JAPAN: Government bows to pressure from anti vaccine forces, withdraws endorsement of HPV vaccine

A group of  Japanese scientists   says the number of   girls with HPV   is directly related to the lack of vaccination . The team led by Dr. Yusuke Tanaka discovered that a massive reduce in the usage of HPV vaccinations was raising the diagnosis among the female population in Japan. In the past, the government promoted the shots as the main way of prevention, but since the local media started to report adverse effects associated with the medicine, the authorities have suspended their endorsement. As a consequence, many girls stopped getting the vaccine and hence, the spread of the STI. Dr. Yusuke Tanaka and his colleagues carried out a study on a group of girls and found out, the cases of HPV significantly raised since local authorities stopped promoting the vaccination. They used the results of the study to urge the Japanese officials to endorse the shots again. They say the number of cases will be similar to the ones reported before the vaccination was implemented if the government does change its statement. But in spite of the proofs, the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare has not taken up vaccination programs.

Pulse Headlines, July 10, 2016

With rates of human papilloma virus on the rise, it is vital to immunise males as well as females, researchers believe

Millions of young British men are being denied a vaccine that could protect them from throat cancers in later life. Scientists say the problem is becoming increasingly worrying as rates of human papilloma virus (HPV) - a common sexually transmitted infection and the prime cause of these cancers - are now rising exponentially. Researchers want the government to include adolescent boys in the current vaccine programme that immunises girls aged 12 and 13 against HPV before they become sexually active. HPV in women is known to lead to cervical cancers. The vaccine, if extended to boys, would protect them in later life against HPV-related head and neck cancers.

The Guardian, July 9, 2016

A new CDC report points to some disturbing lapses.

A variety of cancers stemming from the human papillomavirus (HPV) are on the rise thanks to Americans' low vaccination rates-particularly among men. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) on Thursday released new data that shows there was a spike in cancers associated with the sexually-transmitted HPV virus such as cervical, head, neck, throat, and tongue cancer between 2008 and 2012 versus the previous five-year period.  Each year from 2008 through 2012, an average of 38,793 HPV-associated cancers were diagnosed, including 23,000 among females and 15,793 among males; 79% of these cases were attributable to HPV, the CDC wrote. That's compared to the average annual 33,369 HPV-associated cancers diagnosed between 2004 and 2008, an increase of about 16%. The agency said that 30,800 of these new annual cases (including 19,200 women and 11,600 men) were directly attributable to HPV infection, and that a staggering 29,000 of these could have been prevented via vaccination. Lackluster vaccination rates, especially for teenage boys, are the main culprit for the concerning trend, according to the CDC. While   previous research has shown   that HPV vaccines like Merck's   widely-used Gardasil have helped cut transmission of the virus, the new data highlight just how hard it is to keep related cancers in check when just 40% of girls and 22% of boys receive the recommended doses of the vaccine. The statistics for males are particularly troubling since they can't even get cervical cancer, meaning that other types of HPV-related cancers that form after contracting the virus (possibly through oral sex) are spiking.

Fortune, July 8, 2016

"In the past, people always felt that the boys needed to be vaccinated to protect the girls but, truthfully, they need to be vaccinated to protect themselves", says Dr. Lois Ramondetta , professor of gynecologic oncology at MD Anderson Cancer Center who has made it a personal mission to educate both parents and pediatricians about HPV and the vaccine that can help stop cancer before it starts. "There is an epidemic of HPV related cancers in men, specifically those of the tonsil and the back of the tongue," says Ramondetta. "What's really important to know about those is that there is no screening test for those." A recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that HPV infection raises the chances of throat, mouth or tongue cancer by at least sevenfold.  Experts predict that throat cancer will beat out cervical cancer as the most common HPV-related cancer by 2020. The most effective way to prevent that: Early vaccination.

NWA, July 8, 2016

The CDC data leave little doubt that "this is an emerging epidemic that we are just seeing the start of," said   Theodoros Teknos, MD, a head and neck cancer specialist at Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center in Columbus. "This is true for all HPV-related cancers, but particularly for raising awareness about the non-cervical cancers. The data show just how rapidly this is accelerating." HPV-related cancer of the oropharynx has increased by 300% since the 1980s, whereas throat cancers related to smoking have actually declined, he added. A key to better adherence to the CDC recommendation for HPV vaccination is to emphasize cancer prevention, not prevention of an STD. "If the data are 'packaged' to tell parents that they can prevent cancers in their sons and daughters by vaccinating them against HPV, there isn't a mother or father alive who wouldn't vaccinate their children," he said.

Medpage Today, July 8, 2016

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) disproportionately affect young people ages 15 to 25. Though this age group accounts for less than a quarter of the population, it accounts for  over half of the estimated 20 million STI cases reported each year. In fact, in 2014 young people had  the highest rates of both chlamydia and gonorrhea . Yet  a new study finds  that most people in this age group are not getting tested because they either don't perceive themselves to be at risk or are concerned about confidentiality and cost. Overall, just 11.5% of respondents had been tested for STIs in the 12 months before the study.

