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Cervical Cancer Could Be Eradicated
Detained Journalists Still In Guesthouse, Not Labor Camp
Anorexia May Be Caused By Fetal Brain Abnormality
The Cat Lady of Baghdad
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bertiekenealy000
10/07/09

In reply to Cervical Cancer Could Be Eradicated
You're sister should be ok. I was a little freaked but the procedures are pretty easy to get through (colposcopy and LEEP). Then you have to get your cells screened every 6 months or so. What confuses me is that if I only got an hpv test and not a pap I probably would have developed cancer. In most articles I read they say if you test negative hpv you can go in for a pap every other year! That would have been bad advice for me.
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thesciencegirl
10/07/09

@bertiekenealy000: Thanks so much for the reply! I'm glad everything worked out okay for you.
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Clarissima
10/07/09

In reply to Cervical Cancer Could Be Eradicated
I don't support this vaccine. Of course I support women's health, but not women's health as defined by corporate giants shamelessly banking on mothers' concerns for their daughters' reproductive health, buying pats on the back from the FDA.

This vaccine has serious, serious side effects. Wired Magazine had an article about its dangers and fatalities last year.
You can search Judicialwatch.org for more information. Or keep an eye out on:
[www.nvic.org]

(DISCLAIMER: I do not work for any of these companies)
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Crazie Janie
10/07/09

@Clarissima: You know what else has serious effects? Cervical cancer.
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Eriu
10/07/09

@Crazie Janie: And other consequences of HPV. I cannot stand this uninformed flippancy about something that has utterly ruined my life. And on Jezebel, of all places.

Not to mention, Wired Magazine is a fucking joke.
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queenofdebt
10/07/09

@Clarissima: I don't support the vaccine for a few resons including the ones you listed. The main reason that I don't support it is because my friends who are in their twenties now refuse to get yearly pelivic exams because they think they are "protected". It seems as if their years of sex ed flew out the window and they forgot that there are plenty of other STDs you should get tested for when you have unprotected sex with someone you don't know very well.
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Clarissima
10/07/09

@Eriu: I don't think HPV is a joke. I don't think any aspect of women's health is a joke. Neither is turning women's bodies into a testing ground. Vaccines aren't magical solutions dispensed in a one size fits all approach. Different bodies react differently and I'm constantly APPALLED by what I view as lack of throroughness by the FDA.

Healthcare is not a joke to me.
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Clarissima
10/07/09

@queenofdebt: Oh dear. That is not good. But how is it the vaccine's fault?
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tigress
10/07/09

@Clarissima: Of course it has serious side effects, it's a vaccine. Every vaccine has the potential for an individual to develop serious side effects. I'm sure the small pox vaccine has serious side effects too, but that isn't a good reason to not take it.
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Eriu
10/07/09

@Clarissima: Could've fooled me. It would be helpful if you could separate your problems with corporate heathcare and the FDA from the very real benefits of this vaccine in particular. And every valid source I've read tears the rumors of "deaths" and paralysis, etc. caused by Gardisil to pieces.

Also, I second tigress' comment.
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Lymed
10/07/09

@tigress: Yes, the smallpox vaccine would cause smallpox symptoms in some people and lead to some deaths. It saved billions more lives than it killed.
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wrapped in plastic
10/07/09

In reply to Cervical Cancer Could Be Eradicated
Except in Ireland, where the (female) Minister for Health cancelled the vaccination programme to save money.

Not that I'm bitter or anything.
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BeckySharper
10/07/09

In reply to Cervical Cancer Could Be Eradicated
It'll work a lot faster if they vaccinate boys as well, to create herd immunity.
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morninggloria
10/07/09

In reply to Cervical Cancer Could Be Eradicated
I don't support this. Anytime women are protected against anything, they just use it as an excuse to act like whores.
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shoroko
10/07/09

@morninggloria: I know, right? I got the vaccine two years ago and it's just been non-stop sex since.
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bertiekenealy
10/07/09

