BALLS!

Posted by ERV on April 3, 2010
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From my post on testicular cancer and ERVs earlier this week, to Randys balls in the last episode of South Park, the word of the week appears to be “BALLS!”

This trend is continuing, considering Judy Mikovits/the Chronic Fatigue communities vociferous support for anti-vaccination cranks:

The increasing incidence of mumps orchitis: a comprehensive review– There has been a recent increase in mumps orchitis among pubertal and postpubertal males. These outbreaks can be attributed to a reduction in the uptake of measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine during the early to mid-1990s in children who have now matured. The mumps virus is commonly associated with extra-salivary complications. Unvaccinated postpubertal males diagnosed with mumps virus frequently develop complications such as mumps orchitis. Therefore, it is important that urologists are familiar with the diagnosis, treatment and complications of this condition. Here we review the epidemiology, clinical presentation, diagnostic methods, treatment options and complications of mumps orchitis, as a complication of mumps virus, with particular emphasis on testicular atrophy, subfertility and infertility.

SPOILER: All those little boys not getting their MMR? They grow up, go to college/work/military, and get mumps. Little boys sometimes get swollen balls as the result of mumps infection, but young adult/adult males get it often (40% of men who get mumps, get swollen, inflamed balls. ‘most common complication’) and really bad. End result? Sub- or total infertility. 40% of men who get mumps.

Also, their balls shrink.

:-/

A very big problem is that physicians arent really used to diagnosing mumps-induced orchitis. Im not dude, but I can think of lots of reasons why a dude might have swollen balls. Mumps orchitis hasnt really been a problem since the MMR vaccine was developed, so why would it be their first thought when a guy walks into their office with swollen balls? I mean, how many of todays physicians could readily diagnose a reemerging nonparalytic polio virus vs a simple influenza infection? Its just not something a modern physician thinks about.

To top this off, swollen balls might not show up until 6 weeks after the guy has mumps! With all the other symptoms long-since resolved, Doc would have no reason at this point to think something viral is going on.

Diagnosing mumps orchitis is a problem for physicians. Theyre needing to remind one another what to look for/how to treat the pathology of mumps.

So even though the mumps vaccine was invented in 1949, because of anti-vaxers, we still get publications in the ‘British Journal of Urology’ like this, reminding everyone of the “epidemiology, aetiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis, treatment, and complications” of mumps in relation to balls, in 2010.

Way to go, Ace!

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Comments

  1. #1 D. C. Sessions
    April 3, 2010

    Well, on that subject:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZPEUFsTu3E

  2. #2 Tyler DiPietro
    April 3, 2010

    Unlike most forms of crankery, anti-vax crankery is actually a direct threat to society. These people are putting us all at risk with their delusions.

  3. #3 ERV
    April 3, 2010

    D.C.– LOL!

    Tyler– They arent just a direct threat to society. Theyre a direct threat to balls.

  4. #4 D. C. Sessions
    April 3, 2010

    They arent just a direct threat to society. Theyre a direct threat to balls.

    So does that balance the threat to society?

  5. #5 skeptifem
    April 4, 2010

    I am not sure a society of people who still find south park watchable is worth saving.

  6. #6 D. C. Sessions
    April 4, 2010

    Still?

  7. #7 Jesse
    April 4, 2010

    @2 On the other hand, the ones who become sterile are the victims of natural selection. Their parents were too stupid to get them the vaccine. Perhaps they would have been idiots as well. So long as I don’t catch anything as a result of their idiocy, I don’t see a problem. And yes, I have had my MMR vaccine.

  8. #8 Pteryxx
    April 4, 2010

    Remember the “Save Second Base” campaign for breast cancer awareness? I could totally get behind a “Save the Balls” vaccine awareness campaign. (Er, so to speak.)

  9. #9 Sili
    April 4, 2010

    Call me fascistoid, but I can’t get too upset about anything the reduces fertility. If only we could make it more effective and spray it all over the world.

    The swollen balls, I could do without, though.

  10. #10 The Curmudgeon
    April 4, 2010

    Abbie says:

    … the word of the week appears to be “BALLS!”

    I can’t wait to see what next week will bring.

  11. #11 Egor.
    April 4, 2010

    Can anyone tell me what part of being a scientist involoves making peurile jokes about reproductive organs? – I used to do this in junior school.

    >Also, their balls shrink.

    Great scientific terminology there ERV.

    Can anyone tell me what part of being a scientist involves childish internet memes usually voiced by young teens and 20 something basement dwellers? – I’ve read a few of Erv’s blog enteries and it baffles me that a person should expect to be taken seriously with such drivel. The quality of writing in this blog is usually associated with that of low-brow kitsch gutter rag british tabloids and 4chan, infact this blog’s worse. One only has to look at the quality and subjects of the responses she receives to notice her target readership is that of the currently in fashion anti-intelectuals. The blog’s a joke.

    Testicles and south park? Really ERV? Really?

    You’re a laughing stock, a jester.

  12. #12 Jesse
    April 5, 2010

    “I can’t wait to see what next week will bring. ”

    Awwww, Nuts! I was going to ask that very same question.

  13. #13 Prometheus
    April 5, 2010

    Jesse @ #7

    “On the other hand, the ones who become sterile are the victims of natural selection. Their parents were too stupid to get them the vaccine.”

    It would be hilarious if it worked that way but the only real immunity is herd immunity. Enough exposure and vaccine resistance is overwhelmed by the dipshits that didn’t vaccinate.

    Moronic infected offspring of moronic hipster doofus celebrities….they are coming to destroy our balls.

    We are going to need zombie Anthony McAuliffe to defeat them:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_McAuliffe

    Please tell George Romero. I want to see that movie.

  14. #14 Dave
    April 5, 2010

    Moronic infected offspring of moronic hipster doofus celebrities….they are coming to destroy our balls.

    Great tag line for an anti-anti-vax PSA: “Jenny McCarthy wants to destroy your balls!” That would get quite a few people’s attention.

  15. #15 scripto
    April 5, 2010

    Oh. So that’s why dad left for a week when I got the mumps.

  16. #16 Theo Bromine
    April 9, 2010

    I came down with mumps in 1977, my freshman year at university, from a completely unknown source. I had received the vaccine in the early 1970s, but it was considered to be only 90% effective at that time. It took the campus doctors a couple of hours to figure out what I had, but as soon as they did, I was immediately put into isolation at the infirmary. Since I an female, they weren’t particularly worried about me (and the vaccination probably reduced the severity of the case, though it was certainly unpleasant), but there was considerable worry among the guys in my dorm (and as this was MIT in the 1970s, most of the people in my dorm were male). Fortunately, no one else got sick.

  17. #17 Andrew
    April 10, 2010

    I guess the mumps vaccine wasn’t 100% in the mid 80s either as I also contracted mumps around a year after my first vaccination for it as well. The doctor thought it was unusual enough to take photos and document..
    I was too young to remember the swollen balls though.