8 Cervarix is only $5 cheaper than Gardasil, but unlike Merck's vaccine, it doesn't prevent two other types of HPV that cause genital warts. The committee decided not to endorse one vaccine over the other, and the CDC still has to adopt the committee's recommendation for it to be approved for widespread use. • The Oklahoma law that would require the collection and anonymous public sharing of abortion patients' personal data will not go into effect as scheduled on November 1, due to some legal wrangling and highly unusual judicial decisions. The Center for Reproductive Rights filed a suit requesting a temporary restraining order to prevent the law from going into effect on behalf of two local women. The judge recused herself from the case and the new judge, Twyla Mason Gray, has ignored the request but granted the state's request for an extension, moving the hearing to December 4. Gray set the bond for the temporary restraining order request at $25,000, which is an uncommonly large sum for such cases. Oklahoma Representative Wanda Jo Stapleton says so much personal information would be made public by the law that, "Women in small towns can be identified by nosy neighbors or, equally important, they can be misidentified when the guessing games start." • Megan Williams of West Virginia is now says she was lying when she reported that she was assaulted by a group of white men. She accused the men of keeping her in a trailer for several days, beating and stabbing her, and forcing her to eat animal feces. Seven men plead guilty and were convicted, but now her lawyer says she made up the story to get revenge on one of the men she was having a relationship with. Prosecutor Brian Abraham says the men were convicted on physical evidence and their own statements. • In only the second known case of a sperm donor passing on a genetic disease, a donor has given the heart condition hypertrophic cardiomyopathy to nine of his 24 children. One died at age 2 and two of the children, who are now teenagers, are at risk for sudden cardiac death. • Dr. Marci Bowers, who herself underwent a sex-change operation, now performs "female circumcision reversals" that can restore sexual pleasure in 80% of genital mutilation victims. One patient says she's looking forward to "a romance with my husband." • Israeli researchers say people who are violent with their partners are usually in control with their friends and bosses. They say the abuser usually goes through a calculated decision-making process and their behavior often escalates from verbal aggression, to threats of physical aggression, then moderate physical aggression, and severe physical aggression. • Six women are accused of posing as victims of domestic violence to jump to the top of the New York City Housing Authority's waiting list for subsidized apartments. A manager noticed there were similarities in some of the women's police reports and other documents. If convicted of forging court documents, the women could each face seven years in prison. • 53-year-old John Marshall of California has been charged with drugging and raping an acquaintance then shaving off all of his victim's hair. There are at least two other complaints from men and boys who say he drugged and raped them but he hasn't been charged with those crimes and is currently out on bail. • Kuwait's highest court has granted women the right to obtain a passport without their husband's approval. Thousands of women have been petitioning the courts to overturn the 1962 law requiring their husbands' signatures for a passport. Women in Kuwait can vote, serve in parliament, and drive, unlike women in some neighboring countries. • Researchers from Yale University and the VA Connecticut Healthcare System asked 18,481 female and 134,731 male veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom if they are in pain since coming home. Only 38 percent of female veterans compared to 44 percent of the men said they experienced any pain, and women were more likely to report moderate-severe pain but less likely to report persistent pain. "We were surprised by the lower pain prevalence in women Veterans which is contrary to studies conducted in civilian populations," said Dr. Sally Haskell. The discrepancy could be due to the fact that women do not serve in direct combat roles, or women being reluctant to seek treatment and admit they're in pain. • A 50 year-old Russian coal miner is trying to sell a signed photograph of Brigitte Bardot to pay for a $2,090 operation to treat his lung disease. • The one day suspension of a Springfield, Illinois bus driver who wore a pink tie to support breast cancer awareness has been rescinded. Springfield Mass Transit District managing director Linda Tisdale wrote in a newspaper editorial, "Unfortunately, my decision has left the mistaken impression that the SMTD and I do not support the Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign and, even more regrettably, has hurt and insulted the many families who have had to deal with this horrible disease." • A Florida judge says he will not dismiss a civil lawsuit against Casey Anthony, charged with killing her daughter Caylee. The girl's former nanny Zenaida Gonzales is suing Anthony because she says she damaged her reputation by naming her as a suspect in Caylee's death. • A recent study found that adults who are childhood cancer survivors are 20 to 25 percent less likely to marry compared with their siblings and the American population. Sometimes cancer treatment can lead to fertility or developmental problems and survivors may suffer from ongoing medical issues. • Hahnium Goren, the mother of a 15-year-old girl believed to be murdered by her father in an "honor killing," testified against her husband Mamet Goren in a London court today. While on the stand she screamed at him, "Look at my face. What did you do to Tu lay?" He's accused of killing their daughter in 1999 because she was dating a boy he didn't approve of. • The British news program More4 News will feature actors playing Jane Austen, Samuel Johnson, and John Ruskin "reporting" on the societal changes since their time. The Jane Austen character will discuss modern courtship and the waning popularity of marriage and observe a speed-dating session where "you can encounter dozens of potential partners in one evening, with no obligations." • Some extremely serious runners have their toenails surgically removed to make 50 or 100-mile races less painful. Nails are removed by pouring acid on the nail bed. A podiatrist who treats runners says, "Even within the ultra community, less than 10 percent or maybe even 5 percent are permanently removing their toenails." •

