Study examines alternative practices popular Today by Trine Tsouderos  Posted: 2:00 AM December 15, 2011

CHICAGO — thanks to a $374,000 taxpayer-funded grant, we now know that inhaling lemon and lavender scents doesn’t do a lot for our ability to heal a wound. With $666,000 in federal research money, scientists examined whether distant prayer could heal AIDS. It could not.

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine also helped pay scientists to study whether squirting brewed coffee into someone’s intestines can help treat pancreatic cancer (a $406,000 grant) and whether massage makes people with advanced cancer feel better ($1.25 million). the coffee enemas did not help. the massage did.

NCCAM also has invested in studies of various forms of energy healing, including one based on the ideas of a self-described “healer, clairvoyant and medicine woman” who says her children inspired her to learn to read auras. the cost for that was $104,000.

A small, little-known branch of the National Institutes of Health, NCCAM was launched a dozen years ago to study alternative treatments used by the public but not accepted by mainstream medicine. Since its birth, the center has spent $1.4 billion, most of it on research.

A Chicago Tribune examination of hundreds of NCCAM grants, dozens of scientific papers, 12 years of NCCAM documents and advisory council meeting minutes found that the center has spent millions of taxpayer dollars on studies with questionable grounding in science. the cancer treatment involving coffee enemas was based on an idea from the early 1900s, and patients who chose to undergo the risky regimen lived an average of just four months.

The spending comes as competition for public research money is fierce and expected to get fiercer, with funding for the NIH expected to plateau and even drop in coming years.

“Some of these treatments were just distinctly made up out of people’s imaginations,” said Dr. Wallace Sampson, clinical professor emeritus of medicine at Stanford University. “We don’t take public money and invest it in projects that are just made up out of people’s imaginations.”

“Lots of good science and good scientists are going unfunded,” said Dr. David Gorski, a breast cancer researcher at Wayne State University, who has been a vocal critic of NCCAM. “How can we justify wasting money on something like this when there are so many other things that are much more plausible and much more likely to result in real benefit?”

The director of the center and other advocates say it is worthwhile to use taxpayer dollars to study certain alternative treatments.

“They deserve scientific attention,” said NCCAM Director Dr. Josephine Briggs, who noted that the center’s $128 million annual allotment amounts to less than half a percent of the total NIH budget.

Briggs, a respected NIH researcher and physician who has headed NCCAM for nearly four years, said in an interview that she is dedicated to evidence-based medicine and that the center, under her leadership, is committed to rigorous scientific studies.

The center’s recently adopted strategic plan focuses on studies of supplements and other natural products along with the effect of “mind and body” therapies like yoga, massage and acupuncture on pain and other symptoms. In fiscal years 2008-2011, NCCAM funded more than $140 million in grants involving mind and body therapies, including $33 million for pain research in fiscal 2011.

The new strategic plan “reflects real change or an evolution in our mission,” Briggs said. “We are not your grandmother’s NCCAM.”

Studies of energy healing or distant prayer likely would not get funded by NCCAM today, she said.

Yet many mind and body treatments that are being studied, like qigong and acupuncture, also involve the purported manipulation of a universal energy or life force, sometimes called qi — metaphysical concepts unproved by science and incompatible with our modern understanding of how the body works.

In an email, Briggs wrote that it isn’t necessary to invoke qi or other ancient concepts to study therapies that may benefit people with chronic pain, a significant health problem.

NCCAM’s continuing interest in acupuncture comes even though many of its studies have found that acupuncture and similar therapies work no better than a sham treatment at easing symptoms like pain and fatigue.

To most scientists, that would mean the treatments are failures — drug companies cannot sell medicines that work no better than salt water or a sugar pill. but in the case of acupuncture and other mind and body medicine, the center and its supporters say it’s unclear whether the benefits represent a placebo response or something more complicated.

Critics of the center say it’s telling that NCCAM was conceived not by scientists clamoring to study alternative medicine, but by Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, a member of the powerful Senate subcommittee that helps oversee the NIH budget.

In a 1998 speech, Harkin described watching acupuncture and acupressure ease the pain and violent hiccups of a brother dying of thyroid cancer.

“These are things I have seen with my own eyes,” said Harkin, who also lost three other siblings to cancer. “When I see things like this I ask, ‘Why? why aren’t these things being researched?’ “

A few months later, NCCAM was created through a dozen or so paragraphs added to a budget bill.

The center’s main mission was clear: Study alternative therapies and how they could be integrated into conventional treatment.

Because of its origins and purpose, NCCAM has a duality not often found in scientific institutions.

