HPV Vaccine

Everything you want to know about HPV but were afraid to ask, plus how to make my eggplant specialty

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Have you seen the commercials for HPV vaccines in which the young person is reflecting on their childhood and how the HPV vaccine could have protected them from cancer as an adult? In the end, the kid guilt trips the parent. It is definitely a powerful advertisement, and many friends and family members have asked Dinner Table Doctor about the vaccine as a result. Recently, we were enjoying a family dinner of my famous eggplant parmesan (famous in my family, anyway!) when the topic of HPV vaccines came up in the conversation.

What is HPV?

HPV stands for human papillomavirus. As far as sexually transmitted diseases in the U.S. go, this is the most common STD. It is the cause of cervical cancer and the reason women have Pap smears. Surprisingly, many people have never heard of it.

Why you should be aware of HPV

There are actually lots of different types of HPV. Some go away without treatment, and some cause genital warts, and some cause cancer. HPV can cause cervical cancer as well as cancer of the vulva, vagina, penis, anus, or oropharyngeal cancer, which is in the back of the throat and can include the tongue and tonsils. A person may not know they have been infected with HPV until several years after a sexual encounter.

HPV is the reason women have Pap Smears

According to the National Institute of Health, cervical cancer is 99.7% caused by HPV. The reason women veneer to have a Pap smear is to check for cervical cancer.

How HPV is spread

HPV is spread through vaginal, anal, or oral sex. It can be spread even when there are no signs or symptoms, and all it takes is sex with one person to be at risk. A conservative estimate suggests that more than half of the adult population in the U.S. has the virus. You can’t find out a person’s “HPV status” from any existing test. Even if you (or your child) are absolutely positive that you will only ever have sex with the one person you marry, there’s still a chance of contracting HPV, unless the chosen partner has also never had sex with anyone else, willingly or unwillingly. This is pretty unlikely. Additionally, one out of six women in the U.S. are victims of sexual assault in their lifetimes. There is a strong possibility the perpetrator could have HPV.

How to Avoid HPV

• get vaccinated
• use condoms correctly
• have sex with as few people as possible

HPV Vaccine

The HPV vaccine is safe and effective. DTD and I made sure each of our three children had this vaccine at the recommended age, which is 11 or 12 years old. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends anyone (male or female) from 9 years old up to 26 years old get this vaccine. The vaccine is nearly 100% effective at preventing cervical cancer and genital warts. DTD tells his patients that HPV is extremely common, and you won’t find out if you have it until it’s too late, so he recommends that his patients get the vaccine.

Like many vaccines, the HPV inoculation may have minor side effects, including a mild fever, soreness or itching at the injection site, or lightheadedness.

To learn more about the HPV vaccine, visit the CDC website, or the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Physicians, or the National Cancer Institute.

Terri’s Famous Eggplant Parmesan

A conversation about STD’s is par for the course in our household, thanks to DTD. Thanks to me, the information was absorbed while enjoying some pasta with eggplant parmesan. I make my eggplant parm in a different way. I LOVE eggplant, and am lactose intolerant, so I do not like the typical method of thinly sliced and breaded eggplant layered with loads of cheese. Eggplant doesn’t need all that cheese and breading. It is delicious on its own.

My method

I cut my slices super thick — about 1.5 – 2 inches. I dip each slice in plain flour. Then I dip them in an egg wash with a tiny bit of milk, and then in flour that is laced with a little grated parmesan cheese and basic Italian seasoning. I brown them in some olive oil (using my handy-dandy frywall to reduce clean-up) and lay them out in a large baking pan with high sides. I cover the eggplant with my homemade sauce and bake in the oven until soft and bubbly. That’s it. It is served with pasta and meatballs and divinely delicious.

Eggplant Parmesan is a terrific recipe to serve at a large family gathering. I truly enjoy letting other people know how much I care about them through my food, and DTD lets others know he cares by sharing wise words of wisdom concerning vaccines!

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