In reply to Cervical Cancer Could Be Eradicated
I'm a Jez lurker but thought I'd pipe in on this one. I had stage 3 pre-cancerous cells on my cervix. I DON'T have the hpv virus. The article seems to imply that if you get the vaccine you can't get cervical cancer. I don't see how that could be true since I do not have hpv. I have also gone to my gyno once a year since I was 18 and got the positive cancer cell result when I was 30. I'm all good now though (after colposcopy and another procedure). So I advise everyone to go to the gynocologist - every year!!
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schweppes promoted this comment hortense approved this comment bertiekenealy was starred bertiekenealy was unstarred

schweppes
10/07/09

@bertiekenealy: THANK you. Most c. cancer is caused by HPV, but not all. That idea is definitely missing from this. Expert fail.
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HarpMadness
10/07/09

@bertiekenealy: Good info and advice. I'm glad to hear you're doing well! My grandmother survived cervical cancer back in the day (I'm talking like the 1950's) so this is always a topic close to my heart.
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Lymed
10/07/09

@bertiekenealy: I think that is why the post says "along with advanced screening techniques." Screening will remain important, even with the vaccine.
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schweppes
10/07/09

@Lymed: What's interesting is that the guy's longer statement in the linked article explicitly says "That's the long term future: vaccination and no screening"
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Lymed
10/07/09

@schweppes: I wonder if it is because he thinks all cervical cancer is caused by viruses, and that we just don't have tests for all the strains so we don't know all the viruses yet. But in time he expects we will know all the viruses that cause cervical cancer and create vaccines for all those viruses.
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schweppes
10/07/09

@Lymed: He certainly didn't imply that in the interview, and didn't make any mention of improving the screening to catch more strains. But maybe, it's just an interview not a window into his braiiiin
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Lymed
10/07/09

@schweppes: I'm just wondering, not inferring.
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schweppes
10/07/09

@Lymed: I know, and I didn't mean my bitterness to come across to you, just towards him, mr. self-described expert.
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TheGuvnah
10/07/09

@bertiekenealy: About 70% of cervical cancer cases are caused by HPV though, so vaccinating can greatly reduce the incidence of cervical cancer.

Glad you are now healthy!
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thesciencegirl
10/07/09

@bertiekenealy: One of my sisters was diagnosed last week with stage 3 pre-cancer/stage 0 cervical cancer. Also HPV-negative. It is important to keep in perspective that HPV-cases make up, at most, a few percentage points, of all cervical cancers. But you are correct; screening remains very important. Regular pap smears saved my sister from missing this before it became a bigger problem. Yearly examples are essential.
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Pretentious
10/07/09

@bertiekenealy: CIN-3 isn't cancer.
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thesciencegirl
10/07/09

@Pretentious: It's pretty much considered "stage 0" non-invasive cancer. But more importantly, if not caught at that stage, it will almost surely become fully invasive cancer. Which bertiekenealy clearly understands since she used the word "pre-cancer." Do you have a point? If so, what is it?
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Eriu
10/07/09

@thesciencegirl: Wait, what is your source for "HPV-cases make up, at most, a few percentage points, of all cervical cancers"? Everything I've read says HPV accounts for the vast majority.
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thesciencegirl
10/07/09

@Eriu: sorry. I meant HPV-negative, but I was using "-" as shorthand for negative. Sorry for any confusion!
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Eriu
10/07/09

@thesciencegirl: Oooh, gotcha. Thanks! Also, I'm curious - did your sister get tested for HPV? Because the only reason I knew I had high-risk HPV was from a pap. My doctor told me they don't usually bother with testing since it's so unlikely that it won't be HPV and since the procedure is the same either way. (Shortly after I developed low-risk also, so I know it's HPV. Just curious how someone would know it's not, if that makes sense?)
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thesciencegirl
10/07/09

@Eriu: Yes, she was tested for HPV. She had a negative test, which is why her abnormal pap (and subsequent abnormal colposcopy) surprised me.