“They are serving two very different masters,” said Art Caplan, a bioethicist at the University of Pennsylvania. “At the end of the day, they don’t want to turn themselves into ‘the institute for showing complementary and alternative medicine is bogus.’ Then no one will support them who is pro-complementary and alternative medicine.”

Briggs said she has not been subjected to any political pressure in her tenure.

Americans spend about $34 billion each year out of pocket on complementary and alternative therapies, according to a national survey conducted in 2007 by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The survey found that about 40 percent of American adults reported using some sort of alternative treatment in the previous year. Mostly they reported taking supplements; practicing deep breathing exercises; going to a chiropractor or osteopath for spinal manipulation; meditating; or getting massages.

Finding out through well-designed scientific studies whether these treatments work is a valuable service, said neurologist Dr. Steven DeKosky, who sits on the NCCAM advisory council and is dean of the University of Virginia medical school.

“I don’t know who else would do that other than NCCAM,” he said.

DeKosky headed a $36.5 million study, including $25 million from NCCAM, on ginkgo biloba, a popular supplement taken as a defense against dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. DeKosky’s study concluded that it did not lower the overall incidence rate of either condition in elderly people who were normal or already had mild cognitive impairment.

The Tribune found that when studying dietary supplements like ginkgo biloba, NCCAM evaluates the results in a way that is accepted within the medical research community.

It’s well known that people who receive any treatment, even if it is inert or useless, are likely to report that it makes them feel better. because scientists don’t want to mistake that boost for a real treatment effect, well-designed clinical trials give some volunteers the real therapy and some a fake version of it, then compare the two groups.

NCCAM considers studies finding that a supplement does no better than a placebo to be evidence that it does not work.

In an interview with the Tribune, NCCAM director Briggs cited a recent study of the fruit extract of the saw palmetto plant, which found that men who had difficulty urinating because of enlarged prostates reported relief from both the saw palmetto and the fake supplement.

Briggs described the study as one that came back “very convincingly negative” because “it did not demonstrate any benefit over placebo.”

But when looking into “mind and body” medicine, NCCAM often argues that a treatment is valuable if patients report that it helped them, even if others receiving a sham treatment said the same. According to Briggs, “most in the mind and body area have actually shown impact.”

For example, the center has spent millions of dollars on studies of acupuncture, in which tiny needles are inserted shallowly into the body. NCCAM’s website states that the “vital energy” called qi “can be unblocked, according to (traditional Chinese medicine), by using acupuncture at certain points on the body.”

Many studies, including those funded by NCCAM, find that true acupuncture performs no better than when a person is fooled into thinking he is getting acupuncture through the use of placebos like retractable needles or even toothpicks twirled on the skin.

People often report feeling less pain or less fatigued regardless of whether they receive real or fake acupuncture, suggesting a placebo effect at work. “I totally agree, in the broadest sense, that it is an effect of context and expectation and hope on pain,” Briggs said.

And yet, instead of declaring these studies convincingly negative, NCCAM is pouring more research money into acupuncture.

“The intellectual dishonesty is just astounding,” said Dr. Steven Novella, a neurologist at Yale School of Medicine and a critic of NCCAM. “They are just quietly changing the question and the rules.”

Acupuncture researcher Dr. Brian Berman, principal investigator for $24 million in NCCAM grants since 1999, wrote in a paper published in the new England Journal of Medicine that a 2008 analysis of acupuncture studies involving 6,000 patients with lower back pain found no significant difference between true acupuncture and sham acupuncture, though both did better than usual care.

Berman, founder of the Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, recommended in the paper that a hypothetical person with lower back pain who had not responded to standard medical treatments should receive 10 to 12 acupuncture treatments in addition to usual care. That series of sessions could cost hundreds of dollars.

In an email, Berman wrote that he based his recommendation on evidence that acupuncture is relatively safe and helps people. It’s unclear, he said, why true acupuncture and sham acupuncture may produce similar effects.

Both Berman and Briggs said it is difficult to design trials of complex therapies like acupuncture.

“It is generally impossible to isolate a single element,” Briggs wrote in an email. “A sham control in a mind-and-body study could easily miss answering the most important question of whether the patient experiences benefit (e.g., relief of pain) from the procedure as a whole.”

Physicians who work with patients in pain say they welcome any new tools, especially ones without side effects of narcotics. if that means offering a treatment that may be a placebo, so be it.

“We have lots of people out there with a problem that isn’t being addressed with conventional approaches,” said Seattle researcher Dr. Daniel Cherkin, who also sits on the NCCAM advisory council. “What do we do with those people? to say we shouldn’t do these things because it is a placebo denies them something safe and available and works. What do we replace that with?”

