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NEW! HPV Keeps Getting Worse -- HPV Carried in Mouth Linked to Virulent Cancers: Number of Oropharyngeal Cancer Cases Steadily Rising

HPV and Heart Disease

Syphilis Rates Soar 134% Among Homosexual Black Men, Fall Among General Population

STUDY: Promiscuous Sex May Do More Than Break your Heart – Study Finds HPV/Heart-Attack Link

STUDY: CDC: Large Increase in Syphilis Cases Among Homosexual and Bisexual Men

Scientists Warn New Strain of Sexually Transmitted Disease Could be ‘Global Health Threat’

STUDY: HIV Risks Rise With Some Birth Control

Vital Signs: HIV Testing and Diagnosis Among Adults --- United States, 2001--2009

Yes, Oral Sex IS Sex, and It CAN Boost Cancer Risk

STUDY: Oral Sex Causing Oral Cancer Rates to Rise

National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day --- February 7, 2011

Increase in Newly Diagnosed HIV Infections Among Young Black Men Who Have Sex with Men --- Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, 1999--2008

CDC: HIV Infection, USA, 2005 and 2008

HIV in Thailand v. HIV in the Philippines

STUDY:  18% of Vancouver Homosexual Men Have HIV

Evaluation of Acute Hepatitis C Infection Surveillance --- United States, 2008

QuickStats: Annual Rates of Hospitalization with a Diagnosis of HIV/AIDS Among Persons Aged ≥45 Years, by Sex --- National Hospital Discharge Survey, United States, 1997--2007

TRICH: The Unknown STD May Now Be #1

HPV: INCREASING SKIN CANCER RISK

HPV: “CHANGING THE FACE OF HEAD AND NECK CANCERS”

STUDY: Ten Percent of Adult Homosexuals in Brazil Have HIV

Summary of Notifiable Diseases --- United States, 2008

Sex Virus HPV Blamed for Rise in Head and Neck Cancers / Cancer-Causing Virus Found More Often

NOTE: The Pill's Deadly Affair with HIV/AIDS...

HPV Keeps Getting Worse
The past few weeks in our update we have reported on complications from HPV, the Human Papillomavirus. This STD has been linked to heart disease in women. 

We have more bad news to report: one of the most prevalent strains of HPV is found to be linked to head and neck cancers which have a 50% mortality rate.

The following article advocates for finding vaccinations, but the only true way to stop the spread of all STDs is to abstain from sex until marriage and marry someone who has done the same. [www.abstinence.net]

HPV Carried in Mouth Linked to Virulent Cancers: Number of Oropharyngeal Cases Steadily Rising, Study Finds

A first-of-its kind study released Thursday estimates that about one in 14 Americans carries in their mouths and throats a sexually transmitted virus that can cause a virulent form of cancer.

The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, has broad implications for head and neck cancers, which already strike 50,000 people a year and are increasingly being caused by human papillomavirus (HPV).
The new study finds that the “most prevalent” HPV strain found in people’s mouths is HPV-16, a type that is particularly likely to cause cancers, Dr. Maura L. Gillison and her colleagues said.

An estimated 2.13 million Americans have an oral HPV-16 infection, the authors said in their study, published in the Jan. 26 issue of JAMA’s Online First edition. Men are almost three times as likely as women to have oral HPV, with 10.1 percent of men and 3.6 percent of women testing positive for it.

While most HPV infections do not cause cancers, whether of the head/neck or the cervix, oral cancers are particularly dangerous once they develop, and doctors until now had not looked at HPV as a cause and ascribed most such cancers to tobacco use.

Oral HPV is almost always transmitted through sexual activity, added Dr. Gillison, who is associated with Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center. Transmission “by casual, nonsexual contact is likely to be unusual,” she and her colleagues wrote.

Dr. Paul Harari, department chairman of human oncology at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, said the new study is “very fascinating new work.”

“I’ve been involved in the care of head/neck cancer patients for 25 years, and it is only in the last five to seven years that we are realizing that HPV is associated with a substantial proportion” of these cancers, Dr. Harari said.

Head and neck cancers, which involve the mouth, lips, tongue, throat and voice box, have about a 50 percent mortality rate, Dr. Harari said. Oropharynx cancer, which pertains to cancers in the back part of the mouth, the tonsils and skin down to the middle part of the throat, is fatal for about 8,000 people a year.

In contrast, cervical cancer, virtually all of which is caused by HPV, kills about 4,300 women a year.

In their new study, Dr. Gillison and her colleagues note that the number of cases of HPV-caused oropharyngeal cancers have been steadily rising for several years, but “little is known about the epidemiology of oral HPV infection.”

For decades, oropharyngeal cancers were linked to chronic alcohol use, smoking and use of chewing tobacco.

But these kinds of cancer cases have been dropping, from 2.0 cases per 100,000 population in 1988 to 1.0 cases per 100,000 in 2004.

At the same time, HPV-related oropharyngeal cancers have jumped 225 percent, from 0.8 cases per 100,000 to 2.6 cases per 100,000, the new study found.

The data comes from oral-fluid samples collected from some 5,000 people ages 14 to 69 as part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

They found that infections were associated with being a smoker, a heavy drinker, and current or past marijuana use. Also, because oral HPV transmission is spread “predominantly” through sexual activity, prevalence rose with the number of lifetime or recent sex partners.

An ongoing study should help clarify how oral HPV is transmitted. There are questions, for instance, about whether “deep kissing” can spread the virus, Dr. Gillison said.

While HPV-16 is not necessarily easier to acquire than other strains, it is more likely to develop into cancer.

There are HPV vaccines on the market, but Dr. Gillison and her colleagues said that the impact of the shots on oral HPV infections are unknown, “and therefore vaccination cannot currently be recommended for the primary prevention of oropharyngeal cancer.”

HPV-related oropharyngeal cancers are expected to surpass HPV-caused cases of cervical cancer by 2020.

In a related editorial in JAMA, Dr. Hans P. Schlecht noted that the 6.9 percent prevalence of oral HPV infections is still “much lower” than HPV infections at other bodily sites - cervicovaginal HPV in women is 42 percent; penile/scrotal HPV in men ranges from 14 percent to 51 percent; and anal HPV ranges from 42 percent to 57 percent in homosexual men, 25 percent in heterosexual men and 27 percent in women.

In light of the new study, health-care professionals “should encourage their patients who engage in oral sex to use barrier protection,” Dr. Schlecht advised.

The study, released at Thursday’s Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancer Symposium in Phoenix, is supported by the Ohio State University cancer center, HPV-vaccine-maker Merck & Co., John and Nina Cassils, and Intramural Research Program of the National Cancer Institute.
[January 26, 2012, Cheryl Wetzstein, The Washington Times, http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/jan/26/hpv-cancer-risk-spreads-head-and-neck/?page=all#pagebreak]

HPV and Heart Disease
 
Yet another reason to talk to your children about choosing abstinence until marriage, a new study finds Human Papillomavirus Virus, HPV, is linked to heart disease in women. In fact, women infected with HPV are two to three times as likely to have a heart attack or stroke.

