Pleased to say that from the beginning of the school year 2013 (which was last week), Australia offers the HPV vaccine for girls AND boys on school immunisation programme. This is a free programme and the first in the world. The argument Charm used was successful in Australia strengthened in no small part by the evidence for penile and anal cancer as well as pointing out the gender bias being exercised by the girls only previous policy. Nothing like a threat to ones manhood to make a male politician take notice smile

Small note: The US article appears to be wrongly applying stats for oropharyngeal cancer to oral cancer. As HPV occurs almost exclusively in oropharyngeal cancer which only constitutes 20-30% of all oral cancers it is impossible for HPV to be causing 72% of all oral cancers. Unless they are quoting stats for all strains of HPV 99% of which are benign in which case it is extremely shoddy reporting indeed!


Karen
Love of Life to Alex T4N2M0 SCC Tonsil, BOT, R lymph nodes
Dx March 2010 51yrs. Unresectable. HPV+ve
Tx Chemo x 3+1 cycles(cisplatin,docetaxel,5FU)- complete May 31
Chemoradiation (IMRTx35 + weekly cisplatin)
Finish Aug 27
Return to work 2 years on
3 years out Aug 27 2013 NED smile
Still underweight