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THE HPV VIRUS hits males and females of all ages but is most commonly found in the 15-24 age group. In women, the highest and deadliest form of the virus can lead to cervical cancer and thousands of needless deaths each year. (Photos are generic representations of age groups more susceptible to the virus and are not  actual victims.)

 

Before the year is over, approximately 288,000 women worldwide will die unnecessarily from the genital Human Papillomavirus (HPV). We know these women. Some of them are our mothers, sisters, cousins, and best friends. Even you could be a potential victim of this prevalent, yet preventable genital virus.
The HPV is easily contracted by a male/female who carries this disease through any type of genital skin-to-skin contact. Condoms and other forms of birth control won’t prevent or reduce the spread of this virus.
During the course of the HPV’s lengthy history, a recent discovery linked the virus with other sexually transmitted diseases. In 2005, alarming statistics revealed that up to 20 million people carried this virus at any given time and many unknowingly passed it on to their partner, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. By getting to the root of this problem, we are finding out how to prevent more deaths from occurring and disease from spreading.
Over the 100 different types of the HPV (varying in severity), about 30 strains of this disease are sexually transmitted. These 30 strains are broken down into two categories of low and high risk. For women, the highest and deadliest form of this virus can lead to cervical cancer.
This cancer is almost always caused by the HPV infection, which is predominately in those with an immune disorder. For others infected, this virus can cause genital disease, developing into pre-cancerous legions. For men and women, this virus can turn into genital warts (a low- risk strain).

Some HPV strains are harmless and for most people infected the virus eventually goes away, especially in women under 30. Yet there are still repercussions in having this virus, so why even take the risk?
The incubation period of the HPV is from the beginning of infection until any symptoms appear. This incubation period may be anywhere from a few weeks to a full year. Because there are no obvious symptoms of the HPV (except visible genital warts), the virus goes unnoticed in some women until it is too late.
Is that possibly why the HPV spreads rapidly, because it is sometimes overlooked and underestimated? Whatever the answer is, 5,000 women in the United States are still dying annually as a result. Cervical cancer is the second leading cause of death in women; and “HPV is the cause of virtually all cancers of the cervix, about 80 percent of vaginal cancers, 50 percent of penile cancers and a majority of anal cancers,” states the American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology.
Although there is no cure for HPV, one of the best solutions for women over 30 years old who have the virus is the same for women who are unaware of what HPV is: visit the OB/GYN to schedule a Pap test and HPV DNA test. Studies prove that scheduling both tests are the complete, and accurate way to find out if one has HPV, and to reduce further risks.
A Pap test is a screening to search for abnormal cell changes in the cervix while the HPV DNA test looks for the specific DNA of the HPV inside the cells and can check for high-risk HPV types related to cervical cancer.
For younger women 15-24 years old, about 70 percent of them make up approximately the six million new cases of genital HPV every year in the United States. These staggering numbers reveal that we need solutions and HPV vaccination options available to the young people; the same goes for girls 9-13 years old.
Some of our children are growing up too fast, experiencing too much and there is not one answer to solve all the problems we may be facing.

But one of the best ways to prevent future exposure of the HPV in young girls and boys is to consult with a health care provider about vaccination treatments at the parents’ discretion.
Aside from these examinations and consultations, the real prevention methods start with knowledge.

Realizing that abstinence is the ideal method for avoiding the HPV altogether, taking precautionary methods means preventing the further spreading of disease, such as scheduling regular doctor visits and maintaining a clean lifestyle while being aware that the wide spread of HPV is real and, for some, fatal.
Before any more deaths occur, we can put an end to this virus. Instead of spreading the HPV, let’s spread the word that this virus exists and hopefully end this deadly cycle.

The clock is ticking; it’s up to us because in the end only we can stop the spread. The year is almost over. For more information on HPV: http://www.revolutionhealth.com-type in HPV; http://www.cdc.gov/std/hpv/default.htm or http://www.cancer.gov/
Contact Sherri Keaton on issues dealing with young people; email her at skeatonfrontpage@sbcglobal.net.

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HPV: Teenage vaccine is causing death and injury

 

Gardasil, the vaccine designed to protect against the cervical cancer-causing HPV virus, is responsible for the deaths of 10 adolescent girls and 140 reports of serious side effects this year in the USA.

The vaccine has been given routinely to adolescent girls when they are 12 and 13 for several years now in America, and the pattern of deaths and side effects is now starting to be repeated in other countries, such as the UK, which have only recently introduced the vaccine.