...the HPV vaccine is not the answer.

Talking with your sons and daughters about purity and saving sex for marriage is the solution.  [www.abstinence.net, 25Jan12]

"Troubles With Heart Are Linked to HPV"
Human papillomavirus may increase the chances of heart disease by suppressing an important gene.

Dr. Kenichi Fujise, University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, and colleagues.

A new study suggests that a common sexually transmitted virus already linked to cancer may also cause cardiovascular disease.

Women infected with the human papillomavirus, or HPV, are two to three times as likely as uninfected women to have had a heart attack or stroke, according to a report published on Monday in The Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

HPV is known to cause cancer of the cervix, vulva, penis, anus and throat, but the new study is the first to connect the virus to heart disease.

The heart findings are not definitive: They show the virus may be associated with heart disease, but do not prove it caused the disease.

The senior author of the study, Dr. Kenichi Fujise, a cardiologist at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, said the research grew out of his quest to find out why some people have heart attacks even though they have none of the usual risk factors, like high cholesterol or high blood pressure.

About 20 percent of patients with heart disease lack obvious risk factors, and researchers think those people must have other underlying problems that science has not yet figured out.

Dr. Fujise decided to study HPV because the virus can sabotage a gene called p53, which normally protects the body from cancer and may also help prevent artery disease. Inactivation of p53 occurs in a variety of cancers, and the gene is considered to be a sort of guardian of the genome. Disabling p53 may also lead to inflammation and thickening in the walls of arteries.

HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States. Scientists estimate that half of sexually active men and women have been infected and that 80 percent of women have had it by age 50. The virus has many strains, only some of which cause cancer. In most people, the immune system fights off the virus.

The infection persists and causes cancer in only a small minority. Two vaccines are approved to prevent HPV infection and are recommended for young people before they become sexually active. The vaccine does not work in people who are already infected.

Dr. Fujise studied 2,450 women, ages 20 to 59, who took part in a national health survey from 2003 to 2006. The women used vaginal swabs to provide specimens for HPV testing and reported whether they had heart disease, which was defined in this study as ever having suffered a heart attack or stroke.

In all, 1,141 women had HPV. Sixty women had heart disease; of those, 39 also had HPV. When the researchers analyzed the data and adjusted for heart risks like smoking, blood pressure and weight, they found that women with HPV were 2.3 times as likely as those without the virus to have heart disease.

The risk was even higher, 2.86 times that of uninfected women, in those who had HPV strains known to cause cancer.

Dr. Fujise said the results surprised him. “I was thinking maybe there would be just a weak link or no link, but this is a strong link,” he said.

Even if further research confirms the connection, most people who contract HPV would not be at special risk for heart disease. Dr. Fujise said that if the link is real, heart disease, like cancer, would be likely to develop only in people with lingering HPV infection.

A researcher not involved with the study, Dr. Lori Mosca, director of preventive cardiology at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center, said: “I’m definitely intrigued by this. The biological argument is highly plausible and deserves further investigation.”

But she emphasized that plausibility is not enough; the history of medicine is full of ideas that made sense and turned out to be wrong. The type of study that Dr. Fujise did, in which scientists look for associations in a mass of data, is good for generating ideas for more research, but it does not prove cause and effect.

Finding an association does not even tell which condition came first. In theory, heart disease could have come first and made the women more vulnerable to HPV. Or some other unknown factor could have predisposed some women to both HPV and heart disease.

“We need to proceed with caution,” Dr. Mosca said. “We need to go on and do more rigorous kinds of research that would answer the question more definitively.”

She said that many researchers were studying possible links among cancer, infections and heart disease, but that so far no infection had been proved to cause artery disease.
 [24 Oct 2011, http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/25/health/research/25theory.html?_r=2]

Syphilis Rates Soar 134% Among Homosexual Black Men, Fall Among General Population

The U.S. Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) most recent data on the spread of sexually transmitted diseases reveals that among homosexual black men the syphilis rates rose a staggering 134% between 2009 and 2010.

During the same time frame, syphilis rates among the general population fell by 1.6%.

CDC data “show a significant increase in syphilis among young black men who have sex with men (MSM), suggesting that new infections among MSM are driving the increase in young black men,” the CDC report stated. “The finding is particularly concerning as there has also been a sharp increase in HIV infections among this population.”

The CDC has estimated that practicing homosexual men account for 61% of the new HIV infections in the United States, driven by an alarming increase in new infections among young black homosexual men - a 48 percent increase in the period of 2006-2009.

“Studies suggest that people with gonorrhea, chlamydia, or syphilis are at increased risk for HIV,” the CDC report concludes. “Given the increase in both syphilis and HIV among young black gay and bisexual men, it is particularly urgent to diagnose and treat both diseases.”

The recent CDC report titled “STD Trends in the United States: 2010 National Data for Gonorrhea, Chlamydia, and Syphilis” noted that “there are 19 million new STD infections every year in the United States, costing the health care system $17 billion every year, and costing infected individuals even more in immediate and life-long health consequences.”

In addition to syphilis rates, the CDC’s report includes data on gonorrhea and chlamydia.

The report says that the rate of chlamydia infections has been increasing steadily over the past 20 years, with 1.3 million new cases reported in 2010. “The increase is due to expanded screening efforts, and not to an actual increase in the number of people with chlamydia,” the study says, noting however that, “a majority of infections still go undiagnosed.”

The report states that rates of gonorrhea “are at historically low levels” with only a slight increase from 2009 levels. “Cases increased slightly from last year and more than 300,000 cases were reported in 2010.”

However, the report raises the alarming spectre that gonorrhea is becoming resistant to treatment. “There are also signs from other CDC surveillance systems that the disease may become resistant to the only available treatment option,” the report warns.

The CDC points out that the long-lasting health effects of STD infection are particularly serious for young people, who, although representing only 25% of sexually active people in the US, account for nearly half of new STD cases.

“Untreated gonorrhea and chlamydia can silently steal a young woman’s chance to have her own children later in life. Each year, untreated STDs cause at least 24,000 women in the U.S. to become infertile,” the report states.
[DC, November 22, 2011, Thaddeus Baklinski, http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/syphilis-rates-soar-134-among-homosexual-black-men-fall-among-general-popul?utm_source=LifeSiteNews.com+Daily+Newsletter&utm_campaign=5c77c6da7e-LifeSiteNews_com_US_Headlines11_22_2011&utm_medium=email

Promiscuous Sex May Do More Than Break your Heart – Study Finds HPV/Heart-Attack Link
The condom-resistant sexually transmitted disease human papillomavirus (HPV), known to be the leading cause of cervical cancer, has also been linked to increased risk of heart attack according to new research released this week.

Women with cancer-causing strains of human papillomavirus (HPV) may be at increased risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and stroke, even when no conventional risk factors for CVD are present.

Researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) at Galveston are the first to investigate a potential connection between CVD and HPV, one of the most common sexually transmitted infections in the U.S. Their findings are published in the November 1st issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

“Nearly 20 percent of individuals with CVD do not show any risk factors, indicating that other ‘nontraditional’ causes may be involved in the development of the disease. HPV appears to be one such factor among women,” said lead author Dr. Ken Fujise, Director, Division of Cardiology at UTMB.

