Imagine tomorrow that a pharmaceutical company announces it has produced a vaccine for HIV that can offer more than 95 percent protection against the disease. People would rush to their doctors to get the shot. Even better, imagine that at Penn State, the vaccine would be offered free for all students 18 and younger.

Though it's true that there is not a vaccine yet for HIV, there is a safe and effective vaccine for another serious sexually transmitted disease called Hepatitis B. For those students 18 and younger, the vaccine is free.

Hepatitis B is a viral disease that affects more than a quarter million Americans each year. One in about 20 people now has or will someday contract Hepatitis B.

It is passed through body fluids such as blood, semen and vaginal secretions. This may include activities such as exposure to the blood of an infected person through contact sports, repeatedly sharing an infected person's razor, toothbrush or earrings or sexual contact.

The virus can cause a wide range of symptoms, from nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain to liver cancer and death.

Fortunately, there is a safe, effective vaccine, given as a series of three shots during a 6 month period, that can protect against Hepatitis B.

University Health Services, through funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Health, is pleased to offer free Hepatitis B vaccines to any student 18 or younger. For students age 19 and older, the vaccine is $35 per dose. Medical treatment for an individual who contracts Hepatitis B however, can run as high as $14,000 annually.

Besides Hepatitis B, there are two other hepatitis viruses that one should be aware of. Hepatitis A infects about 150,000 people a year in the United States.

While it does not cause the serious, long-term problems of Hepatitis B, it still can make a person quite ill for two to six weeks.

Hepatitis A is spread mainly through oral-fecal contact, or sexual activity such as rimming. Like Hepatitis B, there is an effective vaccine available to protect against Hepatitis A.

Generally, this vaccine is recommended only for people who are close contacts of someone with an acute Hepatitis A infection or if they are traveling to a country where there is a high incidence of Hepatitis A.

Hepatitis C completes the hepatitis ABCs. This virus has been described in the press lately as the "newest" hepatitis virus. Like Hepatitis B, it can be spread through blood transfusions (and possibly through unsafe sex) and can cause long-term health problems such as liver failure. However, unlike Hepatitis A and B, there is no vaccine available to protect against it.

Hopefully, in the near future, there will be a vaccine against the virus that causes AIDS. But right now, University Health Services does offer vaccines against the hepatitis viruses. To make an appointment for the Hepatitis B vaccine, call 863-0774. Don't delay — the free vaccine to students 18 and under is in limited supply.

Winter nosebleeds occur due to viruses, dry air

Question: I’ve been getting headaches for the first time this semester. Any suggestions?

Answer: Put an ice pack or heat pack on your head or neck to ease the pain. Get plenty of rest, don’t skip meals and stay away from alcohol. Relaxation techniques are also handy. Over-the-counter pain relievers such as aspirin, acetaminophen or ibuprofen are also effective though it’s best not to rely on them for chronic headaches.

Question: When I bend my knees, at certain times, they make a loud cracking noise. I play basketball, but have never had a serious injury. The cracking is sometimes uncomfortable, like the joint won’t bend and then just gives way (this does not take a great deal of effort, it’s not like it’s stuck or anything). What causes this?

Answer: Loud, cracking noises that occur with movement of the knees (that is not associated with pain or swelling) are rarely serious. The noise usually originates from “snapping” of the ligaments and seldom from bone or cartilage damage.

Question: I seem to get more nosebleeds during winter. Why is that? And how can I avoid them?

Answer: Nosebleeds are more common in the winter when viruses and dry heated air indoors are common.

The nose consists of a hard bony portion, and a soft cartilaginous portion. The area of the nose that usually bleeds lies within the soft portion, and compression will control the bleeding.

Simply squeeze the nose between the thumb and forefinger just below the hard portion of the nose. The key is to apply pressure for least 5 minutes.

You should be seated, but holding your head back is not necessary.

It merely directs the blood flow backward rather than forward.

Try to avoid checking every minute or so to see if it has stopped.

The problem is in doing that you disrupt the clot that is forming over the bleeding site.

Also, keeping your room or apartment a little cooler and using a vaporizer to humidify the air should help reduce the number of nosebleeds.