Judicial Watch, an American public watchdog group, has recently issued the latest figures on the vaccine’s safety. Of the 140 adverse events this year, several have included miscarriage and onset of Guillain-Barre syndrome, a nervous system disease that causes weakness and tingling in the arms and legs.

The vaccine has also loomed large in the public’s consciousness with the story of 13-year-old Jenny Tetlock who is now almost completely paralyzed after being given the vaccine.

Meanwhile, undeterred by these worrying stories, the UK government is widening the availability of its own HPV vaccine to include teenage girls aged between 17 and 18.

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Mary J. Blige, ‘Children of the Ghetto’

Mary Jane Blige (surname pronounced: /blaɪʒ/) (born January 11, 1971) is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, and actress who has sold more than forty million albums worldwide. Blige is a Golden Globe nominated singer and grammy award winning R&B superstar. She has received over twenty-six Grammy Award nominations for her work, winning eight, and has been awarded the World Music Legends Award for combining hip hop and soul together like no one else during the early 1990s.

 Music career

In 1988, Blige recorded an impromptu cover of [[Anita Baker’s “Caught Up In the Rapture” at a recording booth in a local mall. Her mother’s boyfriend at the time later played the cassette for Jeff Redd, a recording artist and A&R runner for Uptown Records. Redd then sent it to the president and CEO of the label, Andre Harrell. Harrell met with Blige and, in 1989, she was signed to the label; becoming the company’s youngest and first female artist.

Upon signing to Uptown, Blige’s early years there were dormant, as the label continued to focus most of its attention on its more established acts. During this time, Blige occasionally did session work as a background singer for her label mates. In 1990, she was introduced as a background singer for Redd, during a performance at the Apollo Theatre. The same year she also sang the hook on “I’ll Do 4 U” by rapper and label mate Father MC, appearing in the concert-themed music video of the same name; In 1991, she was spotted on the syndicated show, Showtime at the Apollo, singing back up for Jeff Redd. In early Fall of 1992, Blige guest spotted with Grand Puba with his single, Check It Out. Blige’s first national debut appearance was in the summer of 1992 when she appeared on MTV‘s Yo! MTV Raps performing “What’s the 411?” (the title track) with Grand Puba. Mary has a 4 octave vocal range and can hit notes in the baritone range.

http://www.mjblige.com/

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Vacina contra câncer do intestino se mostra promissora

NEW YORK – Uma vacina experimental contra o câncer de cólon pode ajudar a tratar muitos pacientes que já desenvolveram a doença, segundo um novo estudo.Em um estudo anterior, esta vacina não pareceu melhorar as chances de cura dos pacientes. Mas a vacina oferece vantagens para algumas pessoas, segundo o Dr. Jules Harris, de Chicago.No subgrupo de pacientes que apresentou a maior resposta imune à vacina, 85% deles sobreviveu por mais de 5 anos, contra 45% dos que apresentaram resposta moderada à vacina. “Nós achamos que vacinações repetidas podem ser mais eficientes,” ele diz.O Dr. Harris e seus colaboradores escolheram 412 pacientes americanos entre 1986 e 1993 que tinham câncer de cólon que havia se espalhado para os linfonodos e tecidos adjacentes mas não para outros órgãos do corpo.

Os médicos operaram todos os pacientes, retirando os tumores. Em aproximadamente metade destes pacientes, os médicos retiraram uma porção do tumor do paciente, trataram estas células com irradiação, e fizeram uma vacina contra o tumor do próprio paciente.

Estes pacientes receberam três doses desta vacina em intervalos, começando 3 a 4 semanas após a cirurgia. Os pesquisadores monitoraram estes pacientes por 8 anos.

Entre os pacientes que reagiram à vacina, apresentando reação no local da injeção, as taxas de sobrevida variaram de acordo com o tamanho da reação. Entre aqueles com reação menor que o diâmetro de um lápis, 45% sobreviveu por menos de 5 anos, enquanto 85% daqueles que mostraram uma cicatriz do tamanho de uma moeda sobreviveram este tempo ou mais.

O Dr. Harris disse à Reuters Health que a cicatriz se tornou uma forma de avaliar o prognóstico do paciente, sendo que os que tiverem maior cicatriz terão chance de evoluir melhor.

Tentativas de melhorar a qualidade das vacinas também podem melhorar a reação à esta, de acordo com os pesquisadores.

FONTE: Journal of Clinical Oncology 2000;18:148-157.
Publicado em Bibliomed Saúde

Copyright © 2002 Bibliomed, Inc.

