More Good News About HPV

[joreth]

I've journaled about Carrageenan a few times, and how effective it seems to be at preventing HPV, even though it's still in trials, apparently, all signs very strongly point towards its effectiveness.  Now it appears as though there's another product being tested.  Where carrageenan just happens to be an ingredient already commonly found in lubes, this product is created and being tested specifically for it's anti-HIV, anti-HSV, and anti-HPV properties. 

http://newsstore.smh.com.au/apps/previewDocument.ac?docID=GCA00910884SPL

"Showing that VivaGel has activity against all major clinically relevant strains of HPV tested so
far, in particular those strains not covered by the current cervical cancer vaccines, further
strengthens the growing body of evidence demonstrating the efficacy of SPL7013 against several
important STIs."

The active ingredient, SPL7013, so far is inhibiting HPV-16 and -18, which are the two cancer-causing strains found in Gardasil, the Merk vaccine currently approved in the US, which make up 70% of the cancer cases.  It also inhibits the two warts-causing strains, HPV-6 and -11 that Gardasil inhibits.

PLUS it is showing signs of inhibiting HPV-31 and -45, which cause 4% of cancers. 

This is fantastic news, especially as we are starting to hear rumblings about vaccines becoming too expensive to produce for the vaccine companies to continue carrying.  If they start discontinuing vaccines because of the cost, we will need some other line of defense, and a topical microbe, particularly if it can simply be added to lubricants, is a very convenient method of application.

So, until VivaGel makes it to the market, everyone go out and buy some Carrageenan lube!

Comments

[dancergeek.livejournal.com]

Yeah, HPV is my biggest concern when it comes to STD's cause condoms don't seem to protect against it. And I am so bummed that I am too old to get the vaccine. Where do you get carrageenan lube?

[joreth]

http://www.a-womans-touch.com/product/148/1668/Carrageenan_Lube.html is where I bought it. Technically, you still can get the vaccine, just "off-label", which means mostly that your insurance (if you have any) won't cover it. You'll have to pay for it out of pocket, but there are doctors who will give off-label vaccines.

Condoms seem to be 70% effective against HPV, but condoms also don't protect against herpes, which can be transmitted just through kissing and even a rare form is transmitted by the hands. Which is what makes this VivaGel stuff so wonderful, assuming it continues to fulfill its promises in the upcoming trials.