Females (16.6%) in both age groups were more likely to have been tested than males (6.1%) and those in the older age group were more likely to have been tested (24.3% of females and 9.1% of males 18 to 25 compared with just 6.7% of females and 2.4% of males 15 to 17). The numbers look a little better when only those who said they are sexually experienced are considered, with 27% of young women and 9.8% of young men who have had sex saying they have been tested within the last 12 months. Even then, however, the results show that the majority of sexually active young people are not getting tested.

The Body, July 8, 2016

But the effect only seems to hold for men, with no correlation observed between women's earnings and their physical activity as girls

Children who participate regularly in physical activity not only set themselves up for good health but possibly also higher earnings when they start working in adulthood. In a 30-year study that began in 1980, Finnish researchers have found, among men, childhood physical activity to be positively associated with long-term earnings. Reporting in the July 2016 issue of   Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, the official journal of the American College of Sports Medicine, the researchers found a higher level of leisure-time physical activity at the age of nine, 12 and 15 years was linked with an approximate 12 to 25 per cent increase in average earnings over a 10-year period, compared to those who did little exercise in childhood. This held true even after accounting for individual and family background factors such as an individual's chronic conditions and body fat, parents' education and physical activity, and family income. Among women, however, no such relation was observed.

South China Morning Post, July 8, 2016

Depression Strikes Nearly 3 Million U.S. Teens a Year

Effects can be devastating during adolescence, researchers say

In just one year, almost 3 million U.S. teens suffered a major bout of depression, a new government report shows. "Adolescence is a critical time in a person's development, and battling with depression can be devastating for teens unless they receive effective treatment," said Paolo del Vecchio, director of the Center for Mental Health Services at the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). "Effective treatment is available, but parents, teachers and all concerned members of the community must work to assure that adolescents in need get help," del Vecchio said in an agency news release. These young people feel depressed and lose interest in their activities for at least two weeks. They may also have trouble sleeping, eating or concentrating, the agency explained. The overall rate of depression among young people jumped to 11 percent between   2013 and 2014, up from 9.9 percent the previous year, the SAMHSA report found. The report was published July 7.

Medline Plus, July 7, 2016

Weaving the HPV Vaccines in Common Practice

HPV has been the victim of poor public relations, despite the fact that it has been available for 10 years, and  is an extremely safe and effective vaccine. So what to do? This month, Emily Walling and colleagues from Washington University present a systematic review of interventions to improve HPV vaccination rates. One of their findings is that the provider herself or himself can be  an important barrier to initiation of the HPV series.

AAP Gateway, July 6, 2016

A 'male fertility testing' system encourages men to share responsibilty for conception by monitoring their reproductive health

In the febrile world of health startups, entrepreneurs are racing to quantify every possible bodily and environmental function. And so if we can monitor air quality, sleep and heart rate, why wouldn't we monitor sperm quality as well? In May, America's Food and Drug Administration approved Trak, a new "male fertility testing" system. It looks like a cross between a frisbee, a clock and a Cuisinart blender. The Trak website announces that it is "like a Fitbit for sperm". Even in 2016, conversations about the "biological clock" tend to assume that fertility is an exclusively female concern. Women joke about "dying eggs", but it is rare to hear a man joke about his "dying sperm".

The Guardian, July 5, 2016

The Milken Institute School of Public Health and the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center at Case Western Reserve University are working together to develop community programs aimed at preventing cancer and reducing health-care disparities.The joint effort is part of Vice President Joe Biden's Cancer Moonshot initiative, which seeks to accelerate research and find cures for cancer. MAPS will aim to improve rates of HPV immunizations with outreach and policy efforts. Mobile technology and social media provides experts with easier paths to reach members of the community, Dr. Goldman said. "We're all carrying personalized devices with us that we use to communicate," she . "We can personalize our approaches to prevention in ways that we never have before."

GW Today, July 5, 2016

TAKING ACTION TO BEAT ANAL CANCER

Starting in September 2010, the Study of the Prevention of Anal Cancer (SPANC) is an ongoing, three-year research study into anal HPV infection and anal pre-cancer lesions in gay and bisexual men in Sydney. A total of 617 men have been recruited into the study, which will contribute to understanding anal HPV and pre-cancer. Results will be used to develop guidelines for implementing anal cancer screening programs. One unplanned but very productive consequence of SPANC has been the creation of the Anal Cancer Advocacy Group in late 2013. This group is now made up of members from Positive Life NSW, ACON, AFAO, the Kirby Institute UNSW Australia, Cancer Council NSW, Australasian Society for HIV Medicine (ASHM), NAPWHA, sexual health specialists and oncologists and a member of the affected community.

Gay News Network, July 5, 2016

Editorial: HPV vaccine: A 'tragically underused' weapon in the cancer fight

The   American Academy of Pediatrics   is teaching doctors how to talk to patients and their parents about HPV vaccine, and how to overcome reservations with solid scientific information about its safety and efficacy. Experts at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urge physicians who treat youngsters to update the patients' HPV vaccine status at every office visit, whether it's for sickness or just for a sports physical. That means more chances for doctors to recommend the shot or complete the regimen. Consider this editorial   a booster shot for that message.

Chicago Tribune, July 4, 2016

The Weekly News Roundup is produced by The Partnership for Male Youth and is released every Monday. 

For more information contact Dennis J. Barbour, JD. News Roundup editor and President/CEO of the Partnership, at [email protected].