Another Silent Epidemic
...alarmist in nature, for good reason given the findings of the North Carolina study. The story of the woman’s shock in learning she had the virus, and the resulting finger-pointing that occurred with her partner, seems credible and relevant. After delineating the research statistics and findings, the article also reveals why menopausal women are more at risk for certain STDs, and then lists how a woman can best protect herself if she is dating and choosing to be sexually active, including detail information about condoms, as well as blood tests available now to help with diagnosis. After explaining the connection between herpes, HIV, and HPV, the article concludes with suggestions on the importance of, and how best to, communicate with one’s doctor (Ince 131-134, 150). There are eight different medical doctors referenced in this article. Based on their University affiliations and medical school alma maters, they add much credibility to the author’s writings. Two of the women doctors are affiliated with Harvard Medical School. One is the assistant professor of Ob/Gyn there, and further research revealed that Judith Wasserheit, a 1978 Harvard Medical School graduate currently with the University of Washington, is involved in ongoing research about infectious diseases and HIV specifically (Research). Further research also led to the discovery of an additional study not referenced in the More article, perhaps because it was done in March 2000, or maybe due to its smaller sample size. The findings corroborate the North Carolina study, however, stating that one out of four Americans are infected with genital herpes, and estimating that only one in five knows they are infected (“People“). Deeper research revealed specific information about the University of North Carolina study referenced in the More article. The study was funded by GlaxoSmithKline, a “leading research-based pharmaceutical and health care company“. (The fact that they are “research-based” infers a neutral and more credible agenda than would result from a more profit oriented company, but determining the underlying motive of the research will not be determined within this essay). Included in the relatively substantial study sample were nearly 5500 people from 36 primary care physician offices in 6 large cities. 75% were white, 14% African American, and 4% Hispanic. Statistics of those infected in certain age groups revealed the surprising fact that more in the older groups were infected with 31.2% in the 40-49 age group, and 28% in the 50-59 group, respectively. Compared with only 13.4% infected in the 18-29 year-old group, perhaps it is a sign that younger people are either having less sex, or perhaps are heeding warnings of the importance of practicing safe sex. The results show that people of all ages and backgrounds are at risk of getting and transmitting genital herpes. The Center for Disease Control estimates the numbers are increasing about one million a year, with a total estimated infected population today of 60 million in America alone (“Study“)! Because More magazine is primarily marketed to midlife women and older, this article’s focus on how menopause can be a contributory factor in becoming infected with the herpes virus was likely extremely pertinent and probably enlightening news for most of its readers, given the recent findings. According to Dr. Susan Lark, author of The Menopause Self Help Book, menopause symptoms due to sharp decreases in hormone levels often include hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, and thinning of the bones. She also points out that the climate and texture of the vagina changes, becoming less elastic, less lubricated, and thinner walled, which substantiates the information in Ince’s article (Lark 1, 8-9). Dr. Wasserheit, one of the Harvard graduates now with University of Washington, explains in the More article that “…even gentle sex can cause small tears that let herpes and HIV invade.” With the altered chemistry occurring during menopause that makes the vagina less protected than in the acidic environment of younger women, and with f...