Do HPV vaccines give complete immunity to HPV?

 

 

Dr Steven R. Goldstein MD is a well-recognized Obgyn in Manhattan  who has worked with women for over three decades to improve their gynecological health. He is considered one of the nation’s top doctors in gynecology.

 

Some patients ask about the HPV vaccine. The problem with the HPV vaccine in Dr Goldstein’s opinion, is that when it first came out it only addressed 4 strains of HPV out of a hundred. These were the more serious types 16 and 18, and types 6 and 11 which caused warts, but not pre cancers. The numbers of patients who had this original vaccine still developed cervical pre cancers rather large.

 

Dr Goldstein felt that this vaccine sent the wrong message. For example, if one gets a polio shot, they are immune. If they get a Rubella vaccine, they are immune. However, the original HPV vaccine only addressed four strains and a woman could still develop pre cancers. The newer vaccine has nine strains, so now it makes more sense, but it still gives a false impression to patients, particularly younger ones, that they are protected.

 

This is why Dr Goldstein, a top Obgyn in Manhattan still champions the pap smear as a key procedure which can detect any strain of HPV which may lead to cervical cancer. Early measures can then be taken to ensure the patient does not get cervical cancer.

 

Half of the patients with cervical cancer are those who never had a pap smear, and another ten percent are those who have had an abnormal pap smear and do not follow up on it. So, the goal is not to prevent HPV, but to prevent cervical cancer, which is the real disease.

 

In all his decades of practice, Dr Goldstein has had only one patient present with cervical cancer, and she came to his practice with it. He has had many cases who developed pre cancer of the cervix, who were able to be treated quite effectively before it became cervical cancer.

 

If you are seeking a Gynecologist in Manhattan, then please contact the office of Dr Steven R. Goldstein, for an appointment. At Dr Goldstein’s office, individualized patient care is the norm and you will never feel rushed.

 

Birth Control Pills - Closer to Natural Than You Think

 

 Dr. Steven R. Goldstein MD, a leading NYC Gyn, at times suggests birth control pills for numerous non-contraceptive benefits in terms of bleeding control, less anemia, and so on. The response is often “they are not natural”.

 

So, what did nature expect for us? As higher order primates, women would have approximately eight children (along the way, statistically, three miscarriages). So if one does the math, women have approximately forty years of menstrual function (roughly age 11-51). There are 13 lunar months in a calendar year. Thus, most women can be expected to have approximately 520 menstrual cycles.

 

There is no bottle or formula in nature and, thus, breast feeding for at least fifteen months would be mandatory. Thus, modern women who have two children, for instance, and nurse them perhaps 3-6 months, end up with nearly 500 menstrual cycles. Left to nature, women would have perhaps 250.

 

One of the reasons, that ovarian, uterine and breast cancers are on the rise in modern industrialized nations is women are cycling too much. Suppressing the cycle with birth control pills is closer to “natural” than what we have socialized into. Dr Goldstein, a leading NYC Gyn, is not suggesting that his patients have eight children and nurse them all for fifteen months, but he is suggesting that we evaluate what is truly “natural” and what is not.

 

In studies, the use of birth control pills has been shown to reduce ovarian and uterine cancers in addition to controlling bleeding, less anemia and other benefits and are closer to being natural as proven above. Women who are prone to ovarian or uterine cancers based on their family history or are experiencing bleeding conditions should schedule a consultation with Dr Steven R Goldstein MD, a top NYC Gyn  to evaluate their condition further.