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Most Irish adults don't understand what HPV is, says new study

The study comes as boys are to be included in the national HPV immunisation programme.

THREE OUT OF four adults don’t fully understand what HPV is, according to a new study. 

A study has found that 75% of people don’t understand what HPV – the Human Papilloma Virus – is. This is despite the fact that HPV is incredibly common, with 80% of people likely to contract it at some stage of their lives. 

The research, carried out by Behaviour and Attitudes and commissioned by pharmaceutical company MSD Ireland, polled 1,000 people ahead of the inclusion of boys in the HPV immunisation programme for the first time. 

The study found that 84% of people believe that it’s unlikely they have ever contracted or had HPV, with 25% believing that it’s impossible. 

“The HPV virus is so common most men and women are infected by it at some point in their lives. In many cases, infection leads to cancer,” CEO of the Irish Cancer Society, Averil Power, said. 

Power urged parents to ensure that their children get the HPV vaccine. 

The research found that 32% of people were unaware that HPV can be transmitted by skin-to-skin contact, while 53% of all adults polled said they weren’t worried about their son contracting HPV. 

Over 40% said they were not worried about their daughter coming into contact with HPV. 

Liz Yeates, the CEO of the Marie Keating Foundation, said there was “work still to be done”. 

“We must continue to build the public’s knowledge of HPV, what it is, how it is transmitted and what we can do to help prevent HPV infection,” she said. 

However, the polling did find that there has been a 17% increase in general public awareness that HPV can infect boys and girls, with 70% of respondents agreeing that men and women should be vaccinated against it. 

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    Mute Michael Campbell
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    Sep 25th 2011, 1:30 PM

    Horrible sport and then when they have drawn blood and tortured the poor creature they go to mass Sick

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    Mute Rachael M
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    Sep 25th 2011, 1:57 PM

    Good riddance to it, barbaric "sport"

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    Mute Jason Doyle
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    Sep 25th 2011, 3:04 PM

    About time.

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    Mute Mata Mata
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    Sep 25th 2011, 3:29 PM

    Here here !

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    Mute Diari Liffey
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    Sep 25th 2011, 3:33 PM

    One step more towards independence. Thanks God they are banning this.
    The problem is not because it’s an Spanish tradition, it’s because apart from being a complete shame, Spanish traditions in Catalonia have always been imposed by force and that usually creates a rejection. Catalonia has its own traditions and culture, it does not need anybody to go there and replace them as some have been trying to do during the last 300 years..

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    Mute RG Cuan
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    Sep 25th 2011, 6:14 PM

    Maith thú, visca la terra!

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    Mute Jeff
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    Sep 26th 2011, 10:28 AM

    I am all for Catalonia independence as it means Shelbourne FC will get to play Barcelona FC in the qualifying rounds of champions league more often.

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    Mute Ryan Coughlin
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    Sep 26th 2011, 12:45 AM

    You people are upset that this bull’s life gets ended in a quick 45 minute flurry? Sounds much nicer than living in a small crowded pen his entire life to get butchered and fed to some unthinking human. At least this bull got to live a somewhat natural existence outside with proper food and freedom.

    People always want to blame the OTHER guy for his mistakes. But the fact is, if you’re eating meat, you’re responsible for a whole heap of more animal cruelty, not to mention that meat is 1/4th part of the man-made CO2 today, and a big part in forest destruction.

    Frankly, this vegetarian would be happy letting the Spanish choose what to do with their (infrequently practiced) tradition, and then to ban all factory farms worldwide.

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    Mute Richard Fennessy
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    Sep 26th 2011, 8:08 AM

    quick 45 mins go visit a farm they live in fields not pens and the killing takes 2-5 seconds

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    Mute Ryan Coughlin
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    Sep 27th 2011, 2:33 AM

    Hi Richard.

    Quickly do a Google search. The amount of meat consumed on the planet that comes from traditional, non-factory farms is considerably less than 50%. And the proportion of non-factory animals in the world is decreasing per day.

    I imagine that most of us have never seen a steel mill, but it doesn’t mean that my metal products have come from a blacksmith.

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    Mute Richard Fennessy
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    Sep 25th 2011, 11:31 PM

    shame shame on the sickos who give thumbs down to this shameful blood thirsty evil scum i hope ye dont have kids r pets

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    Mute Diari Liffey
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    Sep 25th 2011, 7:40 PM

    Some pictures of this afternoon shame http://bit.ly/rjE7bl

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    Mute Jeff
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    Sep 26th 2011, 10:30 AM

    Bull fighting is no more cruel than Halal meat & dead a lot quicker and less painful.

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