But yes, ultimately, the treatment is the same. And the most important thing is that, HPV test results be damned, she continued to get yearly pap smears.
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Opti-Miss
10/07/09

In reply to Cervical Cancer Could Be Eradicated
I'd gladly take the risk of going unvaccinated if it meant the end of the 2 MILLION DEATHS EACH YEAR CAUSED BY DIARRHEA in the developing world. I apologise to those that have personal experience with cancer, but this is clearly a case of putting first world medical problems ahead, and I just can't support that.
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BeckySharper promoted this comment Edited by Opti-Miss at 10/07/09 9:59 AM Opti-Miss was starred Opti-Miss was unstarred

BeckySharper
10/07/09

@Opti-Miss: Cervical cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the Third World, primarily because women don't have access to diagnostics and treatments the way we do.

Gardasil will save the lives of millions more women in the Third World than in the First World, and, in fact, it was developed WITH THAT IN MIND.

Does that make you feel better?
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Eriu
10/07/09

@Opti-Miss: Frankly, I don't see the relevance. Since when do we have to decide between medical choices and caring about any other cause? This is news to me. I feel you when it comes to "Relay for Life" and things like that, because nobody in my college got riled up about any other disease or cause that didn't directly impact them, but I don't think that point extends to taking precautions regarding one's own health, nor do I see how refusing to do so is helping the developing world. Also, as I say to everyone here who is so flippant about HPV and this vaccine, as though the consequences are negligible, I wish you could go through a FRACTION of what I have with this disease and then ask you if you'd still like to "risk" it.
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sequined
10/07/09

In reply to Cervical Cancer Could Be Eradicated
Gee, what a relief for those of us who are already probably going to get it!

Not that I'm not glad we're eradicating a terrible cancer; I'm just bitter.
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Lymed
10/07/09

@sequined: If you get regular screenings you have very high chances of catching pre-cancerous cells which you can have removed before you get cancer.
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Eriu
10/07/09

@Lymed: And then having an incredibly expensive, insanely painful surgery! Hooray! (You're totally right, but having been there, I'm joining sequined in her bitterness.)
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Lymed
10/07/09

@Eriu: I understand the bitterness. But there were women before us who didn't have access to screenings to find the pre-cancerous cells. And I don't want to minimize your experience. If the NYT wrote an article on Lyme disease 6 months earlier than it did, I wouldn't live in chronic pain...so I really do understand bitterness.
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Edited by Lymed at 10/07/09 10:45 AM Lymed was starred Lymed was unstarred

Eriu
10/07/09

@Lymed: No, I know. I just get cranky, and it's more directed at people (who seem to be in abundance here) who seem to think that HPV is no big deal. (I don't think you're one of them. Just annoyed by other comments, and past ones.) And don't get me wrong. I love Gardisil. Doctors claim it has no impact on HPV that you've already been exposed to, but neither of mine (high- and low-risk) began to improve until I was vaccinated. Just sort of wanted to point out that "catching pre-cancerous cells" isn't as peachy keen as it sounds, I guess. Though admittedly much better than not catching them.

Just saw your edit, and I'm sorry to hear that. I can relate. If Gardisil had come out six months earlier, I wouldn't have spent 3 years (and counting) having my cervix burned with a laser and acid poured on my nether regions bi-weekly, not to mention the depression, shame, etc. Again, I was just expressing my own bitterness, not disagreeing with your point.
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Edited by Eriu at 10/07/09 11:03 AM Eriu was starred Eriu was unstarred

Lymed
10/07/09

@Eriu: Your story is important to share. It is very difficult for many people to wrap their heads around the need to take action to prevent an illness that may occur decades later.
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SharonTaint
10/07/09

@Eriu: I feel your pain, literally and figuratively, having gone through the very same thing a few years ago.

Unfortunately, I am older than 26 and can't get vaccinated.

I too spent about 3-4 years in the presence of lasers and acid and shame and guilt and depression.
It was a waking nightmare.

The strangest thing was that almost immediately after I delivered my baby boy over a year ago, all the symptoms of HPV seem to have vanished.

I still go in for a pap every 6 months, but it's so weird to me to get that clean bill of health after every visit. Knock wood.

I should get knocked up more often.

