A Research Study On The Vaccination Schedule

HPV is so common in the United States that nearly all men and women will contract the virus at some point during life (Center for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2017). In the United States, in 2008, it is reported that 3.2 million, or one in four adolescent women, ages 14 to 19 have had or have an STD (Kostas-Polston et al., 2012). The rate of HPV cases has only increased since 2008. The prevalence of a genital infection with any HPV type was 42.5% among United States during 2013–2014 (CDC, 2017). The incidence of HPV in the United States is about 14 million people each year.

The HPV vaccine reception has been similar to that of the hepatitis vaccine in that both are seen as an attack on morality, and are considered by some as a license for promiscuity. In the book Vaccine Allen quotes, ‘ “ If a 10- or 12-year-old is given a vaccine to protect against a sexually transmitted disease, then it’s implied they’d be engaging in risky sexual behavior,” said Pia de Solenni, director of “life and women’s issues” for the Family Research Council’ (433). The fact that HPV lives in the sexual organs and is spread by sexual intercourse or intravenous drug use has caused many parents to come to the belief that their children are not at risk. Some parents go so far as to suggest that if

HPV vaccinations bring up many public health and ethical issues. Some states want to require vaccines for school attendance. In the academic journal article “HPV Vaccination’s Second Act: Promotion, Competition, and Compulsion”, author Jason Schwartz states that, “Although some argue that HPV vaccines should never be mandated for school attendance, the temptation for policymakers to revisit this ethical and policy debate must be resisted until HPV vaccination has successfully become a routine, trusted component of adolescent medical care” (Schwartz). This train of thought exemplifies the opposition to HPV vaccination in this country, which restricts us in immunizing possible victims as effectively as possible. If the ignorance towards the vaccine continues, there will not be a powerful impact in decreasing rates of HPV infections.

Human papillomavirus is currently affecting the entire US population without discrimination. To mitigate this, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended that adolescent girls be required to vaccinate at age 11 – 12 while boys were optional (Kepka et al., 2016). Today, adolescent boys are required to vaccinate too. The focus of this research is about adolescent boys age 12 – 15 in the United States (US). However, the study is not focused on assessing the population at risk. Instead, the focus will be on the state and territory immunization programs that are responsible for meeting the Healthy People 2020 goals for HPV vaccination in males. The sample size will be extracted from the population.

HPV is by far the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States. Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 50 percent of all sexually active men and women will get it at some point in their lives, and 20 million already have it. A vaccine is available that prevents 70% of cervical cancers that arise from sexual intercourse. The human papillomavirus is unknowingly common and is diagnosed in 10,000 women a year, causing 4,000 deaths per year (“HPV Question and Answers”). If we take the responsibility to vaccinate young girls and boys, to be safe, we can eliminate many unnecessary deaths. This vaccine is a great discovery that should be put to good use, the HPV vaccine should be mandated in young teens everywhere.

“Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a sexually transmitted infection (STI)…it is the most prevalent STI in the United States, with strains causally linked to oropharyngeal and other cancers”. (Osazuwa-Peters p.1) It is understandable why people want to prevent such a virus. Since the FDA approval of HPV vaccines, in 2006, there have been many positive unobtrusive ways that states have adopted to prevent or control HPV, such as public education about the disease, legislation on funding, HPVcervical cancer screening. However, some states have attempted to mandate children to take the vaccine

One of the Healthy People 2020 initiatives or goals that I want to discuss is sexually transmitted diseases. According to Healthy People 2020 (2015) their goal is to “promote healthy sexual behaviors, strengthen community capacity, and increase access to quality services to prevent sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and their complications.” One of their objectives in this area is to reduce HPV (human papillomavirus) infections females. I would hope to reduce the incidence of this infection by promoting safe sex, health screenings and immunizations to adolescent and adult women. Certain subtypes of HPV can lead to cervical cancer and anogenital warts (Pomfret, Gagnon Jr, & Gilchrist, 2011).