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G E N O A 

Por favor, divulguem esta maravilha brasileira!

 

Já existe vacina contra alguns tipos de câncer.

Foi desenvolvida por cientistas brasileiros, mostrando-se eficaz em 80% dos casos, tanto no estágio inicial como em fase mais avançada da doença.

A vacina é fabricada utilizando-se um pequeno pedaço do tumor do próprio paciente.

Em 30 dias está pronta e é remetida para o médico oncologista do paciente.

Os cientistas desenvolveram a vacina no Hospital Sirio Libanês – Grupo Genoa (telefone 0800-7737327).

 

Se preferirem, entrem no site

www.vacinacontraocancer.com.br

e obtenham maiores informações a respeito.

 

Essa, sim, é o tipo de mensagem que merece ser repassada.

 

 

 

 

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Siedah Garrett

Siedah Garrett is letting the world know what industry insiders have known for too long. She’s the best known unknown! Just ask Michael Jackson. When he was looking for songs for his smash LP, Bad, his producer, Quincy Jones, played him a song that Garrett had co-written with songwriter/producer, Glen Ballard. That song was “Man In The Mirror”. Jackson loved the song, and was also so impressed with the voice of the girl singing the demo, he decided that he had to meet her. When Jackson and Garrett met, they quickly hit it off. “Man In The Mirror” went on to become the third 1 single from the multi-platinum BAD album, and one of Jackson’s all-time favorite songs. But aside from singing background vocals on “Man In The Mirror,” Jackson decided Garrett was the natural choice for the duet, “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You,” which was to be the album’s first single. Not surprisingly, the result was a 1 smash, which sold over a million copies worldwide. Garrett toured with Jackson for almost two years, singing their duet as well as background vocals for his Dangerous World Tour. Garrett has also had the privilege co-written a song with Michael, entitled “Keep The Faith”, which is featured on the Dangerous CD.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, in the 70’s, it was apparent early on that Garrett was blessed with many talents. Her early influences were Chaka Kahn, Stevie Wonder and of course, The Jackson Five. Since Garrett blew on to the scene via an open audition for Quincy Jones, she has done a multitude of background vocal session work with everyone from Johnny Mathis to Donna Summer, Wayne Newton to Quincy Jones, The Pointer Sisters to The Starship, Kenny Loggins to RuPaul, Al Jarreau to Al B. Sure!. Garrett was responsible for contracting background vocal sessions for such prestigious pop, dance and urban contemporary artists such as Madonna, on the multi-platinum True Blue album, The Commodores, on the smash LP, Nightshift, and many others. Songs co-penned by Garrett have turned up on such hit album projects such as Paula Abdul’s Forever Your Girl, and Quincy Jones’ Back On The Block.

Garrett has enjoyed tremendous success as a songwriter, co-penning songs for everyone from the King of Pop, to the Queen of Soul, and many, many artists in between, but she’s also had some amazing successes as a recording artist in her own right. Garrett first 1 solo single, “Do You Want It Right Now”, a 1 dance hit and club anthem exploded onto the national scene. Garrett also sang the demo for a song that was meant to be a duet featuring Chaka Kahn and Dennis Edwards, but producer, Dennis Lambert thought that the vocal blend between Garrett and Edwards was magical. The result was the 1 smash R&B classic, “Don’t Look Any Further.”

Garrett was commissioned to write songs with and for, “The Brand New Heavies”, a popular British neo-soul band. After having co-written more than half of their latest CD, entitled Shelter, Garrett was invited to become a full member of the band, living and working in London, replacing departed lead singer, N’Dea Davenport. The Shelter album went gold in the United Kingdom, and has sold over half a million CDs worldwide.

Garrett was featured on Quincy Jones’ latest release entitled “From Q, With Love. The first single from this CD, is a duet featuring Garrett and El Debarge, entitled “I’m Yours”. Garrett is also the featured vocalist on the newest release from saxophonist, Richard Elliott, entitled “This Could Be Real”, also co-penned by Garrett. Garrett has also co-written and co-produced songs for Vanessa L. Williams and Tatianna Ali on the Grammy Award Winning soundtrack from the full feature film, “The Adventures of Elmo In Grouchland”.

And how many people do you know that have sung for The Pope? Well Garrett, along with a small group of American singers, combined with singers from Florence and Rome, calling themselves “The Millennium Choir”, converged on the ancient city to perform for Pope John Paul in Vatican City on Christmas Day 1999. It was a performance of a lifetime.

