Page 10 The Skanner January 4, 2017
News
New Year, New You
T
o say 2016 was a mountain of a
year is an understatement. For
many of us, it felt like we were
plummeting down a black dia-
mond slope with one ski pole, locked
in bindings, bound for destruction.
But, the good news is 2017 is upon us
and thus a new beginning. We have
the decision to transform bad habits
to good and cast procrastination to
the side for productivity. As we be-
gin the New Year with renewed vig-
or, don’t forget to include your pet in
your plan for success.
For those striving for a more active
lifestyle, consider including your
pet. According to the Association for
Pet Obesity Prevention, 53.8 percent
of dogs and 58.2 percent of cats are
estimated to be overweight or obese.
Imagine what a few more minutes
strolling the block or playing tag
could do for your dog. Cats can be a
tad bit more challenging to exercise
but trust me it can be done. The goal is
“
By Stacy M. Brown (The Washington
Informer/NNPA Member)
H
Dr. Jasmine Streeter, Veternarian and her dog
Sheba are ready for the new year
guilty of splitting a medium fry and
hamburger (sans onions) a time or
two. If you must share, split an apple
or a little grilled chicken instead of a
chili cheese coney. This goes for cats
and mini pigs too, which are at an
increased risk of being overweight.
When feeding consider following the
size and dietary guidelines generally
found on the back of the feed bag. A
good rule of thumb for your pet is to
feed based on the
size they should
be according to
breed standard.
If you want to read more but are
lacking a little motivation, read to
your pet. I guarantee they’ll be inter-
ested or at least make the experience
more entertaining. If you want to get
out of the house but don’t have a bud-
dy, take your pet. Many cats and dogs
love a good road trip and there are
medications to prevent car sickness if
that’s an issue. Animals can be incor-
porated into many facets of your life
and activities with a little bit of plan-
ning and an open mind. With 2016
behind us, we can only go up from
here. Wishing you and yours, growth,
prosperity, and success for this Hap-
py New Year!
Send your pet questions to drjas-
mine@theskanner.com
If healthy eating is on your to-do
list, put your pets on the list also
to figure out what excites your cat. If
they’re food-motivated, try grabbing
a little bit of food out of their bowl
and have them chase each treat as you
slide it across the floor. If they prefer
to chase or are “prey driven,” try run-
ning with a feather cat toy or shoelace
around the house to get them moving.
You may need to wiggle the feather
or laces to keep them interested. I get
quite the arm workout when I do this
with my cat because she’s only inter-
ested as long as the object is sporadi-
cally moving.
If healthy eating is on your to-do
list, put your pets on the list also.
Many of us feel better when we in-
dulge with our pets, if not to reduce
our own calories. I admit, I have been
Young Blacks Benefit from HPV
Vaccine, Experts Say
igher rates of cancers associated
with the human papillomavirus
(HPV) occur in African Amer-
icans compared to Whites, ac-
cording to a nationally renowned
physician Dr. Alison Moriarty Daley.
While some Black parents have con-
cerns about vaccines for HPV includ-
ing that their children are too young
to even consider sex, health experts
say that the vaccine – particularly
Gardasil 9 – does more than help pre-
vent the sexually transmitted human
papillomavirus (HPV).
“
for children younger than age 15. Old-
er teens and young adults still require
three doses.
The rate of those contracting
HPV-associated cancers varies by race
and ethnicity, African Americans are
hit hardest — men and women — ac-
cording to officials at the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC).
• Black and Latino women had high-
er rates of HPV-associated cervical
cancer than White and non-Latino
women. Black women had higher
rates of HPV-associated vaginal
cancer than White women while
African-American and Latino wom-
The rate of those contracting HPV-associated
cancers varies by race and ethnicity, African
Americans are hit hardest
“It’s a safe and effective form of can-
cer prevention,” said Daley of the Na-
tional Association of Pediatric Nurse
Practitioners, an organization with is
headquarters in New York.
HPV is the most common sexual-
ly transmitted disease in the United
States, Daley and other health experts
said.
Of the estimated 79 million Amer-
icans, currently infected with HPV,
half of those newly infected with
HPV are between 15-24 years of age,
according to the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention.
The vaccine is recommended for
girls and boys between 11 and 26 years
old.
“Acquisition of the HPV virus hap-
pens pretty quickly after the initia-
tion of sexual activity. So, that’s why
it’s important to vaccinate early to
prevent the virus before anyone’s ex-
posed to it,” she said.
The link between HPV and cervical
cancer is irrefutable, Daley noted.
“We know that HPV is the cause of
cervical cancer,” she said. “And even
just last year, there were 12,900 new
cases of cervical cancer and 4,100
deaths attributed to cervical cancer.”
Reportedly, HPV is also linked to
certain cancers of the mouth, throat
and genitals in both men and women.
The original recommendation of
three doses of the HPV vaccine was
amended in October to just two doses
en had lower rates of HPV-associ-
ated vulvar cancer than White and
non-Hispanic women, according to
the CDC.
• Rates of anal and rectal HPV-asso-
ciated cancers were also higher in
Black men when compared with
White men, but lower in b\Black
women when compared with White
women.
• In all races and ethnicities, men
had higher rates of HPV-associated
oropharyngeal cancer than wom-
en while Black and Latino men and
women had lower rates of HPV-as-
sociated oropharyngeal cancers
than white and non-Latino men and
women.
In order to boost HPV vaccination,
doctors should be more assertive
when bringing up the topic with par-
ents, Noel Brewer, a health and behav-
ior scientist at the University of North
Carolina, told NPR this year.
Brewer knew from earlier research
that doctors contribute to that low
vaccination rate because “doctors
should be more assertive when bring-
ing up the topic with parents,” espe-
cially when children are 11 or 12 when
its recommended the vaccine be giv-
en.
Also, because the vaccine is more ef-
fective at ages 11 and 12, the CDC now
recommends only two doses instead
of three.