A p ril 4, 2012
Study Finds
Higher
HPV Risks
Human papillomavirus infection
tends to lasts longer in college-aged
black women than whites, possibly
setting them up for a higher risk of
cervical cancer, according to a new
study.
The researchers also found that
black women are 70 percent more
likely to have an abnormal Pap test -
- the screening for cervical cancer —
than their white counterparts. Hu
man papillomavirus, or HPV, which is
a sexually transmitted infection, can
cause genital warts and is respon
sible for many cases of cervical can
cer.
"African American women are
more likely to have persistent high-
risk HPV infection," said study au
thor Kim Creek, vice-chair and pro
fessor of pharmaceutical and bio
medical sciences at South Carolina
College of Pharmacy, in Charleston.
Most HPV infections are transient.
"If you are infected, your body rec
ognizes it as a viral infection and
usually clears the virus within one or
two years," he said. "Itis those women
who have difficulty clearing it that are
at higher risk of cervical disease and
cervical cancer."
Exactly why black women have
more difficulty clearing the virus is
not known. "We think that it likely
has something to do with the immune
system," he said.
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Page 7
Grandparent Calls Outfor Support
A local African-American woman who
has waged more than a decade-long battle
to obtain custody of her grandchildren who
are under the supervision of the state De
partment of Human Services is calling out
for community support.
Carollynn F. Smith is the chief executive
officer and president of Grandparents Rais
ing Grandchildren, a non-profit she started
in 2000 after her grandchildren were re
moved from her daughter’s custody due to
alleged child neglect.
Five of the daughter’s seven children
were placed in Sm ith’s home, but two
others were not.
“I've tried on several occasion in con
tacting DHS as well as Child Protective
Services and to date continue to have my
questions go unanswered in getting my
grandchildren home where they belong,”
Smith said.
Her organization will host a community
meeting on Monday, April 9 at 6:30 p.m. at
the Ockley Green School auditorium, 6031
N. Montana. You can get more informa
tion by calling 503-309-2146,503-285-6312
or visiting grgchildren.org.
Carollynn Smith
continues a fight
for custody of her
grandchildren.
Hormone Therapy
gets Red Flag
(AP) — New research suggests
that long-term use of any type of
hormones to ease menopause symp
toms can raise a woman's risk of
breast cancer.
It is already known that taking
pills that combine estrogen and
progestin— the most common type
of hormone therapy— can increase
breast cancer risk. But women who
no longer have a uterus can take
estrogen alone, which was thought
to be safe and possibly even slightly
beneficial in terms of cancer risk.
The new study suggests other
wise, if the pills are used for many
years. It tracked the health of about
60,000 nurses and found that use of
any kind of hormones for 10 years or
more slightly raised the chances of
developing breast cancer.
The hormone picture has been
confusing, and the absolute risk of
breast cancer for any woman taking
hormone pills remains small. Doc
tors say women should use the low
est dose needed for the shortest
time possible.
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