Critics respond that it’s not right to charge people hundreds or thousands of dollars for treatments that amount to nothing more than an elaborate placebo without telling them so.

“There is another side of the coin. It is essentially deluding somebody,” said Sampson of Stanford. “In other parts of our social life, it is a crime.”

———

In fiscal years 2002 and 2003, NCCAM helped fund a study with the National Cancer Institute of an arduous regimen for pancreatic cancer that is best known for frequent “detoxifying” coffee enemas. the study was troubled from beginning to end.

The research design pitted standard chemotherapy against a regimen developed by Dr. Nicholas Gonzalez, a new York City physician. In the study, volunteers on the Gonzalez protocol were to take dozens of supplements each day, including between 69 and 81 capsules of pancreatic enzymes; undergo twice-daily coffee enemas; maintain a strict diet; and engage in other “detoxifying” activities like “skin brushing.”

There was little scientific evidence to suggest all of this would work other than a paper Gonzalez published in 1999 on a pilot study of 11 pancreatic cancer patients. Five were reported to have lived at least two years, a long time for pancreatic cancer, which usually kills swiftly.

The hypothesis behind his treatment — that pancreatic enzymes are the body’s primary defense against cancer and can be used to fight it — is based on an unproven idea from the early 1900s.

“We have learned a lot since 1906 about cell transformation and how these cells change,” said Dr. Mary Mulcahy, a gastroenterology medical oncologist at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

Meanwhile, one of the protocol’s components — coffee enemas — has been linked to infections and electrolyte imbalances that can be fatal.

Despite the risks and the lack of evidence that the regimen would help patients, the taxpayer-funded study enrolled 55 volunteers with pancreatic cancer. As the project continued, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the federal Office of Human Research Protections identified problems, including issues with the subjects’ consent.

Researchers published their dramatic results in 2010 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Patients receiving standard chemotherapy had lived an average of 14 months. the Gonzalez patients lived an average of four months, and were in significantly more pain.

But some experts questioned the study’s findings, saying it lacked a clear question and had a flawed design. for example, the volunteers were allowed to pick whether they received chemotherapy or the other regimen. Originally, they were to be randomly assigned to a group, but few patients were willing to volunteer under those conditions.

Gonzalez is a critic of the project, calling it a disaster. Gonzalez, who participated in the study but didn’t run it, argues that the patients in his group were sicker than those receiving chemotherapy.

“It was a waste of taxpayers’ money and 10 years of our lives,” Gonzalez said. “It served no one and nothing.”

Dr. John Chabot, professor of clinical surgery at Columbia University, led the study and said it was worthwhile. “Identifying treatments that don’t work remains valuable,” he said.

As for Gonzalez’s criticism, Chabot said: “Dr. Gonzalez was an active participant and strong advocate of the study until the data started to come through and begin to direct us toward a conclusion.”

NCCAM’s Briggs declined to talk about the study, calling it “even more ancient history” and a study that would have little chance at receiving funding from her center today. “I think our advisory council would have lots of concerns,” she said. NCCAM’s website contains barely any mention of it beyond a link to the paper and links to the National Cancer Institute website, which provides more information.

Today, patients continue to stream in to see Gonzalez about his cancer treatment. In the end, the study changed few minds and put volunteers at risk for little benefit to them or to the greater good — at a cost to taxpayers of $1.4 million, with $406,000 coming from NCCAM.

Critics of NCCAM say the project demonstrates how difficult it can be to study complementary and alternative medicine, and that precious research dollars could be better spent elsewhere.

“We have to be good stewards of public money for science,” said Gorski, the cancer researcher. “I don’t view NCCAM as being a good steward of our public money at the moment. Even if they are doing rigorous science, they are still looking at incredibly implausible things.”

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Two days ago, I had unprotected sex with a woman whom I trusted greatly. However, after shortly catching her in a big lie after having sex with her, all my trust in her is in doubt. so with that, approximately how long should I wait before going and getting checked for STD's? How long before symptoms come about?

as i remember it's a bout a week for the classics, the clap, ghonnrhea, crabs syphillus etc. aids is like 6 months. herpes you never know until suddenly you get a cold sore on your wee wee. warts same as herpes.
sex is f*cked

it may only take a few days or it can take years to have outward symptoms

Is there a test a guy can take to see if he has it?

yes.also true for women

guys are always carriers of hpv, not women. dont get me wrong, women can give the disease to men, but we are not carriers. both men and women can have hpv with no symptoms. It is one of the most common std's in the world next to aids. there are soooo many different forms of hpv. really, i dont think there is a proven test on guys to detect hpv unless there are physical signs. even condoms dont protect you 100 percent from this disease…..so PLEASE be careful.

men and women both can have this and never exibit symptoms

Some HPV types cause benign skin warts, or papillomas, for which the virus family is named. HPVs associated with the development of common warts are transmitted environmentally or by casual skin-to-skin contact.

