SexSage

Author: Sage Biester

Every year during Christmas break I go for a routine check-up at my obstetrician-gynocologist. The trip is similar to a dentist appointment except it usually involves nudity and an uncomfortable encounter with cold metal.

Joking aside, this appointment was important. I wanted to ask my doctor about the new HPV vaccine Gardasil. Although the vaccine was gaining popularity, I wasn't sure about the specifics. She recommended I wait and visit Middlebury's health center. Surely, she said, you can get the vaccine at school.

But could I? As much as I utilize the services offered by Parton Health Center, many people on campus, myself included, feel clueless as to the resources offered by the College in terms of women's health. So I decided to do a little research for the sake of all ladies at Middlebury. I got my results back, (I tested negative for HPV), and I immediately scheduled an appointment to talk with the Associate Director of Patron Health Center Terry Jenny.

HPV, or human papillomavirus, is extremely widespread among college-age adults. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), there are an average of 5.5 million cases diagnosed every year. There are over 100 strains of the virus, of which over 30 are sexually transmitted, and can cause everything from genital warts to cervical, penile and anal cancer.

The vaccine Gardasil is only effective against four common strains, two of which cause genital warts and two of which can lead to cervical cancer. If you already have one or more of these strains of HPV, the vaccine does not provide a cure, although you can still get vaccinated against any of the four types you do not already have.

You do not need to get a PAP smear or a pelvic exam before you get the vaccine, although Jenny was quick to mention that you should do so if you have never had either or if it has been over a year since you last had one. Both of these services are offered at Parton.

"It's simple," Jenny said. The shot comes in a series of three. After discussing the vaccine and the virus with a Nurse Practitioner at the Health Center, you can make an appointment for your first shot.

The pharmacy will even deliver it to the Health Center. The next shot should be taken two months later, and the last will be six months after the first dose. Although the vaccine is expensive, the price has fallen to $140 per dose. Also, about 50 percent of insurance providers are covering at least some of the cost (up from 0 percent this summer). "Its expensive, but why not?" Jenny quipped.

For every woman on campus who wants to get the vaccine (and you should get it), the prescription is available at Parton, so do it now and worry a little less the next time you go to the gyno.