Is the Widespread Hpv Vaccination of Teenage Girls a Good Idea?

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”).

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.

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

Unfortunately, there is not a vaccination to protect against every type of cancer. However, the Gardasil vaccine guards against certain strands of HPV that cause 70% of cervical cancers in women. When caught early, the Human papillomavirus is treatable, but after the virus has developed into cancer, there is no cure. Therefore, the person affected begins a painful, uncertain journey to try to save her life. The Encyclopedia of Women’s Health states, “Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection may be the most common viral sexually transmitted disease (STD) in this country. As many as 30 million Americans are infected with HPV, and each year, an additional 1 million people become infected.” (“Human Papillomavirus”). When this many people are affected by a disease that can become cancer, it would be doltish not to use available resources to prevent it. “Nationally and internationally, the HPV vaccine will significantly

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

To require a vaccine for HPV to be taken to prevent cervical cancer is unnecessary. Ninety-five percent of people diagnosed with HPV never accumulate cervical cancer. Not enough people accumulate cervical cancer to make the vaccine a requirement. If more people obtained cervical cancer from HPV the requirement of the vaccine would be more appropriate. Due to the lack of cancer receivers the vaccine should be optional.

Prophylactic vaccination against high risk human papilloma virus 16 and 18 represents an exciting means of protection against HPV related malignancy. However, this strategy alone, even if there is a level of cross protection against other oncogenic viruses, cannot completely prevent cervical cancer. In some countries cervical screening programs have reduced the incidence of invasive cervical cancer by up to 80 percent although this decline has now reached a plateau with current cancers occurring in patients who have failed to attend for screening or where the sensitivity of the tests have proved inadequate. Cervical screening is inevitably associated with significant anxiety for the many women who require investigation and treatment following abnormal cervical cytology. However, it is vitally important to stress the need for continued cervical screening to complement vaccination in order to optimize prevention in vaccines and prevent cervical cancer in older women where the value of vaccination is currently unclear. It is likely that vaccination will ultimately change the natural history of HPV disease by reducing the influence of the highly oncogenic types HPV 16 and 18. In the long term this is likely to lead to an increase in recommended screening intervals. HPV vaccination may also reduce

There are many reasons that this vaccine could be beneficial, not only to our society, but to many of the underdeveloped nations of the world in which HPV and cervical cancer are still considered to be an epidemic (MacDonald). It could save the young women who get the vaccine from the future trouble of dealing with a highly invasive cancer, as well as protect them from the embarrassment that comes with contracting a venereal disease. However, the controversy of this topic is not in whether the vaccine is a benefit to women’s health, which many, including the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control, believe that it is; but in the debate over whether it is the parents’ right, not the states’, to choose what is best for their child. The question of mandatory vaccination raises medical, moral and legal issues that are not easily reconcilable (Lovinger). Many parents are opposed to the mandating of this vaccine for three reasons. First, HPV is not spread by casual contact, as are the other diseases that children are vaccinated against for the safety of the classrooms. Second, the vaccine has only been approved for a short while, thus not all of the side effects and long term effects are known. Last, parents are afraid that by getting their child vaccinated against a sexually transmitted disease they will be encouraging promiscuity. Gardasil would become the first vaccine mandated for school-aged children that targets a

This does not offer immunity against 30% of HPV strains that are at fault for causing cervical cancer. (“Comprehensive Cancer Information - National Cancer Institute.”) Although, cervical cancer may be the second most common form of cancer found in women, it is also the easiest form to cure. Based on information by Doctor Diane Harper, whom is the lead researcher for the Gardasil vaccine, the Gardasil shot is completely unnecessary. "70 percent of all HPV infections resolve themselves without treatment within a year. Within two years, the number climbs to 90 percent. Of the remaining 10 percent of HPV infections, only half will develop into cervical cancer, which leaves little need for the vaccine." Even if women do become vaccinated with Gardasil, typical pap smears and routine checkups are still going to be necessary. That alone has already been slicing the number of cervical cancer cases per year by four percent. (“ Weekly Blitz”) Merck, the creators of Gardasil, do not even know the current duration of the vaccine. They have estimated that the effectiveness of Gardasil will last for approximately five years, and a booster vaccine will be necessary. Furthermore, Merck has been known to do anything in order to sell their medicine, they created the drug Vioxx which was a total disaster. Merck did not allot nearly enough time to test the efficiency of the Gardasil shot. Over the course of a

