HPV vaccine available at Student Health Service
Young women at NDSU and other campuses across the United States need to be aware of the consequences of becoming infected with the human papilloma virus.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States.
There are more than one hundred different HPV types.
The viruses can cause genital warts and cell changes in the genital areas and often times the changes are invisible to the naked eye.
The cell changes that occur in women can be pre-cancerous.
In the United States, approximately 10,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer every year, and an average of ten women die each day from the disease.
On June 8, 2006, The Centers for Disease Control approved an HPV vaccine called Gardasil.
“This vaccine represents a significant advance in women’s health care by providing a method to reduce the risk of developing cervical cancer in the future,” said Steven Glunberg, medical director of the NDSU Student Health Services.
The vaccine protects against the four HPV types that cause 70 percent of cervical cancers and 90 percent of genital warts.
The vaccine will not protect women against HPV types to which they may have already been exposed.
It is also important to remember that the vaccination does not substitute for routine cervical cancer screenings.
Females who receive Gardasil should continue to have annual gynecological check-ups, including a pelvic examination.
Gardasil is recommended for girls and women nine through twenty-six years of age.
The vaccination is given in three doses over a period of six months. The cost per dose at Student Health Services is $140.
There are two discount programs for the HPV Vaccine. The first program is “Vaccines for Children Eligibility.”
Individuals age 18 and under who are uninsured or have insurance that does not cover vaccinations may qualify.
For more informtaion, visit the Web site: http://www. cdc.gov/nip/vfc/Parent/eligible_children.htm.
The second program is the “Merck Patient Assistance Program.” Individuals 19-years or older who are uninsured and have limited income may qualify for this program.
More information can be found at the Web site: http://www.merck.com/merckhelps/.
To schedule an appointment with one of the medical providers or to start the HPV Vaccine, call 231-7331.