Gardasil: Is It Safe?

By Edward C. Geehr, M.D.

Gardasil, the HPV vaccine, is back in the news. Did it really ever leave? This drug has been very controversial largely because of the major push by its manufacturer, Merck and Co., to make it mandatory for young women. As many as 39 state legislators are considering the vaccine as a requirement for school-age girls in much the same way that MMR immunization is now required.

Oral Sex Turns Deadly

By Edward C. Geehr, M.D., Lifescript Chief Medical Officer

Despite a decline in most head and neck cancers during the past decade, the incidence of a particular form of throat cancer is rising steeply, according to a recent report in the British Medical Journal. 

The greatest concern? The type of cancer identified is related to the human papilloma virus (HPV). Researchers say that sexual transmission of HPV may explain the rise in cases. If that’s true, then add throat cancer – in addition to cervical cancer – as a potentially deadly consequence of HPV infection.