On July 4th, 2000, Garrett was in Paris to participate in a history making performance with mentor, Quincy Jones along with the entire French National Orchestra. The performance was in honor of would have been Duke Ellington’s 100th birthday. The entire event was filmed by “Bravo”, as part of a biography piece on Jones. Performing along with Garrett was singer/songwriter Phil Collins, Duke Ellington’s blues crooner Milt Grayson, harmonica aficionado Toots Tillman, songwriter Michele LeGrand, and French national treasure, Henry Salvadore.

In the fall of 2007, Garrett, along with Quincy Jones, was invited by the Chinese government to co-write the theme song for the opening ceremony of the Special Olympics, held in Shanghai, China.

Most recently, Garrett was nominated for an Oscar, as well as a Grammy for having co-penned, “Love You, I Do,” sung by Oscar winning actress, Jennifer Hudson, in the hit film, “Dreamgirls”.

The stage is set and, after her groundbreaking collaborations and contributions on history making albums, Garrett has proven herself a force to be reckoned with. The most rare of all offerings, she’s an enormous talent that encompasses her gift as an incredible vocalist and her true craft as a successful songwriter. Siedah Garrett, the quintessential recording artist/singer/songwriter, is a true Renaissance woman.

 www.siedah.com

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Festival snares compelling drummers

Terri Lyne Carrington, Cindy Blackman
Terri Lyne Carrington (left) and Cindy Blackman.
By Siddhartha Mitter
 Globe Correspondent  2008
cindy-blackman-adriana

Cindy Blackman & Adriana Sassoon

In many cultures, the drum is the preferred means of making an announcement. So it’s appropriate that the opening salvo of this year’s BeanTown Jazz Festival – the fall event that, in eight years of existence, has grown into an important gathering of local and national acts – will take the form of a drum summit.

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Featuring two of today’s most compelling jazz drummers, Terri Lyne Carrington and Cindy Blackman, the Sept. 26 showcase at the Berklee Performance Center will offer a rare opportunity to hear, in one evening, two contrasting drum styles as well as two bands in which the player behind the skins is also the leader.Carrington and Blackman are both former Berklee students who went on to respected careers, albeit on somewhat different tracks. A local product (she grew up in Medford), Carrington was a child prodigy who attended the school in her early teens and went on to play with the likes of Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter before moving to Los Angeles where, for a time, she was the drummer in the Arsenio Hall Show band. She’s now based back in Boston, teaching at her alma mater.

www.nonahendryx.com/

Blackman didn’t finish school, bolting instead for New York, where she started as a street musician in the ’80s. She’s now best known for her many years playing with rocker Lenny Kravitz. But both she and Carrington have maintained jazz identities and careers – mainly as first-call sidewomen, with sporadic outings as leaders. (“Music for the New Millennium,” Blackman’s new double album with a groovy electro-acoustic group, just came out but was recorded in 2005; Carrington has a record due out next year.)Programming the two on the same bill highlights, of course, how rare it is to hear a woman behind the drum kit. And Carrington in particular is underscoring the gender theme through the special lineup she’s assembled for this show. It includes the singer Patrice Rushen and the pianist Geri Allen, along with a rising young saxophonist from the Netherlands, Tineke Postma.

“You reach out to like-minded people,” Carrington says on the phone from her home. She volunteers that it was her intention to gather top women players, while in the same breath starting to change the subject. “It’s a celebration of women in jazz,” she says, “but I don’t want to dwell on that.”Blackman is more adamant on the topic. “The gender question is not even worth bringing up because the drums have got nothing to do with gender,” she says on the phone from a gig in France. “I’m there because I love to play music. And I’m in support of anyone who wants to play the instrument.

http://www.mothersfinest.com/flash.html

“I wouldn’t care if Art Blakey was pink with polka dots and wearing a tutu,” she adds, citing the great drummer-bandleader. “I wouldn’t care if Tony Williams was green.” Williams, who played with Miles Davis, is the drummer she cites as her greatest influence among a pantheon of others, including Papa Jo Jones and Max Roach.And it’s true: Even if women are a minority in jazz, and perhaps especially on drums, there’s nothing inherent in Carrington’s or Blackman’s style that one can attribute to gender. Rather, there is the influence of these great elders; and there is each woman’s personal aesthetic and approach to an instrument that – made up as it is of a large and malleable assortment of drums and cymbals – offers almost endless possibilities.

