HPV vaccination in older individuals: A mess, perhaps mitigated by herd protection

We know that vaccination with quadrivalent HPV vaccine is apparently most effective the younger the patient. The FDA approval is specifically for patients aged younger than 26 years, and various recommendations focus on vaccination of females - and now males - in younger teenage years. Part of the argument is that exposure is likely to be less at that age, thus allowing the vaccine to exert its fully protective effect. However, the studies cited above suggest that some measure of antibody induction is possible in much older age groups, and that these antibodies actually have a biological impact on viral expression and sometimes early cervix lesions. Skinner and colleagues reported 2 years ago, in the ongoing VIVIANE trial, that there is significant antiviral activity and activity against cervical abnormalities in women aged older than 25 years.

Helio, February 25, 2017

Will Betsy DeVos Kill Sex Ed in Public Schools?

Doctors recommend that all teens get vaccinated against the cancer-causing HPV before they are sexually active. But that sort of frank sex-ed talk could be at risk under our new education czar.

Representatives from Focus on the Family who testified at the ACIP HPV vaccine hearings feared that if the HPV vaccine were universally recommended, adolescents would be encouraged to be sexually promiscuous.  Despite the concern raised by Focus on the Family, a subsequent study found that the HPV vaccine hadn't freed teenagers to engage in promiscuous sex. I hadn't heard about Focus on the Family again until recently. It was during the confirmation hearings for   Betsy DeVos , Donald Trump's pick to head the Department of Education.  According to watchdog groups , the Edgar and Elsa Prince Foundation gave at least $5 million to Focus on the Family. Edgar and Elsa Prince are Betsy DeVos's parents. For 17 years, DeVos has been listed as a vice president of her parents' foundation. One can only hope that DeVos's personal beliefs will not affect how the Department of Education approaches sex education in public schools, especially regarding a common cancer-causing disease and a vaccine that could prevent it.

The Daily Beast, February 25, 2017

While females will typically internalize their trauma, males are more likely to externalise their experience through some high-risk behaviours. Females may contemplate suicidal thoughts and develop misconceptions about body image affecting diet. For males who were the victims of childhood sexual abuse are more likely to suffer in educational performance, risky sexual behaviour, social rebellion and criminal activity. Young men and adolescents are also more likely to engage in binge drinking and experimental drug use. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has also been more prevalent in males than females following the incidence of sexual abuse. Males also dominate the number of those who are hospitalised for psychiatric assessment. Perhaps as a consequence of the subsequent educational difficulties that boys face, there is also the suggestion that such men experience significantly more problems developing stable relationships. These include career and employment relationships.

Ground Report, February 25, 2017

Zika Infection Shrinks Testicles in Mice

Study authors unsure if virus can harm human fertility

Zika virus can be sexually transmitted through semen, and a new mouse study could help explain why that occurs -- and how the virus might damage male fertility. In lab research, Zika attacked the testicles of mice, targeting cells that produce the male hormone testosterone and ultimately causing testes to shrink, the researchers said. These findings "explain the persistence of the virus in semen," said Dr. Amesh Adalja.

HealthDay, February 22, 2017

Sex education for teen boys linked to higher dual contraceptive use

Young men and boys who receive sex education before age 18 are more likely than others to use more than one type of contraception, such as a condom in addition to their female partner's hormonal birth control, according to a small study. "The dual method significantly decreases the chances of contracting a sexually transmitted infection (STI) or having an unplanned pregnancy," said lead author Nicole Jaramillo, a public health researcher at San Diego State University.

Washington Post, February 11, 2017

Recent Book Release

Boys and their communities are challenged today in ways they have not been before. Dr. Michael Gurian has studied and served children and their families for thirty years.  In his newest book, Saving Our Sons,  he features the latest research in key areas of boys' lives including developing male emotional intelligence, empathy, and motivation, neuro-toxicity and the male brain, and electronics and video game use.  The book is a comprehensive approach to raising sons in the new millennium that links practical strategies for parents and teachers with community intervention ideas based on twenty years of field work through the Gurian Institute, 

SAVING OUR SONS 

can be found  www.michaelgurian.com  and  www.amazon.com . 

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].