With the new HPV vaccine in the midst of controversy, I thought I would put in my two cents. First let’s get to the nitty-gritty of what cervical cancer is and where it comes from. Click on the link below if you would like more information.

Cervical cancer is caused by certain types of a common virus called HPV or human papillomavirus. The disease involves abnormal and uncontrolled growth of the cells that make up the cervix. There are more than 100 types of the virus. Most are low risk types and do not cause cervical cancer. High risk (cancer-causing) types‚ however‚ can cause the development of abnormal cells that can lead to cancer of the cervix. Contrary to what many people think‚ cervical cancer is not a hereditary condition. In fact‚ scientists have proved that it’s caused by certain types of a virus called the human papillomavirus or HPV.

Approximately 20 million people are currently infected with HPV. It is highly transmittable and often carries no symptoms or warning signs, making it very easy to inadvertently pass along to someone else. At least 50 percent of sexually active men and women acquire genital HPV infection at some point in their lives. By age 50, at least 80 percent of women will have acquired genital HPV infection. About 6.2 million Americans get a new genital HPV infection each year.

In the last year, a new vaccine for HPV was released. It is designed for women between the ages of 9 and 26, and does not protect against all forms of HPV. It does, however, protect from the types that are known to cause cervical cancer. HPV is in fact responsible for roughly 90% of all cervical cancer indicents; 10,000 women in the US are diagnosed annually in the US, and rougly 4,000 women lose their lives each year to the cancer.

Now, I don’t know about you, but if I had a daughter, I would want her to get this vaccine- I would want my child protected. So, what’s all the fuss about? Opponents of this vaccine suggest that vaccinating a young girl for HPV will give her the idea that she can run around and have unprotected sex anytime she feels like it. This is ridiculous! You’re going to deny protection from a deadly cancer because you are worried about your child “getting the wrong idea?”… Yikes.

First, I would hope that every young daughter is talked to about early pregnancy and about far more serious transmitted diseases, such as HIV. Along with this I assume every good parent discusses with their child the idea of making good choices in life. That said, I highly doubt that your daughter is going to be sitting around making a decision about having sex based on the possibility of getting cervical cancer later in life, especially if you’ve educated her about it.

Another thing to consider is the idea that this virus is only going to be transmitted because of a “poor choices”. Many people can carry the virus for years and never know they have it because of the lack of symptoms. This is true especially for men, and up until recently there hasn’t been a proper test available to even check for it! Some cases of HPV aren’t even spread through sexual contact at all!

I would agree that the vaccine doesn’t necessarily need to be mandatory, after all it’s not a highly contagious disease like measles or whooping cough, but it should definitely be offered and recommended to all mother’s and daughters. Vaccinating your child against something that is a known cause of cervical cancer should require no debate at all in my mind. Assuming you’ve done all that you can to educate your daughter about sex and the dangers, than her choice will be made regardless of the threat of cervical cancer.

Go to the HPV Vaccine Site for more information about the vaccine and where you can get it. This site also has good information about a new test that is offered. Many of us may be past the age for this vaccine to be of use to us, but we can still make a difference for our daughters.

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