Fujise and his colleagues believe the link may be due to HPV’s role in inactivating two tumor suppressor genes, p53 and retinoblastoma protein (pRb).

“If this biological mechanism is proven, a drug compound that inhibits the inactivation of p53 could help prevent CVD in women already infected with HPV,” said Fujise.

The study analyzed nearly 2,500 women ages 20-59 using cross-sectional data from the 2003-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
[Oct 28, 2011, John-Henry Westen, GALVESTON,  http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/promiscuous-sex-may-do-more-than-break-your-heart-study-finds-hpv-heart-att?utm_source=LifeSiteNews.com+Daily+Newsletter&utm_campaign=51d1c98c6b-LifeSiteNews_com_US_Headlines10_28_2011&utm_medium=email

CDC: Large Increase in Syphilis Cases Among Homosexual and Bisexual Men

On Monday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that minority homosexual and bisexual men account for a disproportionate number of new syphilis cases. About 15% of people with untreated syphilis eventually develop long-term complications, including damage to the brain, nerves, heart and blood vessels that can prove fatal.

The national syphilis rate hit an all-time low of 2.1 cases per 100,000 people in 2000, but using data from 27 states, the CDC observed a rising U.S. syphilis rate largely among men. In 2009, the rate among men was just under 8 cases per 100,000 versus 1.4 cases per 100,000 women.

CDC researchers found that between 2005 and 2008, the syphilis rate among African-American homosexual and bisexual men rose at an 8-times faster rate compared with their Caucasian counterparts. The 2008 syphilis rate among African-American homosexual and bisexual men was 19 per 100,000.

Hispanic homosexual and bisexual men had more than twice the increase of Caucasian men. The 2008 syphilis rate among Hispanic men was just over 7 per 100,000 and among Caucasian men 4 per 100,000.

In addition, the CDC noted a shift in the age group most affected by syphilis. Reuters published news that while ten years ago, outbreaks of the STD were largely reported among homosexual and bisexual men in their 30s, “since 2005 teenagers and men in their 20s have shown the biggest increase in syphilis cases”. In 2008, “20- to 29-year-olds had the highest rate at around 12 cases per 100,000.”

In an interview with LifeSiteNews, Arthur Goldberg of JONAH, a non-profit international organization dedicated to educating the Jewish community about the social, cultural, and emotional factors which lead to same-sex attractions, highlighted the essence of the disproportionately rising U.S. syphilis rate among minority homosexual and bisexual men. He commented, “Unfortunately the lack of education within the minority communities concerning the alternatives for healing and the ability to change homosexual ideation is primarily responsible for this spike.”

“Citizens need to be given the information as to options about sexuality,” Goldberg continued. “Equal access to ‘ex-gay’ information is essential.”

[Aug 03, 2011, Jeremy Kryn, Atlanta, LSN writer/editor Kathleen Gilbert contributed; http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/cdc-large-increase-in-syphilis-cases-among-homosexual-and-bisexual-men?utm_source=LifeSiteNews.com+Daily+Newsletter&utm_campaign=a88fedfba1-LifeSiteNews_com_US_Headlines08_03_2011&utm_medium=email]

 

Scientists Warn New Strain of Sexually Transmitted Disease Could be ‘Global Health Threat’
A new strain of one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases has scientists warning that the “superbug” could cause a “future era of untreatable gonorrhea.”

Gonorrhea is a common bacterial sexually transmitted disease that can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy, and infertility in both men and women.  Often caused by promiscuous sexual activity, the infection usually goes undetected in women who can pass it on to their unborn child during pregnancy; in men, the disease is also often undiagnosed or undetected.  Left without treatment, Gonorrhea can become life threatening.

Yet, experts say they may not be able to cure the sexually transmitted infection in the future.  The most recent strain, dubbed “H041,” was discovered recently in Japan and has resisted typical antibiotics used to combat gonorrhea.

H041’s antibiotic resistance was discovered by Magnus Unemo of the Swedish Reference Laboratory for Pathogenic Neisseria at Orebro University Hospital, who warned the strain may cause a “future era of untreatable gonorrhea.”

“If it spreads now, we don’t know what should be the recommended treatment,” Unemo said.

Although gonorrhea has been known to develop resistance to drugs and adapt to new ones after ten to fifteen years, scientists could previously treated infections successfully with a drug called cephalosporins.  However, the new strain does not react to the drug, said the Swedish researcher, who will now attempt to treat it using carbapenems, the most powerful antibiotic yet devised, to combat the new strain.

“Due to this situation, the World Health Organization has assured us that it will work on the issue of coming up with a global response plan — a huge challenge for the future,” Unemo said.

Experts will examine the new disease and seek to develop a treatment that could involve combining antibiotics.

“It’s really worrying from a public health perspective,” Unemo said. “It’s shown its capacity to act as a superbug. We need to focus on finding new strategies for treatment.”

Unemo is scheduled to present details of the finding at a conference of the International Society for Sexually Transmitted Disease Research in Quebec City on July 11, where an entire symposium will be dedicated to the subject.
[July 11, 2011, Rebecca Millette, QUEBEC CITY, Quebec,  http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/scientists-warn-new-strain-of-sexually-transmitted-disease-could-be-global?utm_source=LifeSiteNews.com+Daily+Newsletter&utm_campaign=cdc2f3c51d-LifeSiteNews_com_US_Headlines07_11_2011&utm_medium=email




Study: HIV Risks Rise With Some Birth Control

For the first time, researchers have found that HIV-infected women are more likely to spread the AIDS virus if they are on hormone-based birth control.

The Africa study found that women were about twice as likely to transmit HIV if they were on the pill or getting hormone shots, compared to women not on that kind of birth control.

The research also found that uninfected women were about twice as likely to catch the AIDS virus from their infected partners if they were on hormonal contraception, compared to those who were not. That finding echoed results of earlier studies.

University of Washington researchers led the new work. The findings were presented Wednesday at a meeting in Rome of the International AIDS Society.
[AP, Mike Stobbe, 07.20.11, Atlanta, http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2011/07/20/health-us-med-aids-contraception_8574503.html]



Vital Signs: HIV Testing and Diagnosis Among Adults --- United States, 2001--2009
Weekly
December 3, 2010 / 59(47);1550-1555

On November 30, this report was posted as an MMWR Early Release on the MMWR website (http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr).
ABSTRACT

Background: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is a major cause of morbidity, mortality, and health-care expenditures in the United States. HIV testing and linkage to care are essential to identify persons early in their course of infection to prevent progression to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and death, and to reduce transmission.

