps we should consider hiding the mistletoe? Anyone by the name of Scrooge at NICE? Bah humbug etc…

Filed under: Blog, Red Knob