An Ohio man has been charged with a first degree misdemeanor after he allegedly used a law-enforcement computer network to gather information on Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher, aka Joe the Plumber. • North Carolina lawmakers have redefined "life sentence" to mean 80 years. According to the new definition, 20 convicted criminals are now set for release, including several men convicted of raping young girls. • According to a report released by the National Science Foundation, only 33% of people working in science are women. The scarcity of women in science is especially noticeable in the "hard sciences," including the study of radioactive elements. • This photograph, cleverly captioned "Career Choices for Girls According to Videogames" provides a single piece of the puzzle as to why many young girls feel their only options are fashion designer, cheerleader, or professional housekeeper. • John McCain has asked Obama to posthumously pardon black boxer Jack Johnson, who was imprisoned in 1913 for his romantic involvement with a white woman. • As part of an attempt to get male students to be "Renaissance men," Morehouse College in Atlanta has forbidden them from wearing baggy pants, sunglasses, do-rags and clothing "normally worn by women." • Politicians often write books to boost their careers, but Sarah Palin may be a simpler soul. Says onetime Republican spokesman Ron Bonjean, "her goal is to make a whole lot of money." •

• A recent poll found that Russians are the most snap-happy - and possibly the most vain - people in Europe. Russians are also more likely to post pictures of themselves online than any other group studied. • Several schools in the UK have halted HPV vaccination following the death of a young girl. Although officials say the vaccine is safe, the batch that was administered to Natalie Morton is under investigation. • The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has temporarily shelved the approval of Cervarix, another HPV vaccine marketed as an alternative to Gardasil. Officials state that this is unrelated to the recent death in Britain, but the vaccine is under review. • And in other cervical cancer news, a HPV vaccine will be available in Japan by year's end, according to a government panel. • The Detroit City Council are considering an amendment that would ban lap dances and require club workers to get certified for their positions. • Lawmakers across the pond have announced that starting today, police will have the power to ban anyone arrested for domestic violence from their home for up to 14 days. They hope that the new domestic violence protection orders - known as "go orders" - will give victims some much-needed "breathing space." • New research indicates that elderly men are more likely than elderly women to attempt suicide. Researchers also report that women who attempt suicide multiple times are likely to "complete suicide." • Maoist activists gathered on Thursday to protest the "Miss Nepal" pageant. "The contest is a forum where women are used by companies to popularize and sell their products," said protest leader Manu Humagain. "It is a blow to the dignity of the women. We oppose it." •