A separate group of HPVs are typically transmitted through sexual contact. some sexually-transmitted HPVs, such as types 6 and 11, can cause genital warts. however, most HPV types that infect the genitals tend not to cause noticeable symptoms. Persistent infection with a subset of about a dozen sexually-transmitted HPVs, including types 16 and 18, can lead to the development of cancer of the cervix. HPV infection is a necessary factor in the development of nearly all cases of cervical cancer (Walboomers 1999). some cancer-causing HPV types (particularly HPV-16) are also believed to cause a substantial fraction of other genital cancers, as well as some cancers of the mouth, throat and anus (Parkin 2006).

Notable HPV types and associated diseasesGenital HPV infection is very common, with estimates suggesting that up to 75% of women will become infected with one or more sexually-transmitted HPV types at some point during adulthood (Baseman 2005). although condoms are highly effective for preventing the transmission of other sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs), recent studies have concluded that condoms only offer limited protection against the transmission of genital HPVs (Holmes 2004). This may be due to the fact that HPVs can infect genital skin areas that are not covered by condoms.

Cervical Pap smear testing is used to detect HPV-induced cellular abnormalities. This allows targeted surgical removal of pre-cancerous lesions prior the development of invasive cervical cancer. In the absence of Pap testing or treatment, about 1% of women with genital HPV infections will eventually go on to develop cervical cancer. although the widespread use of Pap testing has reduced the incidence and lethality of cervical cancer in developed countries, the disease still kills several hundred thousand women per year worldwide. It is hoped that a recently-approved HPV vaccine that blocks initial infection with several of the most common sexually-transmitted HPV types will lead to further decreases in the incidence of HPV-induced cancer (Lowy and Schiller 2006).

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HPV-induced diseases
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Skin warts
Common warts: some "cutaneous" HPV types, such as HPV-1 and HPV-2, cause common skin warts. Common warts are often found on the hands and feet, but can also occur in other areas, such as the elbows or knees. Common warts have a characteristic cauliflower-like surface and are typically slightly raised above the surrounding skin. Cutaneous HPV types do not usually cause genital warts and are not associated with the development of cancer.
Plantar warts are found on the soles of the feet. Plantar warts closely resemble common warts.
Subungual or periungual warts form under the fingernail (subungual), around the fingernail or on the cuticle (periungual). they may be more difficult to treat than warts in other locations.
Flat warts: Flat warts are most commonly found on the arms, face or forehead. Like common warts, flat warts occur most frequently in children and teens. In people with normal immune function, flat warts are not associated with the development of cancer.
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Genital warts
Genital or anal warts (condylomata acuminata or venereal warts) are the most easily recognised sign of genital HPV infection. although a wide variety of HPV types can cause genital warts, types 6 and 11 account for about 90% of all cases (Greer 1995)(Gearheart et al, 2004). most people who acquire genital wart-associated HPV types clear the infection rapidly without ever developing warts or any other symptoms. People may transmit the virus to others even if they don't display overt symptoms of infection.

It is important to note that HPV types that tend to cause genital warts are NOT the same ones that cause cervical cancer.

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Cancer

Genome organization of human papillomavirus type 16, one of the subtypes known to cause cervical cancer. (E1-E7 early genes, L1-L2 late genes: capsid)About a dozen HPV types (including types 16, 18, 31 and 45) are called "high-risk" types because they can cause cervical cancer, anal cancer, vulvar cancer, head and neck cancers, and penile cancer. High-risk HPV types can cause intraepithelial neoplasias, or abnormal and precancerous cell growth, which can progress to cancer. HPV-induced cancers often have viral sequences integrated into the cellular DNA. some of the HPV "early" genes, such as E6 and E7, are known to act as oncogenes that promote tumor growth and malignant transformation.

A history of infection with one or more high-risk HPV types is believed to be a prerequisite for the development of cervical cancer; according to the American Cancer Society, women with no history of the virus do not develop this type of cancer. however, most HPV infections are cleared rapidly by the immune system and do not progress to cervical cancer. because the process of transforming normal cervical cells into cancerous ones is slow, cancer occurs in people who have been infected with HPV for a long time, usually over a decade or more (Greenblatt, 2005; Sinal and Woods, 2005).

Sexually-transmitted HPVs also cause a major fraction of anal cancers and a small fraction of cancers of the mouth and upper throat (known as the oropharynx) (see figure). Engaging in anal sex or oral sex may increase the risk of developing these types of cancers.

