Health University Daily Kansan / Thursday, February 18, 1988 11 lacque lanssen, arts/features editor Common VDs difficult to control By James Buckman Kansan staff writer The most common forms of venereal disease on campus today are, in many ways, tougher to handle than syphilis or gonorrhea, said a gynecologist at Watkins Hospital. Gynecologist Henry Buck said the two most common types of venereal disease suffered by KU students were chlamydia and condyloma acuminata, known as HPV disease or venereal warts. disease of venezuela. Neither disease is new to society, but cases of both recently have increased dramatically across the nation and at the University of Kansas. Studies show that as many as 20 to 40 percent of sexually active women, even if they are not symptomatic, have chlamydia. And some reports estimate that HPV disease is up more than 500 percent over the last few years. Back said enamylia is tough to handle because it can remain dormant for up to several years. Most carriers of the disease do not have symptoms but can develop them at any time. at any time. "They could carry the organism for a very long period of time, and then, very remote to sexual activity, they could break out with an infection." Buck said. could eat out with an instrument. "With gornerhea, people get symptomatic quickly and we can trace the contacts," he said. "With HPV and chlamyda, the dormant period is so long we can't trace Because chlamydia is contagious, even when dormant, people can transmit the disease for several years without knowing they have it themselves. the contacts." In women, who are more likely to develop symptoms than men, the disease usually affects the mucous-secreting epithelial cells in the cervix. It produces not external sores but rather, tenderness of the cervix and pelvic region, with possible soreness during intercourse. gion, with possible sores on limbs. For men, the primary symptom is a burning sensation that may occur. during urination Buck said sexual contact was not the only way to contact cleavage. "I have seen young teenagers who have had chlamydia infections who've never been sexually active," he said. "They could have picked up the bacteria from their mother when they were being born." mother who people might be able to get it, for example. By wearing a wet towel that has the virus on it. ing on a wet wetet that has thinned A serious danger of chlamydia is that it can make women more vulnerable to other, more serious forms of pelvic infections. pelvic infections. To help prevent that, all women who come to Watkins for pelvic examinations are tested for chlamydia, Buck said. Chlamydia can successfully be cured with certain drugs, he said. "It takes ten days and has very high success rate," he said. "It is so high that we don't even do follow-up cultures." The other common venereal disease on campus is condyloma acuminata, called HPV infection because it involves human Papillomavirus. Unlike chlamydia, HPV disease has external symptoms — venereal warts and flat lesions — that often occur together on the genitalia of both men and women. For the male, the lesions usually occur on the shaft of the penis. For the female, the lesions most often occur on the vulva, the vaginal walls or the anus. If not treated, the disease can lead to more serious problems. "Today, it is felt that the HPV is the initiator that sets up the changes in the cells that eventually turn up as cancer in the cervix," Buck said. HPV disease can't be cured with medicine, but the lesions can be destroyed. This is done either by freezing them or by laser treatment. Buck said treatment helped the body's immune system cure the disease. "Any doctor who says he's getting rid of the disease by Sex YD, n 12, col 3 Students prefer pill over condom as contraceptive By Christine Martin Kansan staff writer With all the talk about condoms, the most popular contraceptive among KU students is the birth control pill, said Candye Waitley, a nurse and health educator at Watkins Hospital. She said the hospital sold birth control pills, diaphragms, condoms and contraceptive foams. A prescription is needed for birth control pills, and a diaphram must be fitted by a gynecologist. must be stressed by the birth control pills, which are 98 to 99.5 percent effective in preventing pregnancy, contain synthetic hormones that prevent the ovaries from releasing eggs. that prevent the outbreak. The major advantage of birth control pills is the relative ease of using them. A woman takes one pill every day as instructed. However, the pill can have serious side effects such as high blood pressure, blood clots and heart and circulatory problems. The risk of these side effects increases with age and when a woman smokes. vitrage Yulia Buck, a gynecologist at Watkins, said that although the pill provided excellent protection from pregnancy, it provided no protection from sexually transmitted diseases. transmitted diseases. Diaphragms are the second most popular method of birth control used by KU students, Waitley said. They are 80 to 90 percent effective in preventing pregnancy. Waitley said that the diaphragm had no serious side effects. 