the hot shot; With rates of HPV on the rise and the controversy surrounding the cervical-cancer vaccine gaining force, Alexis Jetter talks with a maverick researcher who offers a bold new prescription.(human papillomavirus)(Interview)

Byline: Alexis Jetter

Diane Harper had her first-and worst-pelvic exam at age eighteen. An ancient physician wielded his speculum like a can opener and never uttered a word. "That left an indelible mark," says Harper, a spear of a woman with spiky blonde hair and laser-blue eyes. "And it made me wonder: How can we screen for cancer and not scare people to death?"

The Kansas native shelved any lingering thoughts about cancer-until one year later, when she got word that her mother, Dorothy, was dying from it. She, too, had gotten "body part" care from her doctor, Harper says. The surgeon who removed Dorothy's breast never told her when-or even where-to ...