POZ Community Forums
Main Forums => Living With HIV => Topic started by: Common_ground on July 29, 2012, 03:48:53 pm
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I keep reading + MSM and women are at risk for anal cancer, but what if youre straight?
Should I get the vaccine, is it safe and beneficial?
Gardasil or Cervix?
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1) straight people have anal sex
2) straight people get HPV
3) you can have HPV even if you've never had anal sex
4) Gardasil has been approved in males up to age 26. The assumption is that any older than that you are more likely to already have HPV, whether you know it or not.
5) If you really want to know what's present up your shit chute then see a colorectal specialist and have an anoscopy done. It doesn't hurt. No worse than 2 fingers up your ass and only goes in a couple of inches.
All of that said, if I was a straight male who had never had anal sex in my entire life I would consider myself at a low enough risk to forego getting my ass examined, but like I said the risk is there even if lower. It's up to you how much you want to roll the dice.
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if you're considering the HPV vaccine, realize that HPV causes far more than just anal cancer. HPV can cause throat cancer and/or (gasp!) penile cancer too.
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I'm gonna take the HPV vaccine. I already have HPV, but I've read some studies that the vaccine actually helps to stop the warts and significantly reduces the chances of cancer, even if you're already infected, so I'm in. I'm damn scared of getting cancer.
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Even if you get the vaccine, you would still need to get regular anoscopy check ups.
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Im gonna do an anal pap smear tomorrow. Will talk to the doc about the vaccine. Did all of u guys take the vaccine?
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Did all of u guys take the vaccine?
No, I have an anoscopy annually. Anything that will happen back there develops slow enough that it would be caught in time and treated.
And I have been doing this now for a decade.
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I've read some studies that the vaccine actually helps to stop the warts and significantly reduces the chances of cancer, even if you're already infected,
I've only read that the vaccine can protect you from the other strains. There are over 100 strains and Gardasil protects from 4 strains
Both vaccines protect against the two HPV types (HPV-16 and HPV-18) that cause 70% of cervical cancers, 80% of anal cancers, 60% of vaginal cancers, and 40% of vulvar cancers.[5] These HPV types also cause most HPV induced oral cancers, and some other rare genital cancers. Gardasil also protects against the two HPV types (HPV-6 and HPV-11) that cause 90% of genital warts
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HPV_vaccine
the vaccines recommendations are for men up to age 26. Gardasil was looking to up the age to 45 for women but I don't know it that has happened yet.
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I've had the HPV vaccine and I am over 26 years old. However, it was prescribed off label. I was told by the doctor that my insurance company would not pay for it and it costs about $600 I think (it turned out my insurance company did cover it). I have had two out of three shots so far, last one is in a couple months. My clinic recommended it.
I am being treated for anal dysplasia (HPV). The HIV clinic I go to sends every patient (straight or gay) to their anal dysplasia clinic every year. They do a high resolution Anoscopy and anal pap smear and then treat any displasia. I am still in treatment and have to be checked now every six months.
I think it is worthwhile to be checked, I didn't have any symptoms and wouldn't have known had they not required it.
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Even if you get the vaccine, you would still need to get regular anoscopy check ups.
I would, if I knew a doctor who did that here. They don't seem to care about that.
I've only read that the vaccine can protect you from the other strains. There are over 100 strains and Gardasil protects from 4 strains
Yes, but the ones the cause cancer are those 4 ones and there have been studies now that they really reduce the chances of cancerous lesions while helping to reduce recurrences. That's why some doctors are recommending it now even for patiensts who already have HPV.
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I would, if I knew a doctor who did that here. They don't seem to care about that.
UCSF maintains a database of providers who do HRA's. Here is the link to find a provider near you.
http://id.medicine.ucsf.edu/analcancerinfo/providers.html
Unfortionately though there are many areas which do not have any Dr's performing HRA's. Which is unfortionate considering.
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He lives in Brazil.
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Yup, thanks for the link, but yeah, down here docs don't do that. Unfortunately.
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Ok so I had the anal pap smear done ;D and Ill get the result in a few weeks. Given that Im negative am I good to take the vaccine or should I do blood/dna/anoscopy as well, even if the pap turns out neg?
Either way I will have anoscopy yearly.
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Ok so I had the anal pap smear done ;D and Ill get the result in a few weeks. Given that Im negative am I good to take the vaccine or should I do blood/dna/anoscopy as well, even if the pap turns out neg?
Either way I will have anoscopy yearly.
The following is taken from my HIV clinic website regarding anal pap's. It should help with your question.
Who should have an anal pap smear?
Anyone living with HIV.
Men who have sex with men.
High risk persons with rectal symptoms: mass, bleeding, pain.
How often should I have a pap smear?
If the anal pap smear is normal and you have HIV, then: repeat pap smear in one year.
If the anal pap smear is normal and you do not have HIV, then: repeat pap smear in two to three years.
If your anal pap smear is not normal, you will need a high resolution anoscopy exam to look for any area(s) of abnormality causing the abnormal pap result. Sometimes these areas are not visible to the naked eye.
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Had my follow appointment this afternoon at the anal dysplasia clinic and had a long talk with my provider about the HPV vaccine.
Currently the Guardasil vaccine is only approved for those 26 years old and younger (as a preventative vaccine).
There have been studies in women showing that it can also be used as a therapeutic vaccine.
There is a clinical trial starting next month (it is enrolling patients now) to test the vaccine in men already infected with HPV as a therapeutic vaccine. However the trial will only admit patients between 18-26 years old as they are already currently approved to receive the vaccine.
If and when the trial shows that the vaccine works in men already infected with HPV they will then apply to the FDA to start a new trial testing it in those over 26 years old. ((it's a very long process )).
With that said, my provider told me that current practice among the dysplasia clinics at UCSF, Boston, Seattle, and Manhatten all offer and recommend the vaccine off label for those with anal dysplasia. Apparently the providers of these clinics all work together to design treatment plans etc etc and remain in contact.
Thought I would share!
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I talked to my proctologist and he supported the idea of taking the vaccine. He said it was a coincidence because he had recently talked with one of the leading experts here in a medical congress and she was recommending the vaccine for therapeutic use. So he is gonna call me soon to tell me where I can take it. I'll have to pay for it though. Hope it helps with the warts and the rest.
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Great info guys. I will have the vaccine as well.
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What about the risk of throat cancer? I started to think about this because a friend of my mom's had it and he almost died. The tumor on his throat go to the size of a tenis ball and, even though he made it, he went through hell on Earth and his voice is never gonna be the same, his vocal chords got burned because of chemo.
Although he never said anything, we all suspect it was something caused by HPV, as he has always been very, let's say, "wild" in his sex life and probably gave blowjobs to plenty of strange guys on the street (not judging, he actually said he used to do this).
So...basically any man who performs oral sex on other men is at risk of HPV on the throat. Is there any way to prevent it or to find out before it turns into a tumor?