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Antiviral chewing gum to reduce influenza and herpes simplex virus transmission

penntoday.upenn.edu

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Re: Antiviral chewing gum to reduce influenza and herpes simplex virus transmission

#92
post #85

I never got the HPV vaccine and am now too old. Recently I had a papilloma removed from my soft palate near my uvula. They checked it for cancer but not HPV, even though they said it was almost certainly HPV. So for $129 I took the OraRisk HPV test which tests for 51 strains, including the ones associated with cancer, and the results came up negative. So I maybe sort of probably don't have HPV, or may have but don't…

>I never got the HPV vaccine and am now too old It can still help even with previous exposure. This is outdated information. Also it helps against 9 strains. Most people are not exposed to all 9 instantly. Further you can be exposed without having intercourse. Skin contact is enough. Even walking barefoot in the gym. You will have to pay yourself probably, but since you paid $129 for a test I'm assuming you could aff…

Every source I see says the vaccine is approved only up to age 45, but are you saying my doctor will give it upon request?

Re: Antiviral chewing gum to reduce influenza and herpes simplex virus transmission

#93

I never got the HPV vaccine and am now too old. Recently I had a papilloma removed from my soft palate near my uvula. They checked it for cancer but not HPV, even though they said it was almost certainly HPV. So for $129 I took the OraRisk HPV test which tests for 51 strains, including the ones associated with cancer, and the results came up negative. So I maybe sort of probably don't have HPV, or may have but don't…

Yeah, the whole HPV testing landscape is kind of a mess - lots of "maybe, sort of, probably" vibes even after paying out of pocket for extra tests. It's frustrating how unclear everything still is, especially for something so common.

The old tried and true Pap test is still the best screening tool we have for cervical cancer.

Re: Antiviral chewing gum to reduce influenza and herpes simplex virus transmission

#94
post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the United States, you are in trouble if you don’t advocate for your own health.

While I had above average health care in my time Canada, I don't think this advice is limited to the USA.

Correct, though I thought Epic had a stronger foothold in the US than Canada. The CDC is a US government organization.

Re: Antiviral chewing gum to reduce influenza and herpes simplex virus transmission

#95
post #87

My innate immune system is here for chewing gum and binding viral glycans, and I’m all out of specific lectins. Looks like this works by apparently binding complex N-glycans on the viral envelope. I can’t imagine this is particularly specific, but the good news is that in the mucosa, you should see relatively few N-glycans, so I guess it will hit the right stuff?

Original source of the 37-year-old "chew gum" meme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wp_K8prLfso&t=1s

Re: Antiviral chewing gum to reduce influenza and herpes simplex virus transmission

#98
post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>I never got the HPV vaccine and am now too old It can still help even with previous exposure. This is outdated information. Also it helps against 9 strains. Most people are not exposed to all 9 instantly. Further you can be exposed without having intercourse. Skin contact is enough. Even walking barefoot in the gym. You will have to pay yourself probably, but since you paid $129 for a test I'm assuming you could aff…

Every source I see says the vaccine is approved only up to age 45, but are you saying my doctor will give it upon request?

So I showed my doctor sources from the NHS (I'm not in England), and he agreed to do it, although I had to obviously pay out of pocket. There's also no safety limit for age[1], so there's no reason not to give it to you if you pay for it.

[1] https://www.mskcc.org/news/think-you-re-too-old-get-hpv-vacc...

Re: Antiviral chewing gum to reduce influenza and herpes simplex virus transmission

#100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We literally vaccinate people against diseases they might never personally catch because preventing transmission is part of the goal

> might never personally catch [emphasis mine] And there's the mistake in your understanding. The personal benefit rationale is that they might catch it if they aren't treated. The public health benefit is a reason a government might promote this, but the reason medics will recommend it is personal benefit.

I probably worded that clumsily. You're right that personal risk is a big part of why doctors recommend vaccines. I was trying to emphasize that even when individual risk feels low, there's still a strong public health case for broad vaccination. Both angles matter, and ideally they work hand in hand.
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