• It's believed that Hitler took a cyanide pill and shot himself in his Berlin bunker in April 1945. The Russians said they dug up his burnt and buried corpse, with a bullet in the head, and finally cremated it in 1970, saving the jawbone and a fragment from the skull. American archaeologist Nick Bellantoni, who was allowed to examine the fragments in Moscow, says, "The bone seemed very thin - male bone tends to be more robust. It corresponds to a woman between the ages of 20 and 40... There is no report of [Hitler's wife Eva Braun] having shot herself or having been shot afterwards. It could be anyone's." • Several California domestic violence shelters have closed in recent months because Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger eliminated financing for the state's Domestic Violence Program due to a budget gap. "The governor understands how difficult these cuts are," said Schwarzegnegger's spokesman. "But he can't promise money we don't have." Many shelters have had to cut back on staff, counseling services, safe visitation centers, and legal services like help obtaining restraining orders. • A 14-year-old British girl died today after receiving the Cervarix vaccine as part of a national immunization program in the U.K. Doctors say no link can be made between her death and the vaccination before the post-mortem is performed, but the batch of vaccine used has been quarantined. • Couples in Chonqing, China's biggest provincial municipality, will not be allowed to divorce during an eight day holiday beginning on Thursday celebrating 60 years of communist rule. Officers at marriage registration centers said they can't cope with the high demand for weddings during the holiday and issue divorces. • University of Washington researchers found that depression, obesity, and alcohol abuse or dependency are interrelated conditions among young women but not men. Carolyn McCarty, the study's lead author, says, "Body image is particularly important for women. There seems to be a transfer that when women feel bad they eat more. That can have devastating effects emotionally and physically. But for men experiencing obesity, the reverse is true, and obesity seems to be protective against depression. It's the so-called 'jolly fat man' theory, which suggests that overweight people are actually happier." • Scottish researchers found the transmission of HIV among heterosexuals is slower than among homosexual men, "The slower dynamics of the heterosexual epidemic thus offer more opportunity for successful intervention, but it is essential that diagnosis is achieved as early as possible," said study leader Andrew Leigh Brown. • A Malaysian religious court appeals panel upheld the sentence of Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno, who will receive six cane strokes for drinking beer. The 32-year-old mother of two had refused to appeal her sentence, saying she wanted to serve as an example to other Muslims. Her father said, "She is ready to face her punishment and all she hopes for now is that it be done professionally and according to procedures set out in Islam." • Author Annette Gordon-Reed won the $25,000 Frederick Douglas Book Prize for her history book The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family. The prize is awarded every year by Yale University's Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance, and Abolition for "the best book written in English on slavery or abolition." • 92-year-old Jane Bockstruck of New Hampshire completed a "flawless" skydive earlier this month. "I must have read it someplace and all of a sudden, 'I'm going to go skydiving.' So I did," Bockstruck said. "I've done so many things in life, I figured I'd just try something different for a change."

• And to make it even better, his tagline is "What? I like variety," which is an odd choice for the man notorious for sticking to his "type." Related: Hugh is finally getting a divorce. • The Australian government has announced plans to widen protection for women fleeing their home countries out of fear for possible genital mutilation and honor killings. Women at risk will now be covered by the "Refugees Convention." • Four women from Wisconsin have been charged with being party to felony false imprisonment after they held a 37-year-old man captive and super-glued his penis to his stomach as a twisted punishment for his philandering ways. The woman who did the gluing, Therese Ziemann, is also charged with misdemeanor fourth-degree sexual assault. • An increase in availability of sex-determination and sex-selection technology has lead to a huge disparity between the number of male and female babies born in Vietnam (112.1 male babies per 100 female babies). The U.N. says they fear the widening gap may lead to a greater demand for sex work, and increased gender-based violence. • Iranian video artist Shirin Neshat has premiered her first feature film about women's rights in 1953 Iran, titled "Women Without Men" at the Venice film festival. Neshat says that much of the material she explores in the film can be applied to the situation today in Iran. • Michelle Obama has given her support to a request from the Freshfarm Markets to close a section of Vermont Avenue for a weekly farmers' market. If the request goes through, the busy street would be blocked off every Thursday between 1 p.m. and 8 p.m. • 16-year-old Jessica Watson had hoped to become the youngest person to sail around the world, but just days before she was about to sail, she crashed her boat, the Pink Lady, into a 63,000-ton cargo carrier of the coast of Australia. • Lynndie England is suing writer Gary S. Winkler for seizing control of her biography, which she had hoped would help salvage her image. The book, Tortured: Lynndie England, Abu Ghraib and the Photographs That Shocked the World, is apparently not selling very well. "Nobody's getting rich here. I'm in the hole," said Winkler. • A Portuguese judge has banned further sales of a book written by a former policeman on the grounds that it hampers the search for Madeleine McCann. The book in question claims that McCann, who has been missing since May 2007, is dead. • In attempts to change his reputation as a "closed, brutal dictator," Iranian President Mahoud Ahmadinejad has already appointed one woman to his cabinet and is pushing for a second. However, women's rights activists recognize that the women appointed will probably not further their cause. "These women that Mr. Ahmadinejad selected are anti-woman," said Aida Qajar. • Attorneys for NFL player Ben Roethlisberger have rejected a "bizarre" offer to settle a lawsuit accusing Roethlisberger of rape. The so-called "bizarre" deal asks that the quarterback admit he raped Andrea McNulty and donate $100,000 to a women's advocacy group. Roethlisberger's lawyers claim her proposal "insults women who have legitimately suffered from sexual misconduct." Say what? • A panel of medical experts have voted to approve HPV vaccine Cervarix. The FDA will review the application and make a decision by September 29th. • According to a recent survey, one in every 33 women who regularly attend religious services has been the target of sexual advances by religious leader. • The Australian government said Wednesday that they are willing to allow women to serve in frontline combat units. American women are currently barred from combat roles. However, according to this article (and photograph) Australian women already serve on the frontline. • A British coroner failed to determine whether the LighterLife diet contributed to the death of 34-year-old bride-to-be Samantha Clowe. • IAAF spokesman Nick Davies said on Tuesday that even if Caster Semenya's gender tests show that she has had an "unfair advantage" due to a medical condition, she will most likely get to keep her gold medal. "This is not a doping case at present so it shouldn't be considered as one where you have a retroactive stripping of results," he explained. •