Results: The percentage of persons aged 18--64 years ever tested for HIV was stable at approximately 40% from 2001 to 2006, increasing to 45.0% in 2009. The percentage of persons with late diagnoses of HIV infection was stable at approximately 37% from 2001 to 2004, decreasing to 32.3% by 2007 (most recent data available). In the 37 states with mature HIV reporting systems in 2007, the percentage of persons diagnosed late ranged from 25.0% to 47.2%. In 2008, most HIV diagnoses, by race/ethnicity, were among blacks or African Americans (51.2%) and, by transmission category, were among non--drug-injecting men reporting male-to-male sexual contact (55.0%). AIDS diagnosis rates were highest in the South and Northeast census regions and in the most populated states.

Conclusions: The number of persons in the United States who report ever being tested for HIV is increasing, and fewer persons are being diagnosed late in their infection. However, nearly one third of diagnoses still occur late. Increased testing efforts are needed, particularly among populations that account for most HIV diagnoses.
 http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5947a3.htm?s_cid=mm5947a3_w

Yes, Oral Sex IS Sex, and It CAN Boost Cancer Risk
Comment: Latest research in the U.S. shows that 64% of oropharynx cancers, located in the middle throat, are caused by HPV.
With over 130 strains of HPV, some doctors push for the Gardasil vaccine that they say protects against a couple of those strains.
However, the second article ["'One More Girl' Unveils Truth Behind HPV Vaccine Travesty", found under 'Vaccines' at this website]  warns against the incredibly dangerous side effects of this vaccine.
The solution? Teach our kids sexual purity and the importance of abstinence until marriage.
Our children deserve much better than what the culture is selling them! www.abstinence.net

Yes, Oral Sex IS Sex, and It CAN Boost Cancer Risk

Here's a crucial message for teens: Oral sex carries many of the same risks as vaginal sex, including human papilloma virus, or HPV. And HPV may now be overtaking tobacco as the leading cause of oral cancers in America in people under age 50.

"Adolescents don’t think oral sex is something to worry about," said Bonnie Halpern-Felsher professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco. "They view it as a way to have intimacy without having 'sex.'"

Halpern-Felsher and other researchers presented the latest information about the risks of contracting an HPV infection Sunday at the American Association for the Advancement of Science annual meeting.

The latest data suggest that 64% of oropharynx cancers - growing in the middle part of the throat - in the United States are caused by HPV, which is more than tobacco causes, said Maura Gillison of Ohio State University. And as the number of partners on whom you have performed oral sex goes up, the risk of oropharnyx cancer goes up.

About 37,000 people per year receive a diagnosis of  oral cancer, according to the Oral Cancer Foundation.

Just about everyone has had at least one of the 130 strains of HPV. The vaccines currently available, Gardasil and Cervarix, only protect against a few of them. But not all of the strains are cancer-causing. Certain types cause warts on the hands and feet that are benign.

About 5% of cancers worldwide are caused by HPV, and some turn up in some surprising places. A University of Washington study found that some men carry HPV 26 under their fingernails, which can lead to a form of cancer called digital squamous cell carcinoma. Proper hand-washing can help prevent this from happening, said Dr. Diane Harper, leading HPV researcher at the University of Missouri in Kansas City.

But this isn't nearly as common as HPV causing cancer in other areas of the body, such as the oral cavity and the cervix.

In the countries that have cervical cancer screening, the prevalence of cervical cancer is five times lower than in other countries, indicating that the testing is effective, Harper said.

Why HPV causes cancer in some people and not others is still mysterious. Studies of the cervix have found that 70% of infections resolve by themselves within one year, and 90% within two years. It's that remaining 10% that actually turn into more serious infections, and 5% lead to treatable precancerous lesions, Harper said.

Two well-established mechanisms of prevention in terms of sexually transmitted HPV are condom usage and circumcision, although neither completely eliminates the risk, Harper said.

A large ongoing study called HITCH is examining questions of HPV transmission and infection in greater detail. So far, it's found that couples can "ping-pong" HPV back and forth to each other, which is one reason  that the virus may take so long to clear naturally.

As for getting HPV from kissing, that's not clear, and there isn't enough data to say anything about it yet, Harper said.

It's very hard to get teens to listen to abstinence messages about oral sex, or to get them to use any kind of barrier method for these behaviors, Halpern-Felsher said. And since any risk factor under 50% sounds low to a very young person, throwing these precise statistics at them most likely won't make a difference.

But parents should have honest conversations with their teenagers about oral sex, Halpern-Felsher said. Tell them that the consequences of HPV may not happen right away, and while the risks may not be huge, they are significant. Potential long-term outcomes of cancer are quite concerning.
[ http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2011/02/20/yes-oral-sex-is-sex-and-it-can-boost-cancer-risk/ , February 20th, 2011; posted 23 Mar 2011, www.abstinence.net]




Oral Sex Causing Oral Cancer Rates to Rise: Studies

Doctors in Canada and the United States are expressing concern over the dramatic rise in cancers of the head and neck, which, studies are indicating, are caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV) being transmitted through oral sex.

About 2,000 cases of head and neck cancers are diagnosed each year in Canada and about 1,500 of these are caused by HPV, transmitted through oral sex, reported CTV News medical specialist Avis Favaro earlier this week.

Studies in the United States indicate that HPV is now the leading cause of head and neck cancers at 64 percent, even rising above smoking, tobacco chewing, and drinking.

While HPV is best known as the cause of cervical cancer in women, doctors are saying that the new trend of head and neck cancers is surprising and concerning. 

Young people, they say, are unaware that oral sex is not safe and the result is that more and more of them are contracting HPV-related cancer through oral sex.  The virus, contracted during the teen years or early twenties, can often remain dormant for decades.

“Younger people, that are healthy, that are non-smokers and non-drinkers are developing cancers of the tonsil and the back of the tongue,” said head and neck surgeon Dr. Anthony Nichols of the London Health Sciences Center in Ontario.

“The more oral sexual encounters you have, the more likely you are to develop HPV-related oralpharyngeal cancer,” said Dr. Marina Salvadori, a paediatric infectious diseases expert at the London Health Science Center.

The rates, said Dr. Nichols, are increasing by 3 percent each year.  “Three per cent a year in 10 years - that is about 30 per cent each decade. In cancer terms, that is huge,” said Nichols.

In the United States, researchers have found a 225 percent increase in oral cancer from 1974 to 2007, predominantly in white males, reported Dr. Maura Gillison of Ohio State University, who has been researching HPV and cancer for 15 years

“When you compare people who have an oral infection or not ... the single greatest factor is the number of partners on whom the person has performed oral sex,” said Dr. Gillison at the American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting in Washington this week.

According to the Oral Cancer Foundation, “HPV has now been shown to be sexually transmitted between partners and is conclusively implicated in the increasing incidence of young nonsmoking oral cancer patients … Based on recent data, it appears that in people under the age of 50, HPV-associated oral cancers may even be replacing tobacco as the primary causative agent in the initiation of the disease process.”

“Teens really have no idea that oral sex is related to any outcome like STIs (sexually transmitted infections), HPV, chlamydia, and so on,” said Dr. Bonnie Halpern-Felsher of the University of California San Francisco, who has studied teenagers’ attitudes and sexual behaviors.

According to Halpern-Felsher’s studies, young people view oral sex as “less risky” and say it is “more prevalent” among teens and 20-year-olds.

