Wednesday, November 28, I spoke with Fred Nakamura, M.D. about trends with the student health center. Here is my interview...Q: What is a trend you see among students here at CSULB?
A: HPV is a growing problem on this campus and in the nation. We have someone at the health center that only works with students infected with HPV and she has time for nothing else.
Q: What is HPV?
A: It stands for Human papillomavirus. It is very common STD among women especially. By age 50, atleast 80 percent of women will have acquired genital HPV infection. The worst part is that most people infected, don't even know that they are infected.
Q: What are the symptoms?
A: There are usually no symptoms, but some people get genital warts. There is good news though, in most cases, especially for women under the age of 20, the symptoms and infection will clear on their own.
Q: Is there a cure?
A: No. It does go away on its own in most women, but there are treatments provided for the visible symptoms of HPV, like the genital warts.
Q: Is there anything else you would like to add?
A: Well, as a doctor here, I see that each generation has its new disease or virus. Every ten years a trend develops with one particular STD or virus, as a precaution, students should practice abstinence/safe-sex.