;)
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Pretentious
10/07/09

@r: Rlly? Dprssn nd shm fr dgnstc prcdr n bdy prt tht hs n pn n
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chatterboxwriting promoted this comment Edited at 10/07/09 1:09 PM Pretentious was starred Pretentious was unstarred

Eriu
10/07/09

@Pretentious: Wow. Actually, no, depression and shame for being diagnosed with a socially isolating and taboo disease and having an extreme case of genital warts, for which (maybe you missed this in your first reading) I had strong trichloracetic ACID (you know, the kind that rapidly eats through your fucking skin) applied to the OUTSIDE of my vagina and surrounding areas. There are plenty of pain nerves there. But thanks for the ignorant and sarcastic disrespect.
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Lymed
10/07/09

@Pretentious: Are you really so pretentious you would question somebody's emotions about a serious medical procedure?
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Eriu
10/07/09

@Pretentious: Wow. No, actually depression and shame for being diagnosed with a socially isolating and taboo disease and having an extreme case of genital warts because of it, for which (maybe you missed this in your original reading) I had trichloracetic ACID (you know, the kind that rapidly eats through your fucking skin) frequently applied to the OUTSIDE of my vagina and surrounding areas. But thanks for your ignorant and sarcastic disrespect.
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Eriu
10/07/09

@Pretentious: Wow. No, actually depression and shame for being diagnosed with a socially isolating and taboo disease and having an extreme case of genital warts because of it, for which (maybe you missed this in your original reading) I had trichloracetic ACID (you know, the kind that rapidly eats through your fucking skin) frequently applied to the OUTSIDE of my vagina and surrounding areas. But thanks for your ignorant and sarcastic disrespect.
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Eriu
10/07/09

@Pretentious: Wow. No, actually depression and shame for being diagnosed with a socially isolating and taboo disease and having an extreme case of genital warts, for which (maybe you missed this part in your original reading) I had trichloracetic ACID (you know, the kind that eats through your fucking skin) applied to the OUTSIDE of my vagina multiple times a month. There are PLENTY of pain nerves there. I also couldn't walk for over a week, or sit comfortably for almost a month, after the surgery on my cervix. But thanks for the ignorant and sarcastic disrespect.
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Eriu
10/07/09

@Pretentious: Wow. No, actually depression and shame for being diagnosed with a socially isolating and taboo disease and having an extreme case of genital warts, for which (maybe you missed this part in your original reading) I had trichloracetic ACID (you know, the kind that eats through your fucking skin) applied to the OUTSIDE of my vagina multiple times a month. There are PLENTY of pain nerves there. I also couldn't walk for over a week, or sit comfortably for almost a month, after the surgery on my cervix. But thanks for the ignorant and sarcastic disrespect.
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chatterboxwriting
10/07/09

@Pretentious: You so missed the point here that you should take up residence in Obliviousville. Depression and shame don't necessarily come from a painful condition; they come from dealing with a condition that requires examinations and diagnostic procedures on an intimate area of the body. Not to mention that these procedures can cause pain and discomfort AND there is still somewhat of a stigma surrounding this condition.
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Eriu
10/07/09

@SharonTaint: Thanks for sharing. It's actually very comforting to hear from someone who's been through the same thing. It's hard to remember they exist when you don't know any. And congrats on being healthy! That's one check in the "pro" column for pregnancy.
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chinaplate
10/07/09

In reply to Cervical Cancer Could Be Eradicated
Do you have high-school vaccinations against HPV in the states?
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Ramseylicious
10/07/09

@chinaplate: The HPV vaccine, Gardisil, is available for women up to the age of 26 (that's the age that most insurance companies will cover you up to, although you can get it past the age of 26). But I'm pretty sure that it's up to the woman, or her parents if she's a minor, to decide whether or not she gets it.
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Edited by Ramseylicious at 10/07/09 9:55 AM Ramseylicious was starred Ramseylicious was unstarred

EdnasEdibles
10/07/09

@chinaplate: Not mandatory. There are a bunch of commercials out there encouraging girls to get them but making it mandatory or even strongly recommended has gotten a lot of resistence from parents.
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Lymed
10/07/09

@chinaplate: It is actually required in Texas and has created a lot of controversy. The controversy is twofold. People who are against vaccines generally or nervous about how new this vaccine is. And people who think it will encourage teenage girls to have sex.

But generally, vaccines are not given in school in the U.S. You have to go to your doctor and pay for the vaccine, or have your insurance company pay. Unless you qualify for a state subsidized vaccine program.