60 to 80 percent effective. A diaphragm is a small rubber disk that covers the cervix when inserted correctly. When used with a spermicidal cream or jelly, it forms a barrier that kills sperm. It provides no protection from sexually transmitted diseases. Condoms used with a contraceptive foam can be 97 to 99 percent effective in preventing pregnancy and have few side effects. sud crescer "look at a condom as a method in itself" Waitley said. "A condom should never be used without a spermicide to protect against pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases." He said that there was some controversy about whether foams deteriorated condoms but that no documented proof existed so far. Used alone, contraceptive foam is 85 to 98 percent effective. The foam must contain nonoxynol-9, a spermicide, to be effective. The foam forms a barrier covering the cervix and kills sperm that come into contact with it. Foam alone might help to prevent some sexually transmitted diseases. There are no serious side effects, except for rare allergies to spermicide. Waney said the prices for contraceptives at Watkins were much less expensive than at other hospitals or drugstores in Lawrence because student fees helped cover the cost. Uptown had her survey. Now the Kansan has one too. Please answer each of the questions and drop it in the box at the advertising deal desk in Uptown, 105 W. 27th Street, 3rd Floor, or in campus mail addressed to Features Editor, 111 Stauffer-Flint. Please visit your completed survey before Friday, February 26, 1988. 1. My age is ___. 2. My sex is Female ___ Male ___ 2. My sex is female ___ 3. In the past six months, I have usually dated on a one-to-one basis, someone of the opposite sex a. daily b. two or three times a week c. once a week d. once or twice a month e. less than once a month 4. I usually have a relationship with and date a. only one person at a time b. two persons at one time c. more than two persons at a time 5. My present dating situation is a. not dating b. dating randomly c. dating regularly d. going steady e. engaged f. married and dating others 6. My relationship with the person I am living with or married to can be best described as a. excellent b. basically solid and happy c. satisfactory/acceptable d. weakened by some problems e. unhappy and destructive f. a situation I would like to change 7. My dating, marital, or living relationships are generally based on a. male leadership b. female leadership c. an equal partnership 8. The most important external influence on my sexual valu today is a. my religion b. my friends c. my family d. my parents e. my partner or spouse f. society in general 9. In an intimate relationship sexual pleasure is for me a. essential b. important c. unimportant d. a take it or leave it situation 10. Considering my age and peers, my sexual needs are a. very strong b. stronger than most c. average d. below average e. not strong at all 11. In general, my current needs for sexual intimacy and enjoyment are a. completely satisfied b. met about half of the time c. seldom met d. hardly met at all 12. During the past year, I have had sexual intercourse with different persons. 13 During the past year, I have had sexual intercourse about times a week/month. 14. The frequency is a. more often than I prefer b. about right for me c. less often than I prefer 15. During my lifetime I have had ___ partners in sexual 16. The method of contraception I prefer is a. rhythm b. doucheing c. withdrawal d. a condom or rubber e. intrauterine device f. foam and/or diaphram g. male sterilization h. female sterilization i. the contraceptive pill i. the contraceptive pill 17. The method of contraception that I or my partner most often use is ___ (use list from 16). 18. When we want to avoid pregnancy, my partner and I use contraceptive techniques a. regularly b. most of the time c. occasionally d. seldom e. never 19. To avoid sexually transmitted diseases my partner and I use contraceptive techniques a. regularly b. most of the time c. occasionally d. seldom e. never 20. Condom vending machines should be available to students in campus buildings. Yes _ No _ 21. Did you receive a condom packet at enrollment? Yes ___ No ___ 22. If so, did you read the material? Yes No 23. I use a condom to prevent sexually transmitted diseases a. regularly b. most of the time c. occasionally d. seldom e. never 24. The spread of AIDS has affected my sexual behavior in that I use condoms b. have casual sex less frequently c. am more selective of partners d. abstain 25. My personal feeling is that contraception should be the responsibility of b. the man b. the woman c. both partners Some of the questions were taken from A Guide To Becoming a Sexual Person by Robert T. Fancour, Ian L. Heward and Carol Dobson. Richard Stewart/KANSAN graphi AIDS exists on campus, experts say By James Buckman Kansan staff writer Too late. It's here. What will the University of Kansas do when AIDS reaches campus? Too late, it's late. Statistics say that diagnosed AIDS victims are not prevalent on campus. But some experts say that the disease, though not in large numbers, is