New STD vaccine comes to IU

Starting this fall, the IU Health Center will offer vaccinations of the newly approved Human Papilloma Virus medication that has been clinically shown to dramatically reduce the risk of cervical cancer and genital warts for women. \nAnne Reese, director of the health and wellness education at the IU Health Center, said she will be encouraging all women between the ages of 9 and 26, who are not sexually active, to take advantage of the vaccine as HPV is currently the most common sexually transmitted disease, infecting 50 to 70 percent of all people sometime in their life. \n"I think it would be a great idea (for women to use the vaccine)," Reese said. "It's just another preventative technique that they can use. I would encourage them to talk with their health care provider to see if they think this would be good for them." \nThe vaccine, called Gardasil and manufactured by Merck, will be offered through three different shots during a span of six months. The process, however, can be quite pricey for students. \n"It will probably come out to about $150 per shot," Resse said. "It can be quite expensive, but it is quite expensive for us to purchase from the company. We are not making a lot of money with this."\nReese said the success rate for users of the vaccines to stay HPV free is relatively high. The vaccine has been shown to be 70 percent effective in protecting against two high-risk strains that cause cervical cancer. It has been shown to be 90 percent effective in protecting against two strains that cause genital warts.\nEven if people take the vaccine, health officials stressed they should not ignore former preventative methods. \n"This doesn't preclude the necessity of a regular pap smear," said Kathryn Brown, health educator for IU's Health and Wellness Education. "There are a whole bunch of strains, as about 30 are out there and this only takes care of four."\nReese added that she advises safe sex still be practiced by using a condom. She said while this method is also not 100 percent effective in preventing the spread of HPV, recent studies have shown condoms remain a useful tool in avoiding the strains the vaccine does not prevent. \nThe new drug has only been out since June 8, when the Food and Drug Administration approved of its use, but now the U.S. Centers for Disease Control is calling for the treatment to become a routine vaccination for girls 11 to 12 years old and a part of the general regiment of vaccines that are given around the 6th grade time. \n"This works best if given to females who are not sexually active, so that age seems pretty appropriate before they become sexually active," Reese said. "Also it allows for most parents to avoid having to address whether or not their daughter is sexually active (if they wait until they are older for the shot), which could be a hard conversation." \nWhile the health center works out logistical and protocol issues with the vaccine, Reese said it should be available at the start of the fall semester. She added anyone interested could make an appointment with the center at this time, and if they meet the requirements to be a suitable candidate for the vaccine, the first shot may be given as early as the initial meeting.