As of July 1, all immigrant women, ages 11-26, are required to get the HPVvaccine. Immigrant advocates say the law is invasive and unfair and places aneconomic barrier to immigrants. Additionally, questions of safety, freedom andcost arise. Following are experts who can comment:
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1. PETER SPIRO, immigration and nationality law scholar, TEMPLE LAW SCHOOL inPhiladelphia: "This law isn't unusual, since immigrants are required to have,and bear the cost of, other vaccines. It only applies to those coming here ongreen cards, not to temporary visitors. Although one can debate the merits ofcertain vaccines based on the medical protections they offer in theory, therequirement is sound." Spiro is the author of "Beyond Citizenship: AmericanIdentity After Globalization" (Oxford University Press 2008). He hascontributed to the leading international law blog Opinio Juris and to suchpublications as The Wall Street Journal, The New Republic and Foreign Affairs.A former law clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Justice David H. Souter, Spiro alsospecializes in international law and the constitutional aspects of U.S.foreign relations. News Contact: Laura Feragen, [email protected] Phone:+1-215-793-4666 Web site: http://www.opiniojuris.org (10/31/08)
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2. JILL GRIMES, family physician with WEST LAKE FAMILY PRACTICE in Austin,Texas, and author of "Seductive Delusions: How Everyday People Catch STDs":"Is Gardasil safe? Yes. A two-year safety analysis of the vaccine wasreleased, and the bottom line is that Gardasil is a safe vaccine with no majorsafety problems. The potential health benefits far outweigh true risks. Italso protects against the two types of HPV that cause 90 percent of genitalwarts. While genital warts are not lethal, I'd bet if you asked any person whohas had to have genital warts removed, they would have leaped at the chance tohave had a simple three-dose vaccine to prevent that occurrence. It does seema double standard to require vaccination of immigrant women but not Americanwomen. HPV is no more prevalent in other countries than in the U.S. Thisvaccine is beneficial, not punitive, to all women. If the question about thevaccine is regarding the mode of transmission of HPV disease, then the sameargument should be made regarding the hepatitis B vaccine. If our health caresystem is going to pay for treatment of genital warts, abnormal Pap smears andcervical cancer, it is likely cost-effective to pay for the prevention ratherthan the disease." Grimes believes the age group of women to be vaccinatedshould be extended and expects that the vaccine will eventually be extended tomen, as doctors are recognizing a link between HPV and other squamous cancers,such as mouth and esophageal cancers. Grimes is a clinical instructor forUMASS medical school and an associate editor and contributing author for the"5-Minute Clinical Consult Textbook." She is available for help on HPV or anySTD topics. News Contact: Trish Parnell, [email protected] Phone: +1-360-695-0293 Web site: http://www.jillgrimesmd.com (10/31/08)
3. MARK H. EINSTEIN, M.D., director of clinical research at MONTEFIOREMEDICAL CENTER's division of gynecologic oncology, New York City, can discussthe importance of the HPV vaccine for all young women: "Because I treatpatients with cervical cancer and have seen its devastating effects, I believestrongly in the HPV vaccine. However, I agree with the many immigrant advocacygroups who are enraged that the law is invasive and unfair and places aneconomic barrier to immigrants." Einstein was a member of the American Collegeof Surgeons committee that drafted the guidelines for the vaccine when it wasfirst approved by the FDA. He is chair of the national cervical cancereducation campaign of the Gynecologic Cancer Foundation and serves on itsboard of directors. He is a fellow of the American College of Obstetrics andGynecology, as well as of the American College of Surgeons. News Contact:Helene Guss, [email protected] Phone: +1-718-920-4712 (10/31/08)
4. DR. BRUCE DZIURA, chief of pathology, NEW ENGLAND PATHOLOGY ASSOCIATES atMERCY MEDICAL CENTER, Springfield, Mass.: "In terms of impact on cervicalcancer, several factors come into play. It depends on whether we are talkingabout a developed or developing country. The vaccination uptake rate mattersas well. Also, even if the vaccine is 100 percent effective, ceasing screeningwould probably, given the current populations and HPV infection rate, resultin more yearly cervical cancer deaths in the country than in years before thePap test." News Contact: Jasmine Fielding, [email protected] Phone:+1-781-684-6247 (10/31/08)