here. "They do not report AIDS cases until they have more than ten," she said. Finding accurate local statistics on AIDS is difficult, partly because of the method the state uses to report cases and partly because of the stigma associated with the disease. in disease, though in large numbers. Henry Buck, gynecologist at Watkins Hospital, said, "I have heard of about two or three cases that have been through Watkins. That's all I know about." Ann Ailor, an employee of the Douglas County Department of Health, said that the State Department of Health had not yet told them how many AIDS cases the disease. "We do have AIDS here in Lawrence." he said. "It's not publicized, but we do have cases in Lawrence. There are several people that have died." here are several people who have but the problem has created concern on campus But Phillip Huntsinger, professor of health, physical education and recreation who teaches a class on AIDS on campus, said that even though accurate statistics were sometimes unavailable, the city hadn't escaped the disease. Buck said, "If we should get to the point where we are seeing numbers of heterosexual AIDS cases like we are seeing chlamydia . . it is going to be dreadful. We are talking now about things that at least we have cures for." cures for. Huntstinger said that because people were forced to confront the disease, some perceptions on campus have changed. One perception that has been changed by the disease is people's view of condoms. What was once predominantly a birth control method has become widely accepted as a necessity of safer sex. But Buck said that just knowing about the condom was not enough. Huntingster said he thought that more students were taking the initiative and using condoms. "There is a lot of behavioral change that has to occur. It's not just intellectually knowing that you have to use condoms." For some, the threat of AIDS has made abstinence an alternative. "I know that in the heat of the moment, there are still people who are not going to use a condom," he said. "But I have to believe there are more people now that are using them than two years ago." Huntsinger said, "It's a choice people make. We are going to have people walk down that hill at graduation who have never been sexually active. They've made a choice for themselves, and they don't have to worry." Buck said that students who came down with some of the things like HPV infections, commonly known as venereal warts, have considered abstinence. "It was such a shocking thing to them," he said, "and it's been so traumatic to them psychologically that they say abstinence is the way to go." Kansan staff writer By Christine Martin Physical exam is crucial part of health care In college, students often find that their family doctors are miles away and that regular physical examinations often get pushed aside for tests and term papers. often get passers over But an important part of staying healthy is getting the proper examinations regularly to detect cancer and other diseases early. For women, basic gynecologic exams include more than just pelvic exams. often just during an exam, a gynecologist examines the pelvic structures, takes a Pap smear to test for cancer, and tests for chlamydia, a venereal disease, said Henry Buck a gynecologist at Watkins Hospital. The gynecologist also checks blood pressure and teaches the patient how to examine her breasts for cancer. cancer. Buck said there was no charge for the exam because it was included in student health fees. The laboratory fees for the Pap smear and chlamydia test are $18. for the Pap smear and annual exam. Each woman should have her first examination when she is 18 years old, even if she is not sexually active, and annually thereafter. Buck said. annually thereafter, but he was Charles Yockey, chief of staff at Watkins, said it was extremely important for women to know how to examine their breasts for cancer so they could detect it early. He said that 90 to 95 percent of curable breast cancer was detected by women checking their own breasts. was defective. She said that one of 10 women in the United States would develop breast cancer before they died. Yockey said that a woman should check her breasts every month on the last day of her menstrual period. A woman should lie with one arm behind her head and compress each quarter of the breast tissue in a rotating fashion. If a lump is detected, a gynecologist will take a mammogram to determine if it is cancerous. Like women, men should know how to detect cancer. For men, testicular cancer is the most common cancer in men from 20 to 45 years old, Yockey said. He said physicians taught men how to check for testicular cancer during physicals. testicular cancer said testicular cancer grew rapidly but was curable if detected early enough. A man should check himself monthly for testicular cancer. The best time is after a warm bath or shower, when the skin is most relaxed. By rolling each testicle between the thumb and fingers of both hands, a man can detect any hard lumps or nodules. Yockey said that about 350 men probably would die of testicular cancer in the United States in 1988.