While vaccines are being developed and approved in the United States for cervical cancer which may be of use in types of HPV head and neck cancers, doctors warn that research has still not determined the effect on patients five years down the road or later.

“We know from all of the very good modeling studies that have been done throughout the world that if the vaccine does not last for a minimum of 15 years, cervical cancer will not be prevented, it will only be postponed,” she said.

Doctors and researchers are telling practitioners, educators, and parents they must inform young people of the huge risks of oral sex and the dangerous long-term effects. 

[4 Mar 2011, Rebecca Millette, LifeSiteNews.com,
 http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/oral-sex-causing-oral-cancer-rates-to-rise-studies

National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day --- February 7, 2011

February 7 is National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, an observance intended to raise awareness of the disproportionate impact of human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) on the black population in the United States and to encourage prevention measures, such as HIV testing.

Estimates of HIV incidence for 2006 indicated that blacks had a rate of 83.7 per 100,000 population, compared with 11.5 for whites (1). Two of the three goals of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy are to reduce new HIV infections and HIV disparities (2).

In 2006, male-to-male sexual contact was associated with an estimated 63% of new HIV infections among black males (3).

Among black females, high-risk heterosexual contact was associated with an estimated 83% of new infections (3).

Data from CDC's National HIV Behavioral System show that, in 2008, 59% of HIV-infected black men who have sex with men (MSM) did not know they were infected, compared with 26% of white MSM (4).

Additional information regarding National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is available at http://www.cdc.gov/features/blackhivaidsawareness

Additional information regarding blacks and HIV/AIDS is available at http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/aa/index.htm

References

   1. Hall I, Song R, Rhodes P, et al. Estimation of HIV incidence in the United States. JAMA 2008;300:520--9.
   2. Office of National AIDS Policy. National HIV/AIDS strategy. Washington, DC: Office of National AIDS Policy; 2010. Available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/onap/nhasExternal Web Site Icon. Accessed November 1, 2010.
   3. CDC. Subpopulation estimates from the HIV incidence surveillance system---United States, 2006. MMWR 2008;57:985--9.
   4. CDC. Prevalence and awareness of HIV infection among men who have sex with men---21 cities, United States, 2008. MMWR 2010; 59:1201--7.
[February 4, 2011 / 60(04);93, CDC MMWR Weekly, http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6004a1.htm?s_cid=mm6004a1_e&source=govdelivery]

Increase in Newly Diagnosed HIV Infections Among Young Black Men Who Have Sex with Men --- Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, 1999--2008

During 2001--2006, new human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) diagnoses among black men aged 13--24 years who have sex with men (MSM) in 33 states increased by 93% (1). The Wisconsin Division of Public Health (WDPH) recently reported to CDC a 144% increase during 2000--2008 in HIV diagnoses among black MSM aged 15--29 years in Milwaukee County. In October 2009, the City of Milwaukee Health Department (MHD), WDPH, and CDC investigated whether the increase in HIV infections among young black MSM in Milwaukee represented increased HIV transmission or simply better identification of prevalent infections.

This report describes the results of that investigation, which indicated that a new "social networks" HIV testing strategy and the recent expansion of better targeted HIV testing efforts accounted for few diagnoses among young black MSM and occurred after HIV diagnoses increased, respectively.

Therefore, although some diagnoses were made because of intensified testing, an increase in HIV transmission likely occurred.

Moreover, an increase in syphilis diagnoses among young black MSM in Milwaukee preceded the increase in HIV diagnoses, which suggests that changes in risk behavior or sexual networks might explain the increase. These findings highlight the need for new or improved interventions promoting prevention education, early HIV detection, and entry to care for young HIV-infected and at-risk black MSM in Milwaukee...     [February 4, 2011 / 60(04);99-102, CDC MMWR Weekly, http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6004a3.htm?s_cid=mm6004a3_e&source=govdelivery]

CDC: HIV Infection, USA, 2005 and 2008
Approximately 1.1 million adults and adolescents are living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in the United States, with 48,200--64,500 persons newly infected each year (1,2).

At the beginning of the HIV epidemic in the United States in the early 1980s, the majority of persons with an HIV diagnosis were white men who have sex with men (MSM) (3,4).

MSM continue to comprise a substantial proportion of persons newly infected with HIV, and the proportion of HIV infections among racial/ethnic minorities and women has increased (5)...

In the 37 states for which data were analyzed, a total of 35,526 persons aged ≥13 years received a diagnosis of HIV in 2005, and 34,038 received such a diagnosis in 2008.

During 2008, the relative percentage difference in the HIV diagnosis rate among blacks/African-Americans compared with whites was 799%; the next highest differences were among Hispanics/Latinos (205%), Native Hawaiians/Other Pacific Islanders (NH/OPI) (178%), persons reporting multiple races (72%), and American Indians/Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) (45%) (Table). Asians had a lower HIV diagnosis rate than whites (relative percentage difference: -12%).

During 2005--2008, rates of diagnoses of HIV infection among AI/ANs, Asians, and blacks/African-Americans increased, with a change in the relative percentage difference of 16%, 12%, and 46%, respectively.

The rates among Hispanics/Latinos, NH/OPIs, and persons reporting multiple races decreased, with a decrease in the relative percentage difference because the rate among whites remained stable.

In 2008, the relative percentage difference of HIV diagnoses among males compared with females was 212%, and the rate among males increased during 2005--2008, with a change in the relative percentage difference of 24%.

Although the racial/ethnic disparities in rates of HIV diagnoses among males are similar to the disparities observed for the racial/ethnic groups overall, more pronounced differences occurred among females.

In 2008, among females, the relative percentage difference in HIV diagnosis rates compared with whites was 1,831% for blacks/African-Americans, 359 for Hispanics/Latinos, 266 for NH/OPIs, 310 for persons of multiple races, 138 for AI/ANs, and 3% for Asians. However, during 2005--2008, the relative differences decreased for all racial/ethnic females, compared with whites.

The largest relative percentage difference was observed for MSM compared with all other men (6,408% in 2008), as well as the largest change from 2005 to 2008 (1,218%)...

...Racial/ethnic minorities, except Asians, continue to experience a disproportionate burden of HIV infection diagnoses, as do MSM. The disparities continue to widen among black/African-American and AI/AN males, compared with white males.

Although differences are narrowing among other males and females, ongoing and culturally appropriate intervention is needed to address these disparities.

In addition, the increasing HIV infection rates among MSM highlight the need for expanded prevention efforts....

[ED. Teaching SEXUAL ABSTINENCE -- RISK ELIMINATION -- would be a very practical place to start...]

[January 14, 2011, CDC, MMWR Supplements / 60(01);87-89, http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/su6001a19.htm?s_cid=su6001a19_e&source=govdelivery]

HIV in Thailand v. HIV in the Philippines
Thailand’s HIV/AIDS epidemic is an excellent example of the results of ideologically driven public policy gone wrong. 

The country instituted a “100 Percent Condom Use Program” 20 years ago, and the results have been predictable:  more than 650,000 people have died from AIDS, and half a million more live with the virus. 

Thailand has the highest adult HIV infection rate in all of Asia. 

Massive UN reports on the situation in Thailand prattle on endlessly about such things as “stigma indexes,” while almost completely ignoring behavior change (except, of course, for inducing people to use more and more condoms).

By contrast, in the Philippines, where condom use has (until recently) been strongly discouraged, there have been less than 3,000 cases of the disease among a significantly larger population of adults.

To summarize, one in 7,000 Filipino adults are infected with HIV/AIDS, while one in 70 Thai adults are infected ? a rate 100 times higher.  The stark difference between these two nations demonstrates the futility of condom promotion as a solution to the HIV-AIDS epidemic.
[January 2010, vol. 02, issue 1, Dr. Brian Clowes, Online Report, http://www.hli.org/index.php/mission-field/asia-and-oceania/943-mission-field-cambodia-october-2010]

Study: 18% of Vancouver Homosexual Men Have HIV

The authors of a new government-sponsored study are calling for increased condom distribution after finding that 18% of homosexual men in Vancouver are infected with HIV.

The study, organized by the Public Health Agency of Canada and several provincial health organizations, found that there are 150-190 new HIV cases among homosexual men in B.C. each year, and 1,800 homosexual men were infected in the last decade.

The authors note that in 2008 the Public Health Agency of Canada estimated 51% of people with HIV in the country were homosexual men.

The ‘ManCount’ study ran from August 2008 to February 2009, with researchers taking blood samples and conducting questionnaires from 1,139 homosexual men at Vancouver’s main homosexual venues.

Of those studied, 2.5% were unaware that they were HIV positive.

Older men were more likely to have contracted HIV, with 34% of those 45 and older testing positive, compared to 7% of those under 30.  Nevertheless, they point out that this is no reason for optimism because “young men under 30 now may see the same HIV prevalence among their peers when they reach 45 as seen in older [homosexual] men today.”

About a third of the men surveyed had one or no sexual partners in the previous six months, a third had two to five partners, and another third had more than five (though they note that some had many more than that).

The authors used the results to call for greater distribution of condoms at Vancouver’s [homosexual] venues.  They also advocated a campaign to promote more frequent HIV testing, recommending a test every 3-6 months.  They suggested this should target, in particular, men under 30, noting their finding that 23% of such men had never been tested.

Because only those who frequent Vancouver’s homosexual venues were surveyed, the researchers admitted that there is a potential the sample is biased.  They also pointed out that their figures are estimates, and may vary by a few percentage points.

The Canadian study comes as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control released a new report this week on sexually transmitted diseases showing that syphilis and Chlamydia are rising, especially among homosexual men.

See the ManCount report -- http://www.mancount.ca/files/ManCount_Report2010.pdf
See the CDC report -- http://www.cdc.gov/std/stats09/surv2009-Complete.pdf

Related Stories
CDC: 20% of Homosexual Men Have HIV, and Half Are Unaware of Status
http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/cdc-20-of-gay-men-have-hiv-and-half-are-unaware-of-status
Male Homosexual Sex Fuelling Spread of HIV in Asia, Warns World Health Organization
http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/male-homosexual-sex-fuelling-spread-of-hiv-in-asia-warns-world-health-organ
Top “Gay” Organization Comes Clean: “HIV is a gay disease.”
http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/top-gay-organization-comes-clean-hiv-is-a-gay-disease

[25 Nov 2010, Patrick B. Craine, VANCOUVER, British Columbia, http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/study-18-of-vancouver-gay-men-have-hiv?utm_source=LifeSiteNews.com+Daily+Newsletter&utm_campaign=1e08c5501c-LifeSiteNews_com_US_Headlines11_25_2010&utm_medium=email ]

Evaluation of Acute Hepatitis C Infection Surveillance --- United States, 2008

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection affects nearly 4 million persons and causes an estimated 12,000 deaths each year in the United States (1).

For the 10-year period from 2010 to 2019, the direct medical cost of chronic HCV infection is projected to exceed $10.7 billion, the societal cost of premature mortality attributed to HCV infection is projected to be $54.2 billion, and the cost of morbidity from disability associated with HCV infection is projected to be $21.3 billion (2). 

[November 5, 2010 / 59(43);1407-1410, CDC, MMWR Weekly, http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5943a3.htm?s_cid=mm5943a3_e ]

QuickStats: Annual Rates of Hospitalization with a Diagnosis of HIV/AIDS Among Persons Aged ≥45 Years, by Sex --- National Hospital Discharge Survey, United States, 1997--2007
[CDC, MMWR Weekly, October 1, 2010 / 59(38);1244, http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5938a6.htm?s_cid=mm5938a6_e ]

“TRICH”: THE STD MOST PEOPLE HAVEN’T HEARD OF, MAY NOW BE #1
Trichomonas vaginalis may be the most common STD in the nation, according to a researcher who has studied the protozoan parasite for 30 years. It is easily spread and linked to serious conditions in women such as infertility, cervical cancer, and increased vulnerability to HPV, herpes and HIV. In men, it is associated with an aggressive form of prostate cancer.

PULLMAN - Trichomonas vaginalis, sometimes referred to as “trich,” could be considered the number one sexually transmitted disease in the nation, and, disturbingly, most people don’t even know about it, said WSU Professor John Alderete, School of Molecular Biosciences.
 
Alderete has studied the STD for more than 30 years and said the infection really catches groups he talks to off-guard.
 
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated incidence of 7.4 million new cases occurs each year in women and men. Others in the STD clinical community place the incidence at close to 12 million this year, said Alderete. "It is now, in respect to incidence, the number one sexually transmitted disease agent in our county and worldwide."
 
"When I give seminars involving Trichomonas vaginalis, not a single one [in the audience] has heard of…trich before. My audiences, for the most part, know of all the other traditional STDs … It really shocks them when you start talking about the impact it has on their health,” Alderete said.
 
Alderete said trich has been linked to a number of health concerns in women, including infertility, pelvic inflammatory disease, cervical cancer and adverse pregnancy outcomes including low birthweights. There is also an increased vulnerability to HPV, herpes and HIV.
 
In men, recent findings suggest there may be a link between trich and a fatal type of prostate cancer.
 
The goal of Alderete's research is to discover how trich really infects humans, and to get a clearer number of how widespread the infection is through the invention of commercializable point-of-care diagnostics.
 
“We really want to know, given the number one nature of this STD, the incidence, the true incidence, whether [it permeates] all age groups, and what is the rate of infection,” said Alderete.
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7btiUIIPXLI&feature=player_embedded -- Video from Researchers at Washington State University
[http://wsutoday.wsu.edu/pages/publications.asp?Action=Detail&PublicationID=20791&TypeID=1 ; posted 17 Aug 2010, www.abstinence.net]

HPV: INCREASING SKIN CANCER RISK
Researchers have found an association between HPV and squamous cell skin cancer in a new study, as much as 1 ½ times greater among those infected with multiple strains than non-carriers.