1. BEAUTY: BEAUTIFUL SKIN AT ANY AGE. SHIRLEY MADHERE, M.D., New York Cityplastic surgeon and practitioner of holistic plastic surgery: "Keeping yourskin healthy and young-looking is simple if you are willing to incorporatesome natural changes into your routine and make an investment in yourlifestyle. What you put in your body is going to be reflected on theoutside. For overall cellular and tissue health, it's important to take amultivitamin, especially if your diet is lacking in essential nutrients. Bytaking a daily supplement in addition to eating a diet rich with protein,fruits and vegetables, you are ensuring that you are getting the adequatenutrients that your skin needs to stay healthy. Homeopathic Arnica montana isone of my secret weapons against bruising and swelling after cosmeticprocedures, but I find it also works naturally on everyday muscle aches,stiffness and bruising so you can maintain an active lifestyle but not theeffects of it on your skin. Nothing will age your skin more than stress, soengage in relaxing activities such as yoga, exercising, meditation andcreative writing. And don't skimp on sleep; aim for 7-8 hours a night. If youare relaxed and happy on the inside, it will show on the outside, and that isbeautiful." Madhere can provide tips on how to improve the skin's appearancenaturally and postpone a trip to the plastic surgeon. News Contact: DeborahKelly, [email protected] Phone: +1-610-325-8323 (10/31/08)
2. HEALTH: ADVANCES IN TARGETING, TREATING PROSTATE CANCER. ROBERT MILLS,president of ENVISIONEERING MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES, based in St. Louis, candiscuss advanced tools for treating prostate cancer: "Traditional hand-manipulated medical devices allow the prostate gland to shift, which impedesplacement accuracy with treatments like brachytherapy. By stabilizing theprostate, physicians can now implant radioactive seeds to any and every regionof the gland with greater confidence. The technology targets two key treatmentissues: it stabilizes the prostate to ensure treatment is delivered throughoutthe gland and to the cancer targets; and it allows physicians to image andview any cancer target within the prostate gland, for the accurate positioningof radioactivity." Other than skin cancers, prostate cancer is the most commoncancer in American men. News Contact: Cheri Winchester,[email protected] Phone: +1-636-530-1235, ext. 223 (10/31/08)
3. HEALTH: COMBATING HOLIDAY WEIGHT GAIN. AMY BRAGAGNINI, MS, R.D., frequentcontributor to HEALTHYBALANCE.COM, is recommending that families establish"sugar offsets" this holiday season to help prevent weight gain as they eatmore pies, cakes, cookies and other sweet treats: "It's no secret that we tendto eat more sugar-filled treats during the holiday season, and thus put on afew unwanted pounds. There are a number of easy ways to offset the amount ofsugar in foods that make up the daily diet so consumers can fully enjoy theholiday season without having to worry too much about packing on the extraweight. Tips include replacing sugar-heavy breakfast cereals with low-fatgranola, drinking reduced-sugar juice instead of soda or 100-percent juices,and replacing non-dairy creamer with Splenda and fat-free milk for the morningcoffee." With a master of science in nutrition, Bragagnini can offer insightto those who enjoy the sweet treats associated with the holidays but not thepounds associated with those treats. She is located in Michigan. News Contact:Matt Jackson, [email protected] Phone: 1-616-233-0500 (10/31/08)
4. HEALTH: MEDICAL TOURISM IS A TREND THAT IS GOING TO CONTINUE. DR. BEHROOZ(BRUCE) TORKIAN, M.D., a double-board certified facial plastic surgeon andotolaryngologist practicing in Beverly Hills, Calif.: "Beverly Hills is adestination for many people seeking cosmetic procedures. But, people are goingto continue to seek a bargain and maybe a vacation at the same time." Torkianhas seen an increase in patients that sought him out to repair or redo abotched surgery done out of the country. He can speak about what to knowbefore you go and what to do if something does go wrong. News Contact: LindaArroz, [email protected] Phone: +1-818-752-9168 (10/31/08)
5. HEALTH: PHYSICAL THERAPY IMPROVES HEALTH FOR DIABETIC PATIENTS. ROBIN L.MARCUS, PT, Ph.D., OCS, assistant professor at the UNIVERSITY OF UTAH'sdepartment of physical therapy in Salt Lake City and American Physical TherapyAssociation (APTA) member: "Physical therapy is a cost-effective option forAmericans with diabetes. Aerobic exercise and high-force resistance trainingresults in improved glucose control in patients with diabetes. Addingresistance training to a patient's diabetes treatment regimen leads toimproved thigh lean tissue, which, in turn, may be an important way forpatients to increase resting metabolic rate, protein reserve, exercisetolerance and functional mobility. Although aerobic exercise is still key intreating diabetes, it should not be used in isolation." Marcus was the leadresearcher in the study, "Comparison of Combined Aerobic and High-ForceEccentric Resistance Exercise with Aerobic-Only Exercise for People with Type2 Diabetes Mellitus," published in the November 2008 issue of PhysicalTherapy, the scientific journal of the APTA. News Contact: Stephanie Block,[email protected] Phone: +1-703-706-3397 (10/31/08)
