But be careful, if you vaccinate girls for these viruses at a young age, the ultra-right christians will accuse you of encouraging promiscuity.

Where are all of those people who who chastised African Americans and gays for getting HIV the other day. After all, STDs are preventable via behavior modification. Of course, that's true for everyone, including whites and heterosexuals.

I have had cervical cancer and if they have a vaccin to prevent it thats great! the doctors told me at the time I wasn't worth the the testing to find out what was wrong!!! now I live a live of hell because the testing is exspencive and so is the treatment if it wasn't for my 6 children I might not be here today.. any way if the shots are to exspencive who is it going to help any way?? just saying!!!

"Pepster", you are right. One has nothing to do with the other. But I think what "Toasty" is saying about the right wing is what they say when we encourage our teens and unmarried adults to use condoms should they have sex -- that we are encouraging them to be go out and have sex. "Toasty", I think is right.

I think this study and the information on the eight virus types identified is fantastic and a HUGE step in the right direction. I am happy that there are people out there that are working hard to help all woman, especially my daughter and my wife!

This new prevention is just fine and dandy; but, while you are mentioning that it will not be accessible to girls and women in poorer countries, don't forget to mention that it is gonna end up not being readily available to the poorer of this country, either. Let's be real.

My daughter received her first of the three vaccinations for this virus at her 11 year annual physical. I was surprised they start the round of shots so young, but I was even more surprised to find out doctors are now vaccinating young men too. My 15 year old didn't want to get the vaccine until we explained in great detail what could happen to him if he were to contract HPV. At that point he was more than willing to roll up his sleeve.

I am happy to see most are in favor of this vaccination. I was thinking all the right winger conservatives would be clogging the site with their usual rehtoric of how any education, birth control or STD vaccine would only make for more sex.....

and we all know how theose bible thumpers feel about sex!

Since cervical cancer is a sexually transmitted disease, shouldn't it be treated that way by identifying the carriers? How about a pap smear test for the penis? Treat the male carrier and find a vaccine for the sexually active and horny prick. Use common sense and try to prevent this preventable disease before it becomes an epidemic.

You know it seems that we have a lot of diseases that have been just discovered in the last 20 years. So many have to do with cancer and viruses. Makes you wonder how the pharma companies can develop vacines for the developed countries but not make them available to the third world countries. Of course private enterprise rather than the government has to develop these vaccines so the profit issue will always come into play. Could it be population control? Oh no I must be paranoid to think such a thing given all the wonderful things that the pharma and insurance companies have done for us. We can trust them can't we? Take Care

@ronaldwgumbs: unfortunately most people today have hpv and do not realize it. In most people it has no symptoms at all, for others it can cause cervical cancer, genital warts, etc...It isnt as though kids are rampantly running about spreading hpv all willy nilly and need to be hunted down like animals. This has all been going on and spreading for a very long time, it isnt new, however the information in this article is new and is a step forward! Most articles I have been reading say that around 75-80% of people have hpv by the time they are age 50. Also, nearly 1/3 of U.S. girls are molested before the age of 18. This may seem random, but I'm 22 now and have been fighting cervical cancer since before I chose to be sexually active. I say to give vaccines as early as possible and that everyone should talk to their kids about it as soon as their kids know what sex is...maybe make it part of the sex ed curriculum??

The same family of viruses cause oral cancer as well. Could someone with an oral infection pass it on with a kiss? Would it follow that an infected mother could pass the virus onto an unborn child?

Yes! Vaccinate EVERYONE on the planet and kill this monster, we KNOW that it is killing us.

No?

Gimme a kiss ...

Signed,

Oral Cancer Survivor

Some types of head and neck cancer have been linked to human papillomavirus (HPV). One study reported it to be higher risk factor than tobacco or alcohol use.

Yes, but even if her behavior is perfect -- if she remains a virgin until marriage, what if her husband in his youth had gone to a whore house and caught HPV?  He could cause her to develop cancer!  So the vaccine is necessary, not just to protect whores, but also to protect virtuous women.

I know, it shouldn't be necessary -- the husband should also have been a virgin at marriage and remained faithful.  But churches are places for sinners, not saints.

 I had the current vaccine available and had several permanate side effects from it. Make sure you consider the risks and benefits. If you have protected sex, and cervical cancer doesn't run in your family the risks are not as great as they portray. I'm tired of big money drug companies hyping up illness to make money off scare tactics. Take care of yourself, the less medicine and vaccines, the better off you are.

It is a flip of the coin, take a risk on preventing 2 of the many viruses that cause cancer or take a risk of you child dying or being harmed of any of the many bad side effect of the vaccine. 2009 report by cbs at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31Irc8CHK0c&feature=player_embedded If you want your child used as a test subject for this drug company, and risk their life in the process go ahead, its your child. The children refer to this vaccine as the safe sex shot. The drug companies and the government protect each other, it is your job as parents to research things and protect your children. Doctors only know what the drug reps tell them, do your homework before allowing your child or yourself to take any vaccine or drug.