The benefits of receiving the HPV vaccine is according to the CDC (2017) is that it prevents genital warts and cancer is sexually active individuals. This is highly important because the infection of HPV can lead to cancer in the individual. According to the NIH National Cancer Institute (2016), states that all three of the available HPV vaccines that are out on todays market prevent HPV infection on HPV type 16 and 18. These two types of HPV are considered to be at extremely high risk for cervical cancer (NIH National Cancer Institute, 2016). The vaccine Gardasil specifically prevents HPV type 6 and 11 from giving an individual genital warts (NIH National Cancer Institute, 2016). Gardasil 9 vaccine prevents the same HPV types as Gardisal plus the following other HPV types 31, 33, 45, 52, and 48, which are considered to be high risk types for causing cancer (NIH National Cancer Institute, 2016). The third vaccine Cervarix, is no longer used in the United States to administer to patients (CDC, 2016).

Cervical cancer is met with a vaccine with both pros and cons to suppress and annihilate it indefinitely. Although both Mike Adams and Arthur Allen inform the audience of the HPV vaccine, Adams vigorously argues, without evidence, that the vaccine is dangerous to humans while Allen is more sedate and discusses opposing sides to the vaccine. The HPV vaccine has its pros and cons to people that it has created debates to come down to the conclusion of a better solution for the drug companies and the people forcing to receive it. Though the HPV vaccine promises to cure cervical cancer, it has received its fair share of criticism.

The HPV vaccine should be required because it saves lives. The HPV vaccine prevents several types of cancers. As stated earlier, the human papillomavirus can cause several types of cancer. The HPV vaccine produces antibodies that prevent the virus from infecting other cells, ultimately eliminating the risk of cancer caused by HPV. There are several statistics indicating that the vaccine saves lives. A study conducted in 2013 shows that since the introduction of the HPV vaccine, the types of HPV targeted by the vaccine have gone done 56% in females from the ages of 14 to 19. In a matter of 7 years, the numbers have reduced tremendously. Another study shows that the rates of HPV vaccines correlates with the rates of cervical cancer.

Genital human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted virus in the United States. Most sexually active people will have genital HPV at some time in their lives. Most people who have genital HPV don’t know they have it. There are often no symptoms, and it goes away on its own, without causing any serious health problems. HPV is passed on through genital contact, and you can pass HPV to others without knowing it. There is no cure for HPV, but there

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).

Most sexually active individuals will have detectable human papillomavirus (HPV) at least once in their lifetime. 14 million people are infected annually, and 79 million people have the prevalent infection. Approximate 5% of the cancers globally are HPV-associated anogenital or oral cancers (1). HPV is transmitted frequently between partners; more frequent transmission has been reported from females to males than from males to females (2). The incidence of anal and oral cancers related to HPV is increasing in the general population and is growing even faster among individuals who are immunocompromised because of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection (3, 4). Two prophylactic vaccines (Gardasil and Cervarix) have been approved for a decade. Recently, the nonavalent vaccine including additional high-risk HPV types is promised to provide more coverage against cervical cancers (5). The HPV vaccine is recommended routinely for 11- or 12-year-olds, as well as for young men through age 21 years and young women through age 26 years who have not previously been vaccinated. HPV vaccine is also recommended for men who have sex with men (MSM), people living with HIV/AIDS, and immunocompromised persons through age 26 years. However, the high-risk HPV types included in the nonavalent vaccine contribute little to anal, oropharyngeal, penile, vulvar and vaginal cancer (5, 6).