@Ramseylicious: The HPV vaccine has been FDA approved for women up to the age of 26. But an older woman can still get the vaccine. It is just very unlikely that insurance will pay for it.
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Spaceman Bill Leah
07/10/09

In reply to Detained Journalists Still In Guesthouse, Not Labor Camp
Coming this fall to Fox! The DPRK. It's where all the insane dictators live.
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NefariousNewt
07/10/09

In reply to Detained Journalists Still In Guesthouse, Not Labor Camp
Guest house? Like the little one out back of Kim Jong Il's mansion, near the Olympic-sized swimming pool, hot tub, and pergola covered in creeping vines, with the nearby outdoor kitchen, featuring a fully-stocked wine refigerator? You mean that one?
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Miss Scarlett
07/10/09

In reply to Detained Journalists Still In Guesthouse, Not Labor Camp
I heard one of the political pundits say when they were first sentenced that they may not end up in a labor camp because they don't want them talking to North Korean's and being able to report about it when they are released which made perfect sense to me.
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par3
03/30/09

In reply to Anorexia May Be Caused By Fetal Brain Abnormality
am i the only one who rushed to click on the thumbnail of the scale to see the number on it! argh! my old ways....

i don't own a scale anymore.
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MyNewJourney
03/30/09

In reply to Anorexia May Be Caused By Fetal Brain Abnormality
As nice as it is to have research that offers more insight into the development of anorexia nervosa, I hope that the mentality of this being a genetic disorder won't lead to thinking like "ah well, since this is genetic, there's nothing I can do or could have done to stop it from happening. I'll just lie back and happily tell everyone around me that it wasn't up to me."

Sometimes I feel like "genetic disorder" is being tossed around as excuses to excuse us from taking the responsibility that perhaps there was something we could have done, that there was something in our choice that faults us. I hope I don't come across sounding like I have no empathy or one of those people who don't understand what it's like to have anorexia. I haven't been diagnosed with ED, but I've battled with my weight for many years now. And like many of the commenters here, it's very easy for me to slip back into the unhealthy mentality that plagued me for so long. Everytime I look at the mirror and think that I can be skinnier, I have to stop myself from taking the plunge that would send me spinning into a cycle of self hatred and destruction.

That being said, I understand where a lot of you guys are coming from and I understand how difficult it is to live with this disorder, at the same time, I don't want the outcome of this study to pave an easier path for people and make them forget that there is such a thing as choice, even if you are predisposed to a certain condition.
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snarkhunting is becoming a sarcastic bitch
03/30/09

@MyNewJourney: That's wildly insensitive, actually.

I don't have ED, but I do have an anxiety disorder to which I was genetically predisposed. Did I choose this? Absolutely not. Do I struggle to overcome my disordered thoughts? Yes.

ED is a mental illness. It's not a choice.
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EusaKills
03/29/09

In reply to Anorexia May Be Caused By Fetal Brain Abnormality
As a man whose girlfriend of 5 years suffered from anorexia, it is comforting to hear it being taken seriously as a disease. There's so much work that needs to be done to educate people, but I've often seen that people have incredible mental blocks against being compassionate/empathetic or letting themselves understand the condition. So many times otherwise pleasant people (mostly women) have said or done incredibly cruel things to my girlfriend about her weight/eating habits/appearance/etc from a position of total ignorance about the experience of living with an eating disorder.

Trying to understand why people are so closed off to understanding eating disorders, it seems to me that there's a total conflation of, say, anorexia with "the issues with eating/weight that the average woman experiences". So women who have felt uncomfortable with eating or their bodies in the past feel like they have carte blanche to take down someone who is clearly suffering from an eating disorder. Like "I can fucking deal with my desire to be skinny and eat restrictively, so if you can't deal with it, then you're weaker/more vain/stupider than me."

Sorry this turned into a bit of an essay, but it's something that really upsets me. Would be glad to hear what anyone else thinks about this.
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Green Goth Brit Chick - AlternatEve
03/30/09

@EusaKills: No perspective on what was said, I just wanted to give you a cheer for being supportive!
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