I had cervical cancer 20years ago. At the time I read a medical journal by chance and found out scientist were 99% sure it was caught from the wart virus. Also in the article it named the number of the virus that caused the cancer as there are at least a 100 different forms of the virus.

I went to an STD clinic and they froze my cervic thus killing the virus.I have a pap smear every year. The fact is cervical cancer is caused by a sexually transmitted disease from the wart. You don't have to be sexually active maybe your partner had a one night stand it is easily transferred and not all the time detected.

I suggest all woman need to have regular pap test just to be on the safe side. The wart virus only harms the woman so I believe.

If they have a vacination thats good but if you teach your children to always practice safe sex and use a condoom any STD can be 99% eliminated.

I had the series of 3 shots a few years ago. Better safe than sorry. I am glad they have a version of the shot for males now, as they are carriers, but I am sure many men are unaware of it as it doesn't receive nearly as much publicity as Gardasil does in women's magazines and doctor's offices.

I am so glad that studies have proven that HPV can cause cervical cancer. I am also happy to hear about the on-going research that may be able to catch and target the remaining HPV related possible cervical cancers. However, my Mom was given DES, a synthetic hormone said to prevent miscarriage while she was pregnant with me. DES has been found to cause cervical cancer, and many women died from it. I had a terrible time when I was in my 30s being told I had HPV because I had moderate to severe cervical dysplasia, and had PAP smears every 3 months for years. After extensive testing, it was found that of course, I did NOT have HPV, had never had it, and DES caused the cancerous changes in my cervix. I had numerous procedures done, which all but removed my cervix and made childbearing impossible, as well as making my life hell, including topical applications of Effudex intravaginally, which cause my cervix and vaginal lining to blister and slough off. Can't tell you how delightful that was. Here's the thing, people. PLEASE remember that not all cervical cancer is caused by HPV. Until that knowlege got through to my doctors, I went through physical, emotional and marital hell, with constant probing and procedures and the feeling of being 'un-clean'; that I had contracted a horrible sexually transmitted disease. Doctors, nurses, everyone take note. HPV does cause cervical cancer, but not all of it.

 You don't know what you're talking about, Nic84.  Cervical cancer is not inheritable; it does not "run in families."  Cervical cancer is a sexually transmitted disease.  Period.

@ Fred-1812855: It is not inheritable, but that does not mean that certain genes that are passed along from mother to daughter arent making your chances of cervical cancer higher.

I think some people also need to face the fact that almost no one stays a virgin until marriage. I'm not saying that it is right or wrong, but to act as though anyone who contracts cervical cancer is nothing but a dirty whore, or has slept with someone who is is just ludacris. The benefits of these vaccines far outweigh the risks and just because someone decides to get a vaccine or a parent has their child vaccinated does not mean that they will be running around having sex with everyone. FYI...most people have hpv and have no clue. I do not think of it as being in anyway similar to an std like chlamydia or syph because it is so much more widespread and has far less or no symptoms for most people.

There's definitely more than one reason for cervical cancer. As indicated in the article, viruses cause 90% of cervical cancers.

Now I'm thinking my 22-year-old son needs vaccination. He's never had sex before. Doubtless it isn't too late for him. Yet.

The HPV virus is found in most cervical cancers and also linked to most oral cancers. Prevention is the key. Vaccinate kids both male and female at a young age, before they are sexually active. Did an anti-vaccine movement create the current Whooping cough outbreak? Be sensible, and proactive against HPV.

A dentist who has seen oral cancers

I think all girls should receive the vacine along with the other required vacines. The whole argument about it making your daughter have sex earlier is invalid and I do not see why you would not want to save your daughter's life. Your daughter can be a virgin when she gets married, but her husband can give her the virus. As of now, the only vacine available for men is for the HPV that causes genital warts. The below is taken from the governement's CDC site on HPV:

Is there a test for HPV?

The HPV tests on the market are only used to help screen for cervical cancer. There is no general test for men or women to check one’s overall “HPV status,” nor is there an HPV test to find HPV on the genitals or in the mouth or throat. But HPV usually goes away on its own, without causing health problems. So an HPV infection that is found today will most likely not be there a year or two from now.

And yes, according to the CDC the viruses can cause oral cancers.

http://www.cdc.gov/std/hpv/

PGH

I don't know the scientific answer to your question, but viruses can be latent until certain conditions are met, which then cause the virus to flare up.  Look at the herpes virus.  It can flare up when exposed to sunlight, there is stress, or immunity is low, then you get a cold sore. But at least cold sores are not cancerous.

So if you can prevent a virus that is more serious, like HPV, from taking hold with a vaccine prior to the initial exposure, you will be far ahead of the game, than hoping you don't have the right conditions to allow the virus that is already present in the body to morph into a cancer.