Yesterday, CDC and FDA researchers published an analysis of the side effects associated with the human papillomavirus vaccine - which has been linked to 32 deaths since 2006 - in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). As of June 1, 23 million doses of Gardasil have been distributed, and there was an average of 53.9 complaints filed with the government for every 100,000 vaccine doses, which ABC News reports is similar to the number of complaints filed for other vaccines.

Experts say the complaint data is limited because anyone can file one and the reports are not verified, but only 6.2 percent of the reported complaints were considered serious and lead to hospitalization, permanent disability or death. Compared to other vaccines, users of Gardasil were more likely to report fainting or blood clots, but the JAMA study showed 90 percent of the 56 women who reported developing blood clots had other risk factors like smoking, being overweight, or using oral contraceptives. "Although the number of serious adverse events is small and rare, they are real and cannot be overlooked or dismissed without disclosing the possibility to all other possible vaccine recipients," Dr. Diane Harper, director of the Gynecologic Cancer Prevention Research Group at University of Missouri told ABC News, "The rate of serious adverse events is greater than the incidence rate of cervical cancer."

The FDA and CDC continue to recommend the vaccine for women ages 9 to 26, but now the consensus in the medical community is that doctors need to be more educated about the risk of cervical cancer and the vaccine's side effects. Dr. Joseph Zanga, chief of pediatrics at the Columbus Regional Healthcare system in Columbus, GA, told ABC News that HPV infections may clear up on their own and that routine pap smears are still the best prevention against cervical cancer. He added:

"Perhaps the most important, currently missing 'warning' is that the vaccine may not be forever... we know that it protects for 5-7 years so that a girl getting the series at [age] 11-12 will enter the time of her most likely sexual debut unprotected but believing herself to be."

But finding unbiased information on Gardasil's side effects may have been complicated by the vaccine's manufacturer. A separate article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association reported that at least three medical associations promoted the vaccine using money provided by Merck. The analysis of the pharmaceutical company's marketing techniques by Columbia University public health experts revealed that the American College Health Association, the American Society for Colopscopy and Cervical Pathology, and the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists used the same strategies as Merck to promote the vaccine and did always not disclose that they were accepting money from the company, The Washington Post reports. Merck and the three medical societies say it was not inappropriate for the groups to each accept about $200,000 to $300,000 from the drug company because they money funded education programs about the vaccine but didn't influence their content.

In the JAMA article the Columbia researchers say that the medical societies used arguments that were very similar to Merck's marketing approach, which downplayed the vaccine's potential side effects and overemphasized the threat of cervical cancer to adolescents. According to the American Cancer Society, 11,000 women in the U.S. develop cervical cancer every year, and 4,070 die from it, but USA Today reports that many of the deaths are among poor white women in Appalachia, black women in the South, and Latinas along the Texas-Mexico border. Since cervical cancer can be detected by regular pap smears, these women without access to medical care are most likely to die from it. Dr. Sheila Rothman, the article's co-author, wrote that Merck "practically ignored" these at risk groups, and focused instead on the message that all women are equally at risk, helping the company reach as many customers as possible.

A representative for Merck said that there are several programs that make the vaccine available to poor women, but the JAMA report says these facts were not emphasized in the medical society's marketing material, which often failed to mention that they received Merck funding. "It screeched the message, 'all women are at equal risk, protect yourself from cervical cancer, and this is the way to do it,'" said Rothman, "The fact that the medical societies repeated this message is what concerns us."