6. LIVING: BE CONFIDENT - MEDITATE WHILE YOU MOVE. ELLIE PETERSON, inspirerand president of ELLIE'S MEDITATIVE MOVEMENTS in Minneapolis, a company thathas created an exercise technique that combines different exercise movementswith positive affirmations, provides individuals with a way to feel confidentin our ever-changing world: "We are inundated with tragic world news. How canwe feel confident that life is good? At a deep level, we know that we areresponsible and do control our destinies and our life experiences. Meditatingwhile moving can provide the self-support we are looking for to createpositive changes in our lives and take that responsibility one affirmation andone movement at a time. You are significant and can make a difference." Website: http://www.meditativemovements.com (10/31/08)
7. PETS: THE HOLISTIC INDUSTRY HAS GONE TO THE DOGS. ELLIOTT HARVEY, MH,founder of GREAT LIFE PERFORMANCE PET PRODUCTS, which manufactures organic andnatural pet food in the U.S., and author of "The Healthy Wholistic Dog," hasundertaken an important mission: to teach pet owners about the benefits ofnatural healing: "After the pet food industry scare, more and more people areseeking alternative methods of keeping their pets healthy and happy. Naturalhealing methods for pets include everything from herbs, acupressure andhomeopathy to gemmotherapy, aromatherapy and massage therapy. We've seen howimportant nutrition is -- and these days, owners can find updated informationon tainted pet food through the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Web site."Harvey is dedicated to the preservation of helping animals live longer,happier and healthier lives -- naturally. News Contact: Susan Hartzler,[email protected] Phone: +1-818-998-6299 Web site:http://www.doctorsfinest.com (10/31/08)
8. PETS: WONDERING WHAT TO GIVE YOUR DOG FOR CHRISTMAS THIS YEAR? SUSANHARTZLER, of Southern California is a consumer pet product and service expert:"This year, environmentally friendly pet products are some of the hottestsellers, as well as socially conscious items with a portion of proceeds thatare donated to various dog charities. I've seen dog products in every pricerange, from a $2,500 dog bed, complete with memory foam and adorned withSwarovski crystal dog bones, to a simple ball for under a buck." Hartzler isup-to-date on the latest trends for dogs, from the wacky, such as green spikedwigs and 3-foot-tall chicken squeak toys, to life saving, like seat belts andfirst-aid kits. She can show you how to "Fur Shui" your home, or share thelatest training books on the market. Hartzler and her two pooches, Baldwin andBliss, have appeared on shows with product samples for holiday gifts and haveexperience performing demonstrations in canine freestyle, agility, sheepherding, dock diving and how to keep kids safe around dogs. Baldwin and Blissare therapy dogs in Los Angeles. (10/31/08)
9. RELATIONSHIPS: FAILED RELATIONSHIPS ARE NOT WOMEN'S FAULT. CHARLESORLANDO, author of "The Problem with Women ... Is Men: The Evolution of aMan's Man to a Man of Higher Consciousness" (November 2008): "If men couldbreak out of their caveman mentality and see the perception women have ofthem, it would be blindingly obvious to them why divorce rates are up, whykids' grades are down, and why the women they claim to love are taking enoughanti-depressants to put anyone into a drunken stupor." Orlando is a high-techmarketing veteran turned relationship guru and author. He has interviewed1,600 men and women on the subject of interpersonal relationships and hasidentified four core male flaws that contribute to inadequacies inrelationships. He resides in the San Francisco Bay area. News Contact: PaulaPage, [email protected] Phone: +1-650-279-3881 Web site:http://www.theproblemismen.com (10/31/08)
PROFNET is an exclusive service of PR Newswire.To submit an Opportunity by e-mail: [email protected] consult the ProfNet Experts Database: http://www.prnewswire.com/profnetTo contact ProfNet by phone: +1-800-PROFNET, ext. 1To share a thought on ProfNet Expert Alerts: [email protected] ALERT HPV Vaccine (4 experts) _____________ EXPERT ALERTS 1. Beauty: Beautiful Skin at Any Age 2. Health: Advances in Targeting, Treating Prostate Cancer 3. Health: Combating Holiday Weight Gain 4. Health: Medical Tourism is a Trend That is Going to Continue 5. Health: Physical Therapy Improves Health for Diabetic Patients 6. Living: Be Confident - Meditate While You Move 7. Pets: The Holistic Industry Has Gone to the Dogs 8. Pets: Wondering What to Give Your Dog for Christmas This Year? 9. Relationships: Failed Relationships Are Not Women's Fault
SOURCE ProfNet
