2008 Woodie Awards
Protecting your cervix
Katelynn Wilton
Issue date: 2/4/08 Section: News
After bouncing between Science Center 362 and Snell 177 due to technical problems, presenters sponsored by SWE (Society of Women Engineers) and Phi Delta Epsilon, Clarkson's pre-med fraternity, brought to light a very serious topic for a seminar on Tuesday night. In honor of Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, two speakers, Courtney Grayson and Shanley Keenan discussed a side of women that most never like to think about. The prospect of cervical cancer lurking inside is a fear often ignored, but in this seminar, the possibility, as well as some prevention tips, was shared openly.
Snell 177 held a mostly female crowd waiting for the words of wisdom. The audience was eager to begin and Courtney Grayson took the cue. As an undergraduate researcher at Clarkson University, Courtney presented her research and background information in a short presentation entitled "Cervical Cancer and the Human Papillomavirus." She began by explaining that the cervix lies at the lower part of the uterus, where the endocervix and ectocervix meet in the transformation zone. She then continued to explain how this was an area prone to cancer and how a significant portion (ninety percent) of cervical cancer is caused by the Human Papillomavirus (HPV). Seventy five percent of sexually active women have been infected with the disease.
If a woman becomes infected with HPV, she could have either a low- or a high-risk strain. The low-risk strains tend to be less likely to be cancerous and sometimes cause genital warts. On the other hand, high-risk strains can cause abnormal and precancerous changes in the cervix and are much more likely to lead to cancer. In general, contraction of HPV is most prevalent during the late high school and college years.
Cervical cancer due to HPV can be prevented in several ways: abstinence, limiting sexual partners and using condoms are all decent measures. In addition, the new vaccine, Gardasil, can protect against certain strains of HPV. Gardasil is most effective for females who have not yet become sexually active. It protects against seventy percent of two cancer-causing strains and ninety percent of two genital wart-causing strains. The most beneficial age range is between nine and twenty six. Beware, though: the virus though can leave no warnings or symptoms, so people can contract and pass on the virus without even knowing.
Snell 177 held a mostly female crowd waiting for the words of wisdom. The audience was eager to begin and Courtney Grayson took the cue. As an undergraduate researcher at Clarkson University, Courtney presented her research and background information in a short presentation entitled "Cervical Cancer and the Human Papillomavirus." She began by explaining that the cervix lies at the lower part of the uterus, where the endocervix and ectocervix meet in the transformation zone. She then continued to explain how this was an area prone to cancer and how a significant portion (ninety percent) of cervical cancer is caused by the Human Papillomavirus (HPV). Seventy five percent of sexually active women have been infected with the disease.
If a woman becomes infected with HPV, she could have either a low- or a high-risk strain. The low-risk strains tend to be less likely to be cancerous and sometimes cause genital warts. On the other hand, high-risk strains can cause abnormal and precancerous changes in the cervix and are much more likely to lead to cancer. In general, contraction of HPV is most prevalent during the late high school and college years.
Cervical cancer due to HPV can be prevented in several ways: abstinence, limiting sexual partners and using condoms are all decent measures. In addition, the new vaccine, Gardasil, can protect against certain strains of HPV. Gardasil is most effective for females who have not yet become sexually active. It protects against seventy percent of two cancer-causing strains and ninety percent of two genital wart-causing strains. The most beneficial age range is between nine and twenty six. Beware, though: the virus though can leave no warnings or symptoms, so people can contract and pass on the virus without even knowing.
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