The incidence of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) in my local community Lockport, Illinois is one out of every five people have HPV and due to the vaccinations to prevent HPV, Illinois ranks 48th among the United States for incidences of HPV (Manchir, 2013). HPV is a sexually transmitted infection that is transmitted through sexual contact. HPV is transmitted during vaginal, oral, or anal sex and on rare occasions, through birth during delivery (Illinois Department of Public Health [IDPH], 2013). Surprisingly, 50 percent of men and women that are active sexually will acquire HPV during their lifetime! HPV has affected 20 million Americans and an astounding, six million additional people will become infected every year (Illinois Department of Public Health [IDPH], 2013). Although Lockport Illinois has a lower amount of people with HPV, as a public health nurse, I realize this is an issue that needs to be addressed in my local community. Awareness is the key to prevention. Teenagers, parents, and all adults need to

There are many ethical and legal issues that count against a mandatory HPV vaccination for all girls aged 11-12 years old. First, the long-term safety and effectiveness of the vaccination is unknown (Javitt et al., 2008). Clinical trials conducted on the HPV vaccine concluded no short-term adverse effects, but as more girls and young women begin to get the vaccine some adverse effects may appear (Javitt et al., 2008). The extent immunity of the HPV vaccine is also unclear. Studies have shown the vaccine to be present in 3-4 year follow-ups, but the long-term effectiveness has not been studied (Javitt et al., 2008). Furthermore, HPV has a long incubation period, which would only affect a small amount of individuals many years after they finish school (Stewart, 2008).

Lack of education, and therefore lack of knowledge, regarding the vaccine and HPV consequences are a major barrier to compliance (Richman, 2016). Lack of knowledge greatly influences all three of the major spheres of the Health Belief Model: perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, and perceived efficacy. “The HBM can be used as a model for health care professionals to help modify behavior…health care providers should specifically focus on emphasizing to their college-aged patients the high risk of acquiring HPV and that the vaccine is effective” (MacArthur, 2017, p. 333). A study by MacArthur examined various aspects of the HBM in relation to HPV vaccine compliance among college students and found that while students believed the vaccine to be efficacious, their perceived threat of the

Many believed or thought that by receiving the HPV vaccination, girls and boys are more likely to engage in sexually risky behavior than girls and boys who did not receive the vaccine. One must ask themselves, does this vaccine actually cause promiscuity among those who have received it? A study was conducted in Ontario to test the effect that the HPV vaccine had on sexual behavior among adolescent girls. The study was conducted on girls in 8th Grade who before (2005-2007) and after (2007-2009) the girls received the vaccine. The results of the study concluded that there was no evidence that the HPV vaccine had any effect on sexual behavior of adolescent girls (Smith, L. M., Kaufman, J. S., Strumpf, E. C., & Lévesque, L. E.). These results suggest that concerns over increased promiscuity following HPV vaccination are unwarranted and should not deter from vaccinating at a young

The information provided by student Cheryl Gordon pertains to today’s society. The world is getting smaller therefore the risk of contracting an illness increases significantly. Government officials have created many reforms in order to make the necessary and positive changes to have at least the majority of children vaccinated before they enter the school system (Capron, 2015). These precautions have been mandated due to the increase research of the benefits of vaccinations. Children that young are more susceptible of contracting more illnesses. This is why it is important for them to be vaccinated against preventable diseases. One example is the recommendation for routine HPV vaccination for females 11-12 years of age (Klein & Luedtke,

In an online survey, the survey administrator and his team asked over fifteen hundred parents of 11-17 year old children whether they agreed that laws requiring HPV vaccination for sixth grade school entry were “a good idea” about half of the parent believed the HPV vaccine, was at least as important as the Tdap and Meningococcal vaccines, the other two recommended for adolescent, only forty percent believed the vaccine prevented cervical cancer. Nearly a quarter of the parents inaccurately believed the vaccine might cause long term health problems and one

The Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the virus responsible for cervical cancer. It is one the most common viral sexually transmitted infections. A vaccine was approved in 2006 that is effective in preventing the types of HPV responsible for 70% of cervical cancers and 90% of genital warts. Proposals for routine and mandatory HPV vaccination of girls have become sources of controversy for parents of school-aged youth, legislators, members of the medical community, and the public at large (Cooper et al. 2010).

Specific purpose: To persuade my audience why they should give their pre-teen the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine.