The Health Belief Model And Human Papilloma Virus Vaccination Among Young Women

Throughout the world, HPV is also very prevalent. Cervical cancer from HPV is the second most common cancer in women living in underdeveloped countries (WHO, 2016). Many of these underdeveloped and lower income countries do have access now to the common forms of the HPV vaccine. In 2008, more than 500,000 new cases of HPV were reported worldwide (WHO, 2016). The prevalence of cases throughout the world is about 79 million reported cases (WHO, 2016).

In addition, the immune system of most women will usually suppress or eliminate HPVs. This is very important because only an ongoing persistent infection has the potential to lead to cervical cancer (HPV). Eleven thousand cases of this kind of cancer were confirmed in 2007 in the United States; the amount undiagnosed is still unclear but believed to be in the tens of thousands. But to give some perspective of the problem you need to understand its effects on a global level. On the world wide scale cervical cancer strikes nearly half a million women each year, claiming more than a quarter of a million lives. “High risk” HPV types 16 and 18 are implicated in Seventy percent of cervical cancers and are hence selected for vaccine targets (The HPV).

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a killer. It is an awful disease that is the culprit of many deaths each year. We have the means for its prevention, yet HPV vaccination for girls is a controversial topic to some. This controversy carries over to the current question on whether or not males should also be vaccinated. The issue is starting to play a huge role in the media; Fox news recently broadcasted a story on male HPV vaccinations. This story makes clear the benefits that would come from vaccinating males, including a statement from the Center for Disease Control that, “The HPV vaccine will afford protection against certain HPV-related conditions and cancers in males, and vaccination of males with HPV may also provide indirect protection

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

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.

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

Assumptions for this analysis are conservative. The number of death prevented could be underestimated as less common HPV-related cancers, for example, anal cancer, are not included in the analysis. Additionally, race and ethnicity disparities could impact the mortality rate. Since black women have the highest cervical cancer mortality rate compared to other races ("The HPV Vaccine: Access and Use in the U.S.," 2015), and Georgia has a relatively large black population, the number of death caused by cervical cancer could be higher than estimated. Therefore, cost-effectiveness of HPV vaccine is potentially underestimated and the cost of each death prevented could be

In addition, the article provides an overview of the disease, ways of transmission, vaccinations, emerging issues, and the role of a community health provider especially nurse practitioners (NP). The various databases to obtain the up-to-date information were reviewed in the paper. It states that promoting of HPV vaccination was especially vital because of the fact that 100% of the cases of cervical cancer were attributed to HPV and the vaccine was “the best method for primary prevention (Scott & Batty, 2016).

Almost all cervical carcinomas are caused by Human papillomavirus (HPV). Cervical cancer can be a life-threating disease. However, over recent years the occurrence of cervical cancer has declined as well as the chance of dying from it. A huge contributing factor to this decline is the importance of a regular pap smear. A pap smear can find cervical pre-cancer before it turns into cancer. Recently, a vaccine for HPV, has been on the market, which provides close to a 100% protection against pre-cancer and general warts. HPV and cervical cancer are two disease that are closely related. However, each disease effects not only similar populations, but also different populations, as well as having its own signs and symptoms, detection procedures,

Gardasil has been tested in thousands of women and found to be nearly 100% effective in protecting against diseases caused by the four HPV types. Side effects are very uncommon and the occurrence is about 1%. Not only are HPV vaccinations safe, and effective but in today’s society it seems that they have become necessary. “An estimated 493,000 cervical cancer cases occur each year with 274,000 deaths. More than 80% of cervical cancer deaths worldwide occur in developing countries. Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women”. If there is a cure of this kind of epidemic, it is evident that it is necessary.

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.

By limiting the number of sexual partners one has, getting vaccinated, and using condoms, one can significantly reduce his or chances of contracting a high risk HPV that can cause a cancer(1). A study in Australia has proved the effectiveness of the vaccine. Nathan Seppa in his article, “HPV vaccination proves its worth in Australia” states that, "Those who received all three shots were 54 percent as likely as unvaccinated women to have precancerous cervical growth and two-thirds as likely to have other abnormal cervical cell growth”(2). This demonstrates that there are steps people can take to prevent contracting HPV and in turn prevent cancers associated with certain HPVs.

After reading the article about the human papillomavirus (HPV), my curiosity spiked. As a mother of 2 girls, I will have to decide soon if the HPV vaccine is one I want my children to receive. I have head multiple arguments for and against the HPV vaccine, but have done little research on my own. As always, it is amazing how many questions can be answered and cleared by a few hours of research and self-education. Some of the amazing facts gathered include the discovery that it only takes one infected sexual partner in an entire lifetime to contract the HPV virus, 80% of sexually active people will contract the disease while experiencing no symptoms, and the virus is contracted via skin to skin contact making it very infectious.

Cases show that over 4,000 people die from a cancer caused by HPV every year. This HPV vaccine is virtually 100% effective in preventing the lesions, which in turn prevents most cervical cancers caused by HPV. This vaccine is said to mirror the Hepatitis B vaccine which can last up to thirty years! The vaccine is also very safe. Case studies have been done on over one million women, and no one has come through with any side effects. This vaccine doesn’t prevent you from all sexually transmitted diseases, and it also isn’t sure to prevent you from all types of Human Papillomaviruses, just the ones that are more likely to cause cervical

As many as 1,400 women in Canada are diagnosed with cancer of the cervix each year. More than 400 die from it (Mah et al, 2011).