HPV-induced cancersAlthough it has been proposed that HPV may induce other forms of cancer, including breast cancer, colorectal cancer and non-melanoma skin cancer, a causal relationship between HPV infection and these cancer types has not yet been firmly established.

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Respiratory papillomatosis
HPV types 6 and 11 can cause a rare condition known as recurrent respiratory papillomatosis, in which warts form on the larynx or other areas of the respiratory tract (Wu et al., 2003; Sinal and Woods, 2005). these warts can recur frequently, may require repetitive surgery, may interfere with breathing, and in extremely rare cases can progress to cancer (Moore et al., 1999; Sinal and Woods, 2005).

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Epidemiology
[edit]
Cutaneous HPVs
Infection with cutaneous HPVs is ubiquitous (Antonsson 2000). some HPV types, such as HPV-5, may establish infections that persist for the lifetime of the individual without ever manifesting any clinical symptoms. Like remora suckerfish that hitchhike harmlessly on sharks, these HPV types can be thought of as human commensals. Other cutaneous HPVs, such as HPV types 1 or 2, may cause common warts in some infected individuals. Skin warts are most common in childhood and typically appear and regress spontaneously over the course of weeks to months. about 10% of adults also suffer from recurring skin warts. all HPVs are believed to be capable of establishing long-term "latent" infections in small numbers of stem cells present in the skin. although these latent infections may never be fully eradicated, immunological control is thought to block the appearance of symptoms such as warts. Immunological control is likely HPV type-specific, meaning that an individual may become immunologically resistant to one HPV type while remaining susceptible to other types.

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Genital HPVs

A large increase in the incidence of genital HPV infection occurs when individuals begin to engage in sexual activity (see figure). The great majority of genital HPV infections never cause any overt symptoms and are spontaneously cleared by the immune system in a matter of months. as with cutaneous HPVs, immunity is believed to be HPV type-specific. a subset of infected individuals may fail to bring genital HPV infection under immunological control. Lingering infection with high-risk HPV types, such as HPVs 16, 18, 31 and 45, can lead to the development of cervical cancer or other types of cancer (Schiffman and Castle 2005). High-risk HPV types 16 and 18 are together responsible for over 70% of cervical cancer cases (Baseman and Koutsky, 2005; Cohen, 2005). Type 16 causes 41 to 54% of cervical cancers (Noel et al., 2001; Baseman and Koutsky, 2005) and accounts for an even greater majority of HPV-induced vaginal/vulvar cancers (Edwards et al., 2005), penile cancers, anal cancers and head and neck cancers (Bolt et al., 2005).

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Perinatal transmission
Although genital HPV types are sometimes transmitted from mother to child during birth, the appearance of genital HPV-related diseases in newborns is rare. Perinatal transmission of HPV types 6 and 11 can result in the development of juvenile-onset recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (JORRP). JORRP is very rare, with rates of about 2 cases per 100,000 children in the United States (Sinal and Woods 2005). although JORRP rates are substantially higher if a woman presents with genital warts at the time of giving birth, the risk of JORRP in such cases is still less than 1%.

[edit]
Prevention
Most people become infected with various cutaneous HPV types during childhood. Papillomaviruses have a sturdy outer protein shell or "capsid" that renders them capable of lingering in the environment for long periods of time. Avoiding contact with contaminated surfaces, such as the floors of communal showers or airport security lines, might reduce the risk of cutaneous HPV infection. Treating common warts soon after they first appear may also reduce the spread of the infection to additional sites.

Genital HPV infections may be distributed widely over genital skin and mucosal surfaces, and transmission can occur even when there are no overt symptoms. Several strategies should be employed to minimize the risk of developing diseases caused by genital HPVs:

[edit]
Pap smear
Main article: Pap smear
Papanicolaou screening, colloquially known as "Pap" smear testing, is an effective strategy for reducing the risk of invasive cervical cancer. In March 2003, the US FDA approved HPV DNA testing as a primary screening tool for detecting high-risk HPV infections that may lead to cervical cancer. The HPV DNA test, which is marketed by Digene, can also serve as an adjunct to Pap smear testing, and may be ordered in response to abnormal Pap smear results. Detailed inspection of the cervix by colposcopy may be indicated if abnormal cells are detected by routine Pap smear.

It has been suggested that Pap smear screening for anal cancer might be of benefit for relatively promiscuous individuals, for example some sub-populations of gay men (Chin-Hong 2005).