It will be a special treat if, following each group’s set, Carrington and Blackman take the stage together to make this summit truly one to remember. At the time of these conversations the two hadn’t yet planned it out, but Carrington says there’s a good chance it will happen.”It’s a difficult instrument to do that with,” she says. “People like to see the competitive aspect of it. But if we do play together it definitely won’t be in any kind of drum battle. I do mine and she does hers, and both should be celebrated.”

Drum Summit is at Berklee Performance Center Sept. 26.                     617-747-2261             

www.berkleebpc.com

http://cindyblackman.com/

http://www.myspace.com/jushearose

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Upcoming at the ICA

A stunning new exhibition, music, film & more

TARA DONOVAN OPENS FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10
“Magical in that transcendent way” – Chuck Close 

The ICA presents the first museum survey of the acclaimed sculptor and MacArthur Foundation “Genius” grant recipient. See 16 sculptures and installations from the past decade including a new work created for the exhibition.

Related Programs

 • Tara Donovan in Conversation with Lawrence Weschler
   Tuesday, October 14, 7:30 pm
   The artist discusses her work with Weschler, an award-winning author
   and New Yorker staff writer for more than twenty years. Buy Tickets Now

• New Course! Look Here: Introduction to Contemporary Sculpture
   Starts October 21
   Has Tara Donovan piqued your curiosity about today’s sculpture? This 5-
   week program led by Randi Hopkins will offer diverse perspectives on what it
   means to make and appreciate contemporary sculpture. Register Now

NEW MUSIC NOW: EVAN PARKER AND MARILYN CRISPELL
Friday, October 10, 7:30 PM
“Parker may be the most formidable saxophonist since John Coltrane” 
                                                                                                    – All About Jazz
“Hearing Marilyn Crispell play solo piano is like monitoring an active volcano.”
                                                                                            – The New York Times
 Buy Tickets Now ($10 student rush tickets available at 6:30 with valid ID)

THE INTERNATIONAL EXPERIMENTAL CINEMA EXPOSITION
Saturday, October 11, 6 PM
See the best celluloid works, from the latest contemporary works to archival films. The screening includes several Boston premiere works and Q & A with the filmmakers. Note: some films include adult content. Buy Tickets Now

ICA MASKED Costume Party
Friday, October 31, 9 pm – 1 am
DJ Francesco Spagna with live percussion by Joakin Eskasan
Award for best costume given at midnight
Open Bar • Candy Bar • Halloween-themed surprises throughout the evening
Tickets: $125 ($100 members); proceeds benefit the ICA   Buy Tickets Now

Presented by  

 

 

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The stylists were given a major dare in the final challenge: They had to copy one of Vidal Sassoon’s most famous bobs — with Sassoon as the guest judge. Yes, Vidal Sassoon, the rock star of haircutting, the man who liberated women from the tyranny of weekly hairdresser’s appointments in the 1960s by creating geometric haircuts that were truly wash and wear. This is the guy who gave Mia Farrow her Rosemary’s Baby pixie — another cut that pushed the envelope and redefined femininity. Can you imagine how nervous the stylists were? They may have acted calm — but they were shaking in their shoes.

The stylists also had to create two other cuts — and all of the looks had to tell a story. I know, it’s complicated. I can’t say it was easy for me to follow, either. And to top that off, they had to be sure the cuts flattered the models and their dresses. Oh, and they had to accomplish it all in three hours.

http://video.aol.com/video-detail/finale-vidal-sassoon-blog-pt1/31703643/?icid=VIDURVENT01

 

 

 

 

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Checking in on the Mandarin

By Mark Shanahan & Paysha Rhone

A swanky crowd of high rollers gathered in the lobby of the new Mandarin Oriental, Boston yesterday to sip wine and watch Mayor Tom Menino and hotel developers Robin Brown and Stephen Weiner (along with their wives, Marcia and Roberta, respectively, and the hotel brass) cut the fancy red ribbon. The party also featured dancing men dressed as Chinese lions and a solemn feng shui blessing by Mandarin bigwig Terry Stinson. Taking in the scene were city councilor Michael Ross, construction magnate John Fish, Massport director Tom Kenton, powerbroker Kevin Phelan, the Rev. Ray Hammond, and Mizu salon owner Elan Sassoon and his wife, Adriana. Weiner gave a heartfelt speech, in which he detailed the 13-year project and thanked his late partner, Julian Cohen (Cohen’s wife, Carol, was in the crowd). Weiner added that his 11-year-old granddaughter Rachel is already working on him to hold her bat mitzvah at the Mandarin, because ” ‘It will be free!’ Free! What a great concept,” he joked.

 http://www.mandarinoriental.com/boston/