“Given the widespread and growing occurrence of these malignancies, our results raise the possibility of reducing the health and economic burden of these cancers through prevention and treatment of HPV infection,” they wrote.
(http://www.hemonctoday.com/article.aspx?rid=66344) [JUL 12/13, 2010, abstinence.net]


HPV: “CHANGING THE FACE OF HEAD AND NECK CANCERS”
The latest issue of Hemonc Today also reveals that almost one-third of head and neck cancers, some of the most difficult to treat, were HPV+ as late as 2005, and smokers are less likely to survive than non-smokers.

Doctors see a clear increase in risk as the number of oral sex partners increases.

Because the value of vaccines and early screening is limited and problematic, the only reliable way to prevent HPV infection is sexual abstinence until marriage to an uninfected person.

“We should be focusing on HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer because it will dominate the field of head and neck cancers for many years,” Andy Trotti, a director of director of radiation oncology clinical research in Florida, said.
(http://www.hemonctoday.com/article.aspx?rid=66344) [JUL 12/13, 2010, abstinence.net]

Ten Percent of Adult Homosexuals in Brazil Have HIV: Study

A new study by Brazil's Ministry of Health has revealed that in the 10 most populous cities of Brazil, the rate of HIV infection among homosexuals is over 10%.

According to the same agency, the overall rate of HIV infection among males between the ages of 15 and 49 years is only 0.8%, making the rate of HIV infection among adult homosexuals more than 13 times higher.

The study also found that homosexuals in large Brazilian cities are highly likely to be victims of rape. At least 14% have been forced to have sexual relations against their will.

Brazil has one of the most gay friendly governments in the world.  Every year, Sao Paulo hosts the largest gay pride march on earth, which has in the past been financed by the government itself.  The federal government, under President Luiz Lula da Silva, also runs a massive nationwide propaganda campaign called "Brazil Without Homophobia" and censors television to prohibit ministers from preaching against sodomy before 11 pm.

The statistics from Brazil are reflected by another recent study in Spain, which also found that one in 10 homosexuals are infected with HIV. 

In the United States, the relative HIV rate among active homosexuals is even higher.  According to the most recent data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, for Men who have Sex with Men (MSM), "for HIV and syphilis respectively, the rate was 60 and 61 times the rate for other men."

According to numerous peer-reviewed scientific studies, homosexual behavior is also statistically associated with high rates of a variety of other communicable diseases and medical problems, as well as high rates of promiscuity, violence, depression, pathological behaviors, and suicide.

The Spanish government is using the one in 10 statistic to promote its ongoing campaign to convince homosexuals to use condoms, despite the fact that such campaigns have generally succeeded in increasing the rate of sexually transmitted diseases in countries afflicted with HIV.

The campaign is called "give yourself a medal," and shows a man's naked chest with a condom suspended from a ribbon of the style used for hanging medals around athletes' necks.

Related:  The Psychological Profession and Homosexuality: Lunatics Running the Asylum? -- http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/aug/09081407.html

Harvard AIDS Expert Says Pope is Correct on Condom Distribution Making AIDS Worse -- http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/mar/09031906.html

Why Isn't Homosexuality Considered A Disorder On The Basis Of Its Medical Consequences? -- http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/nov/061130a.html

Medical Journalist Says Reliance on Condoms Spreads HIV/AIDS

http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/jun/06062304.html

United Nations Report says Condoms Fail to Protect against AIDS 10% of the Time -- http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2003/jun/03062303.html[24 June 2010, M.C. Hoffman, Latin America Correspondent, Brasilia, http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/jun/10062402.html ]

Summary of Notifiable Diseases --- United States, 2008
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5754a1.htm?s_cid=mm5754a1_e
[CDC, MMWR Weekly, June 25, 2010 / 57(54);1-94]

Sex Virus HPV Blamed for Rise in Head and Neck Cancers

The number of head and neck cancers linked to a virus spread by oral sex is rising rapidly...

Despite an overall slight decline in head and neck cancers in recent years, cases of a particular form called oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) have increased sharply, particularly in the developed world.

This growth seems to be linked to cancers caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), scientists said in a report in the British Medical Journal.

... HPV which causes virtually all cases of cervical cancer, the second most common cancer in women worldwide...

More than 500,000 cases of cervical cancer are diagnosed annually in women and it kills around 200,000 a year. Head and neck cancer is the sixth most common cancer among men and women, with about 640,000 new cases each year worldwide.

A recent study found the risk of developing oropharyngeal carcinoma was linked to a history of six or more lifetime sexual partners, four or more lifetime oral sex partners, and, for men, an earlier age at first sexual intercourse.

"Sexual transmission of HPV -- primarily through orogenital intercourse -- might be the reason for the increase in incidence of HPV related oropharyngeal carcinoma," wrote Mehanna [Institute of Head and Neck Studies at University Hospital Coventry].

The scientists pointed to recent studies which showed a 70 percent increase in the detection of HPV in biopsies taken to diagnose oropharyngeal carcinoma in Stockholm since the 1970s.

HPV-related cancer was also reported in 60-80 percent of recent biopsy samples in studies in the United States, compared with 40 percent in the previous decade, they wrote.

Mehanna said the findings had other important health implications. Patients with HPV-related head and neck cancers were typically younger and employed, he said, and because their tumors appeared to be less deadly than those caused by factors like smoking and drinking, patients may also live longer with the physical and psychological effects of treatment.

"This means they would need prolonged support from health, social, and other services, and may require help in returning to work," he said.

[26 March 2010, Kate Kelland, LONDON, http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE62P01Q20100326]

Cancer-Causing Virus Found More Often

A virus known to cause cervical cancer in women is increasingly being identified in head and neck cancers, leading to suspicion that the route of infection may be oral sex.

Human papillomavirus, or HPV, is often associated with genital warts and cervical cancer, but the virus can cause numerous other forms of cancer.

Doctors who treat head and neck cancers are increasingly concerned that sexual encounters among young adults may be driving more oral cancers later in life. 

[http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/07/24/595656/cancer-causing-virus-found-more.htmlNews Observer, 27 July 2010, ALL Pro-Life Today]

The Pill's Deadly Affair with HIV/AIDS
The world's deadliest killer, HIV/AIDS, and the Birth Control Pill have been carrying on a secret and deadly "love affair" for decades.

While women swallowed their “freedom” with the morning orange juice, studies that should have made global headlines yellowed in medical journals, unknown to the general public.

Only doctors learned about the pills deadly affair with HIV/AIDS, and they were too busy writing prescriptions for hormonal contraceptives to talk.

More than 50 medical studies, to date, have investigated the association of hormonal contraceptive use and HIV/AIDS infection. The studies show that hormonal contraceptives—the oral pill and Depo-Provera—increase almost all known risk factors for HIV, from upping a woman's risk of infection, to increasing the replication of the HIV virus, to speeding the debilitating and deadly progression of the disease.1

A medical trial published in the journal AIDS in 2009—monitoring HIV progression by the need for antiretroviral drugs (ART)—saw “the risk of becoming eligible for ART was almost 70% higher in women taking the pills and more than 50% higher in women using DMPA [Depo-Provera] than in women using IUDS.”2

Studies aside, it is well known that HIV/AIDS strikes more women than men. Some would argue that this is a result of the desire of men for young—and presumably uninfected, sexual partners. Few are willing to discuss a more obvious explanation, namely, that the Pill and Injectables render women particularly vulnerable to HIV/AIDS.

