Increase in HPV rates raises need for education
With a new study revealing the high number of young women infected with human papillomavirus (HPV), one of the most common sexually transmitted viruses, women centers realize the continued need for aggressive community educational efforts. According to the Feb. 12, 1998, issue of The New England Journal of Medicine, a study conducted on 608 college women over three years by researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City found that almost 60% of the coeds were HPV-positive.
Although most women infected with HPV do not suffer any consequences, some develop cell abnormalities of the cervix and cervical cancer. What's more, there's currently no way to prevent infection. Researchers said those in the high-risk category are younger women (particularly college age), minority groups, those who consume alcohol frequently, and those who have anal sex or a high frequency of vaginal sex. Adding to the problem is the low usage of condoms, the study found.
Women's health centers are responding to the troubling statistics by informing women about the disease and reasons for protection and reinforcing the need for regular Pap smears.
The Women's Hospital of Greensboro (NC), part of the Moses Cone Health System, targets two key demographics: college-age women and those in mid-life.
"With five colleges in the Greensboro area, we have a speakers bureau that gives talks several times a year on the campuses, mainly to dormitories, civic organizations, sororities, and other social organizations," says Sharon Sumner, PhD, manager of the Women's Education Center at The Women's Hospital of Greensboro.
Women in mid-life need education on sexually transmitted diseases because so many in this age group are single again, due to divorce or being widowed, Sumner says. "We have a series of lectures for women ages 35 and older, which includes talks on HPV and pap screenings," she says.
To reach women of all ages, The Women's Hospital conducts a program once a year titled Intimate Health Facts, which also stresses these topics. The Women's Hospital also works closely with the Moses Cone Health System's Regional Cancer Center, which has educational efforts on cervical cancer and the need for Pap screenings.
"It's important for a hospital to make a commitment to community education for women," says Sumner. "Women make 75% of the health decisions for their families, such as choosing a physician and making appointments, so we educate women in order to reach other family members."
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