Gardasil HPV Vaccine Faces Safety Questions [ABC News]
Medical Groups Promoted HPV Vaccine Using Drug Company Money [The Washington Post]
Report: HPV Vaccine May Be Going To The Wrong Women [USA Today]

• Researchers have taken on the conventional wisdom that many dogs resemble their owners, but the results are mixed. Some found that dogs do show similar facial expressions as their owners, but others say the entire idea is bull. • The Sudanese woman charged with indecency for wearing pants has been banned from leaving the country, she said Tuesday. Lubna Hussein faces 40 lashes for being caught in loose-fitting trousers. • A new study found that middle-aged men who idealize masculinity are 50% less likely than other men to seek health care. "This research strongly suggests that deep-seated masculinity beliefs are one core cause of men's poor health, inasmuch as they reduce compliance with recommended preventative health services," said researcher Kristen W. Springer. • Researchers have linked the use of food stamps to weight gain among women. They found no signs of a similar trend among men. • According to the Wall Street Journal, many young couples are experiencing the fatigue of constant companionship that usually comes with retirement. Unemployed or recently laid off lovers are bugging each other about minor things, and apparently, this is a downer. • Cool lady-director Katheryn Bigelow has announced her next project: An adventure movie titled "Triple Frontier," set on the border of Paraguay, Argentina, and Brazil. • Professor Catherine Lumby, an adviser to the Australian National Rugby League on women's issues says that intimate partner violence is an issue in the Australian Football League. "I hate to say (it) but it remains epidemic, sexual violence, physical violence," she said in an interview with ABC radio. • The International Olympic Committee is considering adding women's boxing to the lineup for the 2012 London Olympics. Also under consideration: Mixed doubles tennis and 50-meter sprints in swimming. • A researcher from the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center found that only half the doctors in Texas are recommending the HPV vaccine to girls age 11-12. In 2006, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended that all girls 11-12 should be vaccinated for HPV, but many doctors remain reluctant to discuss the vaccine. • A report released today by UNAIDS states that 50 million women in Asia are at risk for contracting HIV from their boyfriends or husbands. More than 90% of Asian women with HIV/AIDS were exposed to the virus by their long-term partners. • Amateur tennis champ Nancy Griffin is suing the city of Raleigh for discrimination and emotional damages after a men's league, sponsored by the city, banned her from playing. •

• In response to falling sales, drug company Merck & Co. is planning to push Gardasil as a back-to-school essential. • According to the first-ever large scale study of workplace power, gender, and sexual harassment, women supervisors are more likely to experience sexual harassment than women who did not hold managerial roles. "This study provides the strongest evidence to date supporting the theory that sexual harassment is less about sexual desire than about control and domination," said lead researcher Heather McLaughlin. • Although England's women's cricket team has won the World Cup and the World Twenty20, they are still less celebrated than the men's team. In order to turn things around, the English Cricket Board has hired the managing editor of Tatler to give the team a "makeover." • A man nicknamed "Prince" (real name: Allen Brown), has been accused of running a prostitution ring (which, weirdly, included both his mother and his niece). He reportedly confiscated the identification cards and cellphones of the women he had working for him, and demanded a nightly quota of $1,000. • Evelyn Coke, home care aide and advocate for fair pay, died on July 9th at the age of 74. • A recent study found that the children of Bangladeshi women who are victims of domestic violence have a higher risk of suffering from infections and diarrhea than those born to un-abused mothers. • Clinics in Australia have been cleared to prescribe RU486, the so-called "abortion pill," for pregnancies under nine weeks. Pro-choice advocates hope the increased availability of the drug will reduce the risk that women might seek out illegal drugs for abortion purposes. • In the past four decades, there has been a decline in the number of highly educated black women who chose to marry and have children. Hanna Brueckner, professor of sociology at Yale University, says that the gains women have made in higher education have "come increasingly at the cost of marriage and family." • Professor Bill Ledger from Sheffield University is urging all 30-year-old women to take a "fertility MoT test, even those who are not trying to conceive. • On Saturday, Liberia's deputy ambassador to the U.S. met with the 8-year-old rape victim from Arizona who made the news last month after her family refused to house her out of "shame." Edwin Sele said the girl cried heavily during the meeting, and asked to see her parents. • Catholic archbishop Denis Hart says he does not remember telling a woman abused by a priest to "go to hell, bitch" in 2004. "It was a number of years ago. I don't recall precisely," he said. • Depressing, but not surprising: The recession has screwed over pregnant woman, making it more difficult for them to take maternity leave. •

Before now, the only cervical cancer vaccine available was Gardasil, made by Merck & Co (this is still the only one available in the US, seeing as Cervarix has yet to be approved). The three-shot vaccine usually costs about $360, an expensive price to pay for many living in the West, and virtually impossible for women living in poor countries.

Last year, the global health association GAVI prioritized the purchase of HPV vaccines for the world's 73 poorest nations. An estimated 280,000 women die from cervical cancer each year, and 80% of the deaths are in developing countries. GAVI, formerly known as the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization, is a major buyer of vaccines. The WHO has approved Cervarix for use in the developing world, but it is still unclear how the distribution will be financed.

"We're eager to work with our long-term partner GAVI as well as other private NGOs or governments of developing countries to identify financing mechanisms for the vaccine," said a spokesperson for GloxoSmithKline. "That is why we're exploring a variety of distribution partnerships to ensure Cervarix will protect women and girls around the globe."

"Cervarix can save millions of women's lives throughout the world, but only if it reaches those who need it most," said Jean Stephenne, President of GSK Biologicals.

GlaxoSmithKline's Cervarix Gets WHO OK For Poor Countries [Wall Street Journal]
WHO Approves Cervical Cancer Vaccine Cervarix [AP]

Pharmaceutical company Merck has had a human papillomavirus vaccine for males in the works for some time and is currently seeking FDA approval for the vaccine. In women, HPV causes genital warts and can lead to cervical cancer, which about 10,000 women are diagnosed with each year. For men, the vaccine also prevents HPV, which can cause penile and anal cancer, and cancer of the mouth and throat. About 7,500 men are diagnosed with these cancers per year and vaccinating boys also helps prevent the spread of the virus to men's sexual partners.

Though there have been concerns raised about the safety of the vaccine for girls, the debate has centered mostly on whether being vaccinated against the STD would make girls more likely to have sex. Now that there is a male vaccine people are focusing on whether it's safe and cost effective to have boys vaccinated, especially when they can't get cervical cancer, reports The Washington Post. The prospect of boys sleeping around hasn't entered into the debate. "We are still more worried about the promiscuity of girls than the promiscuity of boys," said Susan M. Reverby, a professor of women's studies and medical history at Wellesley College. "There's still that double standard."

Since the male vaccine was proposed, people have wondered if parents would be willing to vaccinate their sons. "For girls, you can go right to protection against cervical cancer. That's a powerful argument," said Gregory D. Zimet, a professor of pediatrics and psychology at Indiana University. "For boys, you have to make several arguments. Part of it is an altruistic argument. I think it's persuasive, but it's more complex." Debbie Stein of Maryland says she would have her 11-year-old son vaccinated. "My feeling is it's a serious virus that causes cancer, and there's no reason not to vaccinate him," she said. "I think it will protect him and protect his wife in the future. I don't want to see him when he's 35 or 40 have a wife die of cancer."

Merck says they won't launch another big (and ultimately unsuccessful) push to have schools require boys be vaccinated like they did after the FDA approved Gardasil for girls in 2006. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is currently examining the results of a study presented last month on the safety of the vaccine for boys. If the panel endorses it, that will influence whether schools require the shot, and if insurance companies will cover the costs.

In June the committee will consider several cost-benefit analysis, since the vaccine costs about $500 for three shots. Though vaccinating boys will reduce the amount of virus that is transmitted back to girls, some are questioning if it's worth it since boys are less affected by cancers associated with HPV. Professor Zimet says questions of cost shouldn't be what's driving public health policy. "This is a vaccine that principally benefits women's health. I wonder if it was the reverse, and there was a vaccine for women that helped prevent prostate cancer in men, this would be as much of an issue," he said.

A Vaccine Debate Once Focused on Sex Shifts as Boys Join the Target Market [The Washington Post]

Earlier: Drugmaker Seeks FDA Approval For Gardasil For Males
Gardasil For Guys: Will Boys Get It?

• A 31-year-old Iranian, blind from an acid attack by a spurned suitor, is demanding that the judge follow the ancient tradition of "eye for an eye" punishment and blind her attacker. • Bollywood-style dance classes, which mix traditional Indian folk dances with hip-hop moves, are a growing trend in fitness. • Virgin has instituted a "kissing ban" at one of their U.K. train stations because they believe that kissing couples were delaying trains. The introduction of a "kissing zone" outside the station really saps all the romance out of a goodbye kiss. • European medicine watchdogs have concluded that the HPV vaccine Gardasil did not cause seizures and loss of consciousness in two Spanish girls who had just been vaccinated. • New research indicates that physical activity improves the quality of life in postmenopausal women. The study found that women reported better mental health even if they did not lose weight. • This month's E-Poll indicates that women are most likely to make an effort to watch daytime dramas, but they would really miss Judge Judy if her show were to be canceled. • A Valentine's Day Craigslist ad in Texas has been revealed as a prank. The ad, which offered sexual favors to men, showed a photo of a woman named "Jennifer" and promised that she would "moan like Shamu." • UMen, a Middle Eastern men's magazine, recently ran a feature titled "Reasons Why Women Can't Drive." The list of "reasons" included: women have dogs in the front seat (??), and women "lack the driving gene." • Paula Oliveira, the Brazilian woman who was allegedly attacked by Swiss skinheads, has confessed that the entire story was an elaborate lie, complete with self-mutilation. • Doctors hope that a new device, implanted under the skin near the collar bone, will help sufferers of chronic obsessive compulsive disorder by sending pulses of electricity to the brain. • A 20-year-old Kansas City woman was explaining that she no longer loved her ex-boyfriend, only to be interrupted by gunshots. She was unharmed, but police later found the bullet, shot by her ex-boyfriend, tangled in her weave. • China's economic slump has lead many professional Chinese women to seek jobs as maids and nannies. • This Friday will mark the first time women are allowed to compete in ski jumping in the Nordic skiing World Championship. Athletes hope that the Olympic committee will also open the sport to women. •

Gardasil first hit the market in 2006 and was initially recommended for girls and young women, ages 12-26. Due to aggressive marketing, Gardasil quickly became one of Merck’s top-selling vaccines, with sales of $1.5 billion in 2007 (which were perhaps aided by the high cost- $360 for a three-dose regimen). Despite becoming a requirement for immigrant women, sales slowed in 2008 after a government-funded Harvard study found that it was not cost-effective to administer Gardasil to women in their 20s.

Gardasil for men is not a new idea. Merck has long planned to release a vaccine specifically for males, which seems like a great idea considering that men are more than simply the carriers of HPV. Men infected with HPV run the risk of getting cancer of the genitals or mouth, not to mention genital warts. In Merck’s initial testing, Gardasil prevented 90 percent of cases of penile cancer and genital warts in the 4,000 males, ages 16-26, who received the vaccine.

But before Gardasil for men becomes available to the general public, the FDA must approve Merck’s request, a process that can take up to a year to complete. And while Gardasil is effective at preventing certain types of cancer, the vaccine is not without controversy. In 2008, reports of several deaths that were believed to be linked to the Gardasil vaccine surfaced, leading several news outlets to claim that Gardasil was a factor. While the CDC contends that the deaths are unrelated to Gardasil shots, there is a lingering resentment against the vaccine, which is currently requirement for all immigrant women seeking their green cards. A rival (and less costly) vaccine called Cervarix is available in many foreign markets, but has yet to be approved for use in the U.S.

Drugmaker Merck Seeks Gardasil Approval For Boys [USA Today]
Cervical Cancer Vaccine- For Boys? [CBS News]
Merck Seeks FDA Approval for Gardasil in Boys [WSJ Health Blog]

Related: Experts Appalled At Gardasil Requirement For Immigrant Women, CDC Finds Deaths Unrelated To Gardasil Shots

• A new study claims that women who gain too much weight during pregnancy
may have their children grow up to be obese teenagers. • Rice Krispies
celebrated its 80th British anniversary on November 10th, marking the 80th year since the cereal was brought from the U.S. to Britain. • Why are movie trailer narrators overwhelmingly male? • Forensics trainees from
Park Point University in Pittsburgh will re-examine the cold case of accused 19th century parent-killer, Lizzie Borden. • U.S. researchers have found stronger brain activity in women who are ovulating and viewing masculinized male faces. • A 26-year-old woman from Florida who was suspected of abusing her daughter will be given custody of her twin children after a three-judge panel on Wednesday determined that she had made sufficient progress as a parent since her daughter was abused in 2002. • A Dallas-area pastor of a mega-church urged his married congregants on Sunday to have sex with their spouses for 7 days straight. • A urologist from Florida has invented a stealth urinal for men called the UroClub which is designed to look like a 7-iron and fit in a golf bag. • Twin panda cubs who were born at the Adventure World amusement park in Wakayama, Japan in September were named Meihin and Eihin today.• A British couple who met online and played Second Life together are getting divorced after the wife found out her husband's avatar was seeing another (virtual) woman. • Is the spider fear a learned behavior? • Malaysia police say that protests from Katagender and Food Not Bombs regarding the recent Muslim edict against women wearing trousers is a security threat. •

In fact, when compared to other vaccines, those receiving Gardasil shots reported fewer "serious adverse events." The Journal reports that 6% of Gardasil complaints were "serious," while "most vaccines have reported serious adverse events rates between 10% and 15%."

Even with these findings, immigrant advocates are still not happy that immigrant women between the ages of 11-26 are required to get the Gardasil shot before receiving their green cards. As we reported earlier, the expense of this shot is a serious barrier, and the L.A. Times reported yesterday that some experts think the shot could be fairly ineffective. "Many women will very likely get this only for the purpose of the visa," according to Kate Bourne of the International Women's Health Coalition. "Quite likely they will be at the upper end of the age range, which means they are more likely to already be sexually active, and this vaccine is useless to them." The only group of women and girls required to get the Gardasil vaccine beyond immigrants is residents of the state of Virginia, because as we all know, Virginia IS for lovers, despite what Nancy Pfotenhauer says.

Side Effects Not Linked To Gardasil [WSJ]
Immigrants' Advocates Decry Cervical Cancer Vaccine Order [LAT]

Earlier: Experts Question The Cost Effectiveness Of HPV Vaccine
Experts Appalled At Gardasil Requirement For Immigrant Women

The CDC says they were unaware of this consequence, and Dr. Jon Abramson, head of the CDC's Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices, tells the Journal, "If we had known about it, we would have said it's not a good idea…We don't want someone coming into the U.S. who hasn't been vaccinated against measles or chickenpox, [but] HPV can only be communicated by sexual contact…This is not something that endangers kids in a school setting or puts your population at risk."

Even Merck, the company that manufactures Gardasil and has been accused of overly aggressive lobbying tactics, isn't particularly fond of the requirement. A spokesperson for Merck tells the Journal, "We were not aware of the policy and we did not lobby for this provision in any way." In addition, Gardasil has encountered its fair share of controversy over its efficacy and potential side-effects since becoming widely recommended. The National Association of Pacific American Women's Forum's Priscilla Huang likened the Gardasil requirement to using immigrants as "test subjects" because the research on the vaccine is thought to be incomplete by some. (And with rumored disturbing side-effects.)

Requiring the vaccine — one of the priciest on the market — could cost immigrants as much as $360, and in addition to the $500 or more new United States residents must spend on application fees, the cost is pretty prohibitive. Immigration advocate Tuyet Duong says the requirement "is outrageous; it's creating an economic barrier." The Journal was hard-pressed to find anyone who resoundingly supported forcing immigrants to get the vaccine, and it notes that 'a government official said the cervical vaccine's inclusion on the list might be reviewed." Your bureaucracy at work!

UPDATE: A tipster who works in immigration law writes in: "To make your story even a little worse, the fee for a green card application is $1010. It more than doubled in the summer of 2007. (It is $600 if you are under age 14.) This is not counting the costs of the medical exam, including the vaccines, which must be paid to the doctor in cash."

U.S. Requiring Controversial Vaccine [The Street]
Gardasil Requirement for Immigrants Stirs Backlash [WSJ]

Earlier: Experts Question The Cost Effectiveness Of HPV Vaccine

• MTV promotes "green" campaigns like Switch, but when it comes to the actual production of their shows, the network is very unfriendly towards the environment. • Researchers have found that 90 minutes sitting on a heated car seat can lead to an increased scrotal temperature in men, which may hurt a man's sperm quality. • A Kentucky Court of Appeals has ruled against lesbian couples adopting children as though they are stepparents. • A new website that provides syphilis information to gay men — as well as a referral letter for syphilis testing and a 1-week wait for the tested men to retrieve their results online — shows promise in promoting testing among gay men. • Rachel Bird and Gideon Codding of California refused to complete marriage forms in their state because they wanted to be referred to as "bride" and "groom" on the forms and not by the new gender-neutral terms. • A new study claims that only 3% of Australians have cheated on their loved ones last year, but researchers claim the results would be "radically different" if they measured cheating over a longer time period. • Betty Constable, Princeton's first women's squash coach and a squash pioneer in the United States, died on September 9 at the age of 83. • A British woman has sworn off having children after she recently gave birth to a baby weighing 13 pounds, 4 ounces (the weight of a 6 month old) and had given birth to three previous children who weighed more than 10 pounds at birth. • A new study has found that estrogen creams do not help reduce wrinkles on areas of skin that experience sun exposure (i.e., the face, hands, and neck). • The federal government is considering making Gardasil vaccination mandatory for female immigrants who are seeking U.S. citizenship. • Meanwhile, the FDA has updated the label for Gardasil, saying the vaccine protects against cancers of the vagina and vulva. • Margaret Hoelzer, a U.S. swimmer who won 3 medals at the Beijing Olympics, opens up about being sexually abused by a friend's father when she was 5 years old. •

[Image via JSoul.]