How serious is the problem? Oral contraceptives and Depo-Provera are among the world's most popular and prevalent contraceptive methods. According to one study, “Globally, at least 150 million women currently use hormonal contraceptive methods.”3 In America, hormonal contraceptive rates are over 52% in unmarried women—those at greatest risk of HIV/AIDS. Moreover, in the interest of lowering the birth rate, the UNFPA and USAID continue unloading boatloads of hormonal contraceptives on Africa, Haiti and other AIDS-ravaged developing nations.

The best meta-analysis done to date, done by Dr. Chia Wang and her colleagues, surveyed the consensus results of the 28 best published studies since 1985. They found that the “significant association between oral contraceptive use and HIV-1 seroprevalence or seroincidence … increased as study quality increased.” In fact, “Of the best studies, 6 of 8 detected an increased risk of HIV infection associated with OC [oral contraceptive] use.”4

On the National Scale

Moreover, Wang's results showed even more of a Pill/HIV link when they limited studies to those conducted on African populations. This is significant for two reasons:

First, sub-Saharan Africa is home to the world's earliest and largest heterosexual HIV/AIDS epidemic, which to date has infected an estimated 22.4 million5 people. This is two-thirds of the total number of infections worldwide.

Second, sub-Saharan Africa has endured decades of contraception-focused population control programs and countless hormonal-contraceptive trials. “Among the six [African] countries hardest hit by the HIV/AIDS epidemic … two in three users in the six countries rely on the OC (oral contraceptives) or injectables,”6 said Iqbal Shah of the World Health Organization.

Likewise, Thailand, praised for a contraceptive prevalence of 79.2% in 2000 and upwards of 70% today, is a land where, “More than one-in-100 adults in this country of 65 million people is infected with HIV.”7 Among Thai women, “Oral contraception is the most popular method.”8, 9

On the other hand, Japan's HIV rate is, at 0.01%, one of the lowest in the world.10 In this context, it is important to note that the birth control pill was illegal in Japan until 1999, and even today only 1% of Japanese women use oral contraception. Similarly, the predominantly Catholic Philippines, with a longstanding popular resistance to contraception, boasts an HIV “prevalence rate of only 0.02%.”11

Hormonal Changes Heighten HIV Risk

The studies that demonstrate a connection between hormonal contraceptives and HIV/AIDS infection postulate a number of mechanisms at work.

First, let's review the basics. The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), is carried in warm blood or sexual fluids. It infects through fragile, inflamed, bleeding or needle-pricked tissue, attacks specific T-cells in the immune system, and causes the incurable, debilitating condition known as AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome).

Hormonal contraceptives increase almost all known risk factors for HIV infection.

Studies have found that hormonal contraceptives “alter the microenvironment of the female”12 and boost the cell count of those specific cells that HIV uses to infect and proliferate (HIV co-receptor CCR5 in cervical CD4+ T lymphocytes).

What is more, a progesterone side effect known to American women as “breakthrough bleeding,” is caused when hormonal contraceptives excessively thicken the uterine lining. The large, bleeding surface of the uterus creates an ideal site for HIV infection.

Progesterone also has an immunosuppressant effect, which means that women using hormonal contraceptives have less in the way of natural defenses against HIV and other STDs, such as chlamydial infection or genital herpes (HSV-2).13, 14 In one study, “HSV-2 infection itself more than tripled the risk of HIV infection.”15

In the vagina, increased blood and the independent hormonal effects of the Pill eliminate the natural pH acid protection against infection. What is more, a famous study of rhesus macaques found that hormonal contraceptives thin the vaginal walls and markedly increase SIV infection (the monkey equivalent of HIV).16 Vaginal dryness, another side effect of hormonal contraceptives, is not only painful but also makes one prone to tears and abrasions—fertile sites for infection.

One study points out, “On a cellular level, hormonal contraceptives have been associated with cervical and vaginal inflammation.”17

Further, hormonal birth control causes the fragile cervical tissue to grow beyond its natural bounds and replace what would normally be thick, protective membrane. This “cervical ectopy” is dangerous because the cervix's thin surface is the main site of HIV infection.18

Given all these different ways that hormonal contraception promotes HIV/AIDS infection, it is not at all surprising that several studies show women on the pill, Depo-Provera, etc., are more likely to be infected with not just one, but several variants or strains of HIV. This “in turn leads to higher levels of viral replication and more rapid HIV-1 disease progression.”19, 20, 21

Women on hormonal contraceptives are not only more likely to contract HIV/AIDS, they are also more likely to pass it along to their sexual partners. The three studies which focused on “the impact of hormonal contraception on cervical shedding of the cell-associated virus”22 all found that HIV-positive women on hormonal contraceptives are far more likely shed HIV in their body fluids. High-dose pill users were over 12 times more likely to shed the HIV virus than women not using contraception, low-dose users were almost 4 times more likely, and Depo-Provera users were 3 times more likely.23

The Pill Pushers Push Back

Some dismiss out of hand the impressive body of scientific research demonstrating a Pill/HIV link. They quote from the handful of studies and highly selective trials which claim to find “no increase in HIV risk among users of oral contraceptives and Depo-Provera.”24

The problem with many of these studies, such as Mati et al. 1995, Kapiga et al. 1998, and Sinei et al. 1996 is that they were conducted with and through “family planning clinics.” Since the chief business of these clinics is the promotion, sale, and distribution of contraceptives, the possibility of bias is undeniable. Who would trust Marlboro to monitor a study on the link between cigarettes and cancer?

Moreover, the handful of studies that deny a link between hormonal contraception and increased risk of contracting HIV are dwarfed by the many studies that have not only found such a link, but convincingly explained precisely what it is about such contraception that contributes to the spread of the disease.

Yet population control groups continue to lobby for more contraception, not less. Take Dr. Willard Cates, president of the Institute for Family Health of Family Health International (FHI), one of the major purveyors of hormonal contraception to the developing world. Wrote Cates to the Journal of American Medical Association, “Preventing unintended pregnancies among HIV-infected women who do not currently wish to become pregnant is an important and cost effective way of preventing new HIV infections of infants. … More must be done to ensure access to safe and effective contraception for HIV-infected women.”25

Obviously, FHI's concern here is less to prevent the infection of preborn infants, than to continue to contracept as many women as possible with your tax dollars and mine. What the organization refuses to admit, however, is that by doing so it is arguably contributing to the spread of the HIV virus.

How many lives are being lost because we continue to ship boatloads of hormonal contraceptives to a continent and to countries laboring under an HIV/AIDS pandemic? Isn't it time that we stopped?

See the full report in the upcoming May/June Issue of the PRI Review.

[http://pop.org/201004201199/the-pills-deadly-affair-with-hivaids , Population Research Institute]