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UNITED STATES:   "Researchers Blame HPV for Rise in Throat Cancer"
Chicago Tribune     (06.08.08)
In the past two years researchers have proved a link between human papillomavirus and throat cancer. With 6,000 cases per year and an annual increase of up to 10 percent in men younger than 60, some experts say the prevalence of HPV-linked throat cancers could overtake that of cervical cancer, which is also often caused by HPV, in the next decade. The HPV infections likely occurred decades ago and are only now spurring a rise in throat cancer cases.

Changes in sexual practices in the 1960s and 1970s may be a reason for the infections. Oral sex is a known risk factor for HPV-related throat cancers, and studies have shown that people who grew up since the 1950s are more likely to have engaged in oral sex than prior generations.

Last year, a research team led by Maura Gillison at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center found that HPV-positive throat cancer patients tended to have had more sex partners and also were far more likely to have multiple oral sex partners.

The HPV-linked cancers appear somewhat less deadly than throat cancers that arise from smoking or heavy drinking. A study published this year found that 96 percent of HPV-positive throat cancer patients survived at least two years after diagnosis, compared with 62 percent for those with HPV-negative cancers.

Other causes for the spread of HPV cancers may include the increased movement of people both nationally and internationally.

The HPV vaccine may offer protection from HPV-positive throat cancer, though studies have not yet been done to show this. Merck & Co. hopes to submit an application this year seeking Food and Drug Administration approval for use of its HPV vaccine Gardasil by males. "We expect the vaccine to work just as well in male and female populations," said Dr. Richard Haupt of Merck.

 

UNITED STATES:   "Virginity Pledges Help Some Delay Sex: Study"
Reuters     (06.10.08):: Maggie Fox

A new study by the Rand Corporation research institute found that taking a virginity pledge may help some young people delay the start of sexual activity.

The research team led by Steven Martino, a psychologist at Rand, surveyed 1,461 adolescent virgins ages 12-17 in 2001. About a quarter of the participants said they had taken a pledge to remain a virgin until marriage. The researchers performed follow-up at one and three years.

After adjusting for such differences as religious beliefs, parenting and friendship characteristics, the team found that 34 percent of youths who took virginity pledges had had sexual intercourse within three years, compared to 42 percent of similar teens who had not taken such pledges.

"Making a pledge to remain a virgin until married may provide extra motivation to adolescents who want to delay becoming sexually active," said Martino. "The act of pledging may create some social pressure or social support that helps them to follow through with their clearly stated public intention."

The study showed that those who pledged were no more likely than other comparable youth to engage in sexual behaviors just short of sexual intercourse - findings that align with a recent study by the nonprofit, New York-based Alan Guttmacher Institute. In addition, the study did not find that youth who made virginity pledges were less likely to use a condom when they eventually did have intercourse, though they were not asked if they always used a condom or used one at first intercourse.

"These findings do not suggest that virginity pledges should be a substitute for comprehensive sexual education programs, or that they will work for all kinds of kids. But virginity pledges may be appropriate as one component of an overall sex education effort," said Martino.

"Waiting until you are older to have sex is good for teens from a health standpoint," Martino continued. "There are lots of reasons for more kids to wait until they are older."

AFRICA:   "Toolkit Set to Help Firms Fight Lethal Combination of HIV and Tuberculosis"
Cape Argus (Cape Town, SA)     (06.09.08):: Di Caelers

A new toolkit has been released to help companies deal with the growing number of employees co-infected with HIV and TB. Announced at the recent World Economic Forum on Africa in Cape Town, the toolkit was developed by WEF's Global Health Initiative (GHI) and the Eli Lilly MDR-TB Partnership.

It is in the interest of business for companies to ensure the development of the human capital needed to drive economic growth, according to Lilly's Alex Azar, but "TB has the capacity to undermine all of this."

By blocking the progress of TB transmission and its often lethal intersection with HIV/AIDS, businesses can better use their own existing health infrastructures and resources, Azar said.

In South Africa, about 70 percent of TB patients are co-infected with HIV. Acknowledging the extent of the problem is critical for understanding its potential impact on business, said Dr. Shaloo Puri of GHI.

Those promoting the toolkit say that by engaging proactively with the community, businesses can create greater efficiency in the workplace and thereby offset the modest costs of partnering with local stakeholders.

For more information, visit http://www.weforum.org/pdf/Initiatives/GHI_TB_HIV.pdf

 

PENNSYLVANIA:   "Group: Schools Should Provide Free Condoms"
Philadelphia Inquirer     (06.11.08):: Kristen A. Graham

Chanting "Youth need the truth! Condoms save lives," members of ACT UP-Philadelphia yesterday led a demonstration to call for universal access to condoms in the city's public high schools. The group gathered outside the Philadelphia School District building and City Hall, and activists called on Mayor Michael Nutter and Arlene Ackerman, the district's new CEO.

Seventeen years ago, ACT UP prevailed - despite opposition from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and an unsuccessful lawsuit - in its bid to have condoms made available in some city schools. Eleven city high schools now have health resource centers that offer condoms to ninth- through 12th-graders, and two more will get centers in the fall. But despite a district policy that supports "involvement in citywide effort to maximize access to condoms," they are not available at 49 high schools.

"Why shouldn't a student at Dobbins have the same access as a student at Central? This is a program that has been working well for years," said Dorothy Mann, executive director of the Family Planning Council. FPC receives city, state and federal money that it then provides to groups like Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania. These, in turn, run the centers. No district money is used to operate the centers, Mann said. Expanding condom distribution to all city schools would cost about $1.5 million, she added.

Felecia Ward, a city schools spokesperson, said that because the district does not fund the condom distribution program, expanding it is not the district's responsibility. "If [FPC] comes up with additional money, and we have additional space, we will try to meet their needs," she said.

"We're interested in expanding the program to all schools, but there is an outstanding question of resources before a decision can be made," said Doug Oliver, a spokesperson for the mayor.