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Vaccine
Main article: HPV vaccine
On June 8th, 2006, the FDA approved Gardasil, a prophylactic HPV vaccine developed by Merck. The vaccine protects women against initial infection with HPV types 16 and 18, which together cause 70 percent of cervical cancers. The vaccine also protects against HPV types 6 and 11, which cause 90 percent of genital warts. The vaccine will cost about $360 for the three-shot course. The high cost may impair its benefits, particularly in less developed countries. Women aged nine through twenty-six can be vaccinated. GlaxoSmithKline is expected to seek approval for a prophylactic vaccine targeting HPV types 16 and 18 early in 2007. since the vaccine will not protect women against all the HPV types that cause cervical cancer, it will be important for women to continue to seek Pap smear testing, even after receiving the vaccine.

[edit]
Avoiding risky sexual behavior
The fact that prostitutes have much higher rates of cervical cancer than nuns was a key early observation leading researchers to speculate about a causal link between sexually-transmitted HPVs and cervical cancer. It remains clear that people with greater numbers of sexual partners are at increased risk of developing genital HPV-related diseases. Co-infection with other sexually-transmitted pathogens, such as HIV, may also increase the risk of developing HPV-related diseases.

Condoms offer at most a limited degree of protection against the initial transmission of HPV infections (Holmes 2004). On the other hand, some studies have suggested that regular condom use can effectively limit the ongoing persistence and spread of HPV to additional genital sites in individuals who are already infected (Moscicki 2005)(Bleecker 2005) [1]. Thus, condom use may reduce the risk that infected individuals will progress to cervical cancer or develop additional genital warts. both Planned Parenthood and the Centers for Disease Control recommend condom use to reduce the risk of HPV-related diseases.

Ongoing research has suggested that several inexpensive chemicals might serve to block HPV transmission if applied to the genitals prior to sexual contact (Howett 2005). these candidate agents, which are known as topical microbicides, are currently undergoing clinical efficacy testing.

[edit]
Avoiding smoking
Tobacco smoking increases the risk of developing of invasive cervical cancer, as well as other HPV-induced cancers. This is one of a large number of reasons not to smoke

yes so can women, just talked to my doc about it the other day

Yes, men pass it to women a lot usually not aware that they have the virus because they are not showing and signs or symptoms. there currently is no test for men to detect HPV. Men usually find out they have HPV by developing genital warts, hand or feet warts.

Women can also pass the virus by showing no signs or symptoms. Women usually find out they have the virus by having an abnormal pap smear come back or developing genital warts.

It can take years to develop any symptoms of the virus. I got HPV about 5 years ago. After a year I developed cervical cancer and about 6 months ago I got genital warts. so it can take months, if not years, to show any symptoms.

I'm a guy and I got a couple bumps down there. I had them froze off.. Guess what, they grew right back… I could care-less about them. Guess what again – I always wore a condon, cuz I'm scared of cathcing HIV, and still ended up catching HPV..
Life is to short to worry about that stuff. Count my blessing its not HIV…

Most men who get genital HPV do not have any symptoms.

However, some types of HPV can cause genital warts.

At the moment, there is no test approved to detect HPV in men. however, there are ways to detect the most common problem caused by HPV in men, genital warts. Genital warts are usually diagnosed by visual inspection. some health care providers may use a vinegar solution to help identify flat warts, although this test is not specific for warts. that means the test may falsely identify normal skin as a wart.

Yes, and the same goes for women too. In fact, thats how I initially got genital warts – but I did some research and found a way that worked for me to beat them.

genitalwartsreport.com

yes and they can't be tested unless there r symptoms.

Gallstones are formed from digestive fluids that harden, and rest in the gallbladder. The gallbladder contains the digestive fluid known as bile, and bile is released into the small intestines. Bile is comprised of liver cells, and aids in the digestion of food. Gallstones are commonly formed in the gallbladder, but they can also be formed anywhere else in the body, where bile is present. There are several types of gallstones, each carrying a different cause, and varying symptoms. The most common type of gallstone is Cholesterol Gallstones. these gallstones can be as minute as a grain of sand, or as big as a golf ball. in the initial stages, there may not be any symptoms for gallstones, as symptoms may remain silent in the majority of people. after years of lying relatively dormant however, gallstones can produce symptoms that will worsen if not treated.

What are Cholesterol gallstones?

Cholesterol gallstones are made mainly of cholesterol. They are the most notable type of gallstones found in the world. Cholesterol gallstones are formed when the liver cells breakdown cholesterol into bile. during this process, some of the cholesterol does not get dissolved and it is this undissolved cholesterol that hardens in the gallbladder to create gallstones.

What are the symptoms of gallstones?

Most people with gallstones exhibit no outward symptoms, and remain totally unaware of the existence of the gallstones. later in life, usually when the gallstones are infected, the symptoms of gallstones may begin to manifest. The most prevalent symptom of gallstones is Biliary Colic. Biliary Colic occurs when the gallbladder becomes obstructed by the gallstone. Behind this blockage, fluid builds up and causes the gallbladder to stretch and this causes a severe pain. Biliary Colic manifests as a:

1. Sudden, intensifying pain in the upper right part of the abdomen.
2. Sudden, intensifying pain in the middle portion of the abdomen.
3. Back pain, usually between the shoulder blades.
4. Pain in the right shoulder.
5. Nausea

This pain can last anywhere from 15 minutes to 5 hours. if the pain persists for any longer, this indicates serious complications.

Risk factors for gallstones

The primary risk factors for gallstones include but are not limited to:

• Gender- Gallstones are more prevalent in women than in men.
• Age- Gallstones become more prevalent the older a person gets.
• Obesity- Obesity doubles the chances of developing gallstones.
• Pregnancy- Women who have had children are more susceptible to gallstones than women who are childless.
• Birth control pills- The increased levels of hormones in these pills act as a gallstone trigger in some women.
• Rapid weight loss- The rapid loss of weight can result in a susceptibility to gallstones

Prevention of gallstones

Gallstones can be prevented by the use of bile acid medications that can dissolve any undissolved cholesterol in the gallbladder. Medicines such as Ursodiol also help to stop gallstones from forming. Ursodiol has been effective in preventing gallstones in obese patients losing weight through surgical methods.

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There is a lot of talk these days about HPV – from television ads that talk about vaccinations for young women about the HPV virus – to rumors that it is a sexually transmitted disease like HIV/AIDS and can kill you. it is important for a teen to be armed with a lot of good, accurate information about HPV.

1. HPV is the “human papillomavirus”. you may have heard that it is just a virus that causes warts. That is only half true. The term “papillomavirus” does indeed refer to any one of several strains of the virus that causes warts. when someone gets an outbreak of warts on their hands or feet, that is caused by HPV. But other strains of HPV cause warts, or “lesions” in other areas of the body, such as on the genitals or even internally where they are never seen but may over the long term cause more serious health problems.2. HPV is not the same thing as HIV/AIDS. it is a different virus altogether, and results in different consequences and damages to the body. there are more than 250 separate strains – or types – of the HPV virus. each of these strains behaves differently from the others; in its own unique way it replicates itself and acts upon your body. In most cases it goes away by itself, but in the case of a few strains, it can leave long-term damage. Sometimes, in some people, this damage can eventually lead to cancer.3. HPV often shows no symptoms, but it can be easily passed from one person to another. In the case of the strains which cause common warts, the carrier might or might have an active infection visible on their skin. They can spread it to another person by touching that person, or even by touching something that another person might touch. The HPV virus can live on cold, dry surfaces for days. this means that you should keep in mind when you use a public restroom facility, or when you walk across a public shower room barefoot, that you are taking a risk. keep yourself safe from infection by avoiding contact with surfaces which may be contaminated; cover a public toilet seat before using it, and wear flip-flops in a show room.4. If you are sexually active, practice smart sex and safe sex, every time you engage in sexual contact. this means that you should be aware of some basic facts: the Pill will not protect from STDs; you cannot tell if your partner has HPV and you partner may not know whether they have it; condoms offer some protection, but not completely; you can acquire HPV through oral sex or anal sex, and these strains can lead to serious health issues.5. If your partner tells you that they do not have HPV, ask if they are a virgin. Because being a virgin (and that includes never having engaged in oral or anal sex) is the only sure way to know you don’t have HPV! If you cannot be certain that your partner is a virgin, always assume that there may be HPV virus present, and protect yourself through safe sex!

HPV Health is dedicated to bringing you the most current information on HPV. We are dedicated to helping you. for more information on symptoms and treatments visit HPV.

i have psoriasis and i was watching a video this morning about AIDS and it said that blotchy spots on your skin may be a cause of AIDS. is psoriasis the same?

No. Psoriasis is a completely separate skin condition. it does NOT mean you have AIDS.

NOOOO the only way to get AID's is top get HIV first, nothing else.

Psoriasis is an overactive immune system, AIDS = no immune system.

STD symptoms sores are really painful and you need to choose the proper medication and effective medical treatment to rescue your body from the attack of the sexually transmitted diseases.  In actuality, there are different sorts of sexually transmitted diseases like Gonorrhea, Syphilis, Chlamydia, HPV, hiv and in severest case, aids.  Basically, all the sexually transmitted diseases spread through various types of sexual contacts like oral sex, anal and sexual intercourse.  You must have better conception about different STD symptoms sores which will deteriorate the condition of the sexual health if the proper medical care is not adopted in time.

These sores are really painful and long lasting. After surfacing the STD symptoms sores, your medical practitioners or the healthcare consultants will prescribe medications which will eliminate sores within short span of time.   For example, cold sores are very common type of STD and very infectious. to be frank, cold sores/ fever blisters are found in the human body due to the onset of herpes simplex virus. It is very dangerous STD disease and you can be severely infected by cold sores through simple oral sex.  

According to the doctors, when cold sores attack patients, herpes will be massively transmitted to lips, external sex organs and anus.  if you feel that you have the cold sores, you need to talk to the healthcare consultants for getting effective treatment. You will suffer from pain and acute feeling of mental stress including fatigue. Basically, there is no specific treatment for the elimination of the herpes but you can consume some special medicines to suppress the spread of the herpes throughout the body.  

These antiviral medications will give some relaxation and comfort to the patients.  if you study a lot to know about different types of STD symptoms sores and their side effects, you will see that most of STD related sores and blisters are really painful and they will bring down the resistance capability of the human beings. Chancre sores are seen in the body of a patient at the earlier stage of the syphilis. the small and large sized blisters and sores are spread on the lips, face, tongue, sex organs and anus.  these chancre sores are also found in areole of the nipples of the female breasts.

Generally these blisters are painless. the chancre sores or blisters are hard with rounded shapes.  if you consume a single dosage of penicillin, chancre sores can be removed but you must opt for the penicillin within a year or less of the attack of the syphilis.  if syphilis goes out of control, it will cause a number of physical discomfiture and disorders like paralysis and severe loss of vision. Finally, STD symptoms sores must be treated carefully at the primary level so that the chance of the destruction of the body due to the STD attack will be very low.

this entry was posted on Friday, January 28th, 2011 at 10:14 pm and is filed under HIV/AIDS. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

House Speaker Kenneth Marende is calling on the Kenya Anti Corruption Commission to investigate those who misappropriated funds meant for HIV/Aids.

This follows recent suspension contribution by donors to the global fund for malaria, Aids and TB over misuse.

Earlier in the week Germany and Sweden suspended their contributions to the global fund, until all corruption cases are investigated.  

This came after an audit in August revealed massive misappropriation of funds meant to help in the war against HIV Aids, malaria and tuberculosis.

Speaking in Mombasa during a one day workshop for MPs organized by National Aids Control Council, Marende asked the anti graft body to investigate and apprehend those involved.

Although Kenya has improved in infection rates compared to other countries, rate of new infections particularly among male sex workers is on the rise.

Up to 3billion shillings is disbursed annually from the government and external financiers who contribute 85% of the total amount on the fight against HIV/Aids.

The probe by the donors does not auger well for Kenya, as the country could be locked out of the kitty if it is established that money was misappropriated.  

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) has Friday donated 10, 000 tablets of codeine phosphate drugs to treat the victims of alcohol, drug and substance abuse.

The WHO country representative Dr. Jack Abdoulie said the drugs were meant for treatment of the young people reported to have attained withdrawal symptoms over abuse of the substances.

Abdoulie said his organization had chipped in following a request by the government to be assisted in alleviating the problem which was threatening to get out of hand.

Receiving the donation Medical Services Permanent Secretary Ms Mary Ngari said the drugs would go along way to cushion the shortage which is currently being experienced in the local hospitals.

Ngari observed that abuse and dependence on the narcotic drugs was quite widespread with an estimated 50, 000 abusers being recorded nationally.

She said the problem needs to be urgently addressed and urged more well wishers to come to the victim's aid.

The PS said her Ministry was caught off-guard on the provision of treatment to the patients after they suddenly decided to declare themselves as drug and alcohol addicts unlike in the past when they had concealed the habit.

"the number of the patients is overwhelming for the government to treat after it was caught unawares as majority of the Kenyans who used to abuse the narcotics in secrecy came out to declare their status," said M/s Ngari.

She said the dosage by WHO would be used to treat the patients in the 12 sites recently established in Coast province where the abuse has been found to be rampant.

Ngari said other parts of the country were less affected and thus could be catered for by the treatment sourced from the money raised by local hospitals through the cost sharing programme.

Test your sexual health knowledge! True or false? the more details, the better!

Herpes, HPV, Siphilis (at some stages) may show no signs at all.

False.

If you had HIV/AIDs you may not know until years down the road.

Herpes is dormant sometimes and other times causes break outs.

Just a few examples.

false they sometimes they show no symtoms

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Absolutely false.