Hpv Essay

What is the Human Papillomavirus? Commonly known as HPV, it is an infection that spreads through sexual contact. There are over one hundred different types of HPV; several types cause genital warts, while other high risk strands can lead to cancer of the cervix, anus, vagina, and penis. Because HPV is often asymptomatic, many people are unaware of their infection status, and thus, their potential for transmitting the virus to a sexual partner. The significance of the Human Papillomavirus is that fifty percent of Americans who are sexually active will contract it within their lives, and at any given point there are twenty million Americans already infected with it (“By the numbers: HPV Vaccine”).

Instead, if people saw how serious this virus is, then they may be able to more clearly see how beneficial the vaccinations are. HPV is so common and prevalent in today’s society that it will infect 75% – 80% of both males and females throughout their lifetime. Those infected with specific

The HPV virus has gone unseen by many until the recent controversy over the vaccine. However, this virus is thought to be one of the world’s most wide spread STD’s. “According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 6.2 million women and men are newly infected every year” with HPV. HPV has over 100 strains, with more than thirty that are sexually transmitted. Some of these strains are known to cause cervix, vulva, vagina, anus, or penis cancers and others can cause genital warts. “Studies have found the vaccine to be almost 100% effective in preventing diseases caused by the four HPV types covered by the vaccine—including precancers of the cervix, vulva and vagina, and genital warts” (“HPV Questions and

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).

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is a widespread sexually transmitted infection. Approximately 14 million Americans are infected with HPV each year ("HPV Vaccine for Preteens and Teens,"). HPV also causes several types of cancers, such as vaginal cancer and anal cancer. More than 27,000 women and men are affected by a HPV-related cancer annually ("The Link Between HPV and Cancer,"). The most common HPV cancers for women and men are cervical cancer, and oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers, respectively. Research has demonstrated that many cancers caused by HPV can be prevented by the HPV vaccine, which is administered in 3 doses over 6 months ("The

(Attention Getter) The Center for Disease Control reports that 100% of sexually active men and women contract genital HPV

The HPV vaccine is cancer prevention. Over thousands of cases of HPV cancers are detected every year in men and women. The HPV vaccination is important because it can prevent these cancers. The United States Food and Drug Administration approved this vaccine and it is one hundred percent safe. This vaccine is preventive care for the second leading cancer in women. It has been proven to be one hundred percent effective in prevention of cervical cancer, but the vaccine must be given to children between the age of 11 -17 before they become sexually active. After the age seventeen with young women most become sexually active and receive their first pap smear from their gynecologist, receiving the vaccine at this point is not as effective in prevention of cancers. Another benefit of receiving the vaccine during adolescent, is it supports people who may not have the medical knowledge or access to regular medical services.

Cumulatively, the prevention and treatment of HPV and its associated diseases are responsible for a staggering approximately 8 billion in

Often times these HPV infection goes away over the course of one or two years due to elimination of the infected cells by the body’s immune system, making it hard to know when or from whom a person got the virus. However, sometimes these infected cells are not destroyed, and a persistent infection results and grows, developing mutations in genes, leading to the formation of warts and cancers (“HPV and Cancer”). The term “papilloma” actually refers to warts that results from some HPV types (“Information About the Human Papillomavirus”). HPV is the most common cause of genital and common warts (“HPV Infection”). Genital warts appear as small, flat, cauliflower-like bumps mostly on the vulva for women and penis and scrotum or around the anus for men. (Ibid.) These genital warts rarely cause discomfort or pain, though they may itch (Ibid.). Common warts usually occurs on hands, fingers or elbows with rough, raised bumps (Ibid.). The majority of common warts are unsightly, but they can be also painful and lead to injury or bleeding (Ibid.). Often, warts are confused with other skin problem that are not sexually transmitted and since they are contagious, it is easy to spread it by contact with a wart or with something that touched the wart (Ibid.). Small number of infection with high-risk HPV can cause cancers such as cervical, oropharyngeal, anal or other rarer cancers, and amongst these types of cancers, cervical cancer is the most frequently appeared cancer (Ibid.). HPV is a well-established cause of cervical cancer. About 12,000 women in the US get cervical cancer each year and nearly all of those cases are associated with HPV (Ibid.). Many people have misunderstanding of the relationship between warts and cancer, however, warts are not cancerous and cancers are caused by different HPV

Among the many arguments for mandatory HPV vaccination, the foremost is that it is an important medical achievement and a major public health milestone. This vaccine has proven to be one-hundred percent effective in preventing the 4 HPV strains that are responsible for seventy percent of cervical cancers and ninety percent of genital warts. In addition, no serious side effects have been identified. Because this vaccine is a preventive measure, administration before onset of sexual activity is ideal; however, even females who have been sexually active can still benefit from this vaccination (Perkins et al., 2010). Nationally and internationally, the HPV vaccine will significantly reduce disease burden by reducing monetary and psychological costs of invasive procedures that remove precancerous and cancerous lesions. By combining vaccination with routine Pap smear screening, these public health efforts have the remarkable opportunity to eradicate cervical cancer (Ramet et al., 2011).

Subpoint 1: According to the CDC (2008), HPV is the most common sexually transmitted disease. Approximately 20 million people are currently infected with the virus in the United States (Myers et al., 2000). About 6.2 million Americans get a new genital HPV infection each year

There are over a 100 strands of human papillomaviruses and more that they are still researching. Human papillomaviruses are small, double-stranded DNA viruses that infect the epithelium and turns into cells that are infected. About 79 million Americans are currently infected with HPV. About 14 million will be infected with it annually. With millions of people getting these strands of HPV, Parents need to think twice about not vaccinating their children on this and look at the big

The family of Human Papilloma Virus contains a massive number of genitivally related Viruses. Many can cause warts, including warts that are commonly found on the skin.

A sexually transmitted agent, human papillomavirus (HPV) is the causative agent for genital warts and most invasive forms of cervical cancer and other cancers of the anogenital tract (Trottier & Franco, 2006). In the United States (US), about 80 million people are infected with at least one strain of HPV, resulting to a prevalence rate of 50-80% among sexually active adolescents. This ranks HPV infections among the most commonly diagnosed sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in the US (Faridi, Zahra, Khan, & Idrees, 2011; Gerend & Shepherd, 2012). According to (Gerend & Shepherd, 2012)), an estimated 12,000 cases of invasive cervical cancer, and 4,000 resulting deaths occur in the US annually due to low HPV vaccine uptake, thus predisposing sexually active adolescents to HPV infection (Baseman & Koutsky, 2005; Trottier & Franco, 2006). HPV vaccines have been shown to be safe and effective in preventing genital warts, and cancers of the anogenital tract, yet parental consent to vaccinate is still very low. The low vaccination rate can be attributed to vaccine safety concerns, “license” for adolescents to engage in sexual intercourse, lack of knowledge among the US population about HPV as a cause of genital warts and cancer, its mode of transmission, cost, and missed opportunities by HCPs to either recommend or administer the vaccine to adolescents (Dempsey & Zimet, 2008; Faridi et al., 2011). A child’s HCP is consistently cited as the determining factor in parental vaccine