The Truth About Human Papillomavirus

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”).

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).

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

What is HPV (human papilloma virus)? HPV is the most common STI (sexually transmitted infection). There is a definite link with cervical cancer, which can cause other cancers. The Gardasil vaccine was approved in 2006 and the key age for this vaccine is eleven years old (Whitehead). Moreover, females can get vaccinated up to the age of twenty-six and the vaccine will still be effective. In, addition, males can be vaccinated up to the age of twenty-one and the vaccine will still be effective (Whitehead). However, vaccinations are still not widely accepted and often have a bad reputation associated with them which makes it harder to propose the idea of vaccination. When vaccinating younger children parents are the main controversy (Whitehead). Many parents do not feel the need to vaccinate their child against a sexually transmitted infection because the key age for this vaccination is eleven years old. Many parents do not want to think that their young child could ever be sexually active. However, the reason for vaccination at such a young age is to prevent HPV from ever being a problem. In addition, the vaccine, Gardasil, is effective against HPV types 6, 11, 16, and 18 (FDA). Furthermore, there is a link between Gardasil vaccination and race within society as a whole. This link can widen racial inequality more than it diminishes racial inequality.

The HPV vaccine should be required on the grounds that it will reduce sexually transmitted infections in the United States. The human papillomavirus is spread and contracted through sexual intercourse. Around twenty million people have the human papillomavirus in the United States (Creel). An abundance of people do not realize that they have been infected by the human papillomavirus since it has no symptoms, thus making the virus dangerous. If a person has the human papilloma virus and does not acquire treatment, it can lead to cancer or genital warts. Women might learn if they have contracted the human papilloma virus if they have a Pap smear test done. Unfortunately, men are not able to know if they have the virus unless they develop genital warts or cancer. Research shows that the HPV vaccine, "produces a strong immune response when tested" (Creel). If a person decides to receive the vaccine when required and is ever exposed to the virus the chances of contracting the virus are extremely low. As of today, studies show that both HPV vaccines can reduce the risk of contracting cancer and genital warts

Approximately 500,000 new cases of cervical cancer occur each year worldwide, 260,000 of which are fatal. In the U.S., it is estimated that there were over 9,700 cases of cervical cancer in 2006, and of these 3,700 resulted in deaths”. Vaccinations are one of the most successful public health approaches to preventing and controlling infectious diseases. According to the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices the vaccine has been proven to be virtually 100% effective against the two types of HPV that are responsible for some 70% of cervical cancers.

Human papilloma virus, or HPV, is a sexually transmitted infection, and the more sex partners someone has, the bigger their risk. Now, a study out this week shows there’s a silent epidemic of HPV-related cancers among men. In fact, the study found that men are more likely to be infected with cancer-causing oral HPV strains than women, suggesting there are more throat cancers in men than cervical cancer in women.

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.

Thesis statement: Healthcare providers should educate the parents of 11-12 year old boys and girls about human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and the HPV vaccine because HPV infection is prevalent and the chance of an adolescent being infected is high, persistent infection with the high-risk types 16 and 18 can cause serious health problems, and in order to assure effectiveness, the vaccine must be administered prior to contact with the virus.

Human papilloma virus (HPV) is a name derived from group of viruses that affect the human skin and other moist areas found in the human body, such as the cervix, anus, mouth and throat. There are more than 100 species of HPV, of which only thirty of them affect the genital area. Genital HPV is very contagious and are spread during sexual intercourse and skin to skin of the genital areas. Some HPV can be physically detected, when there are visible genital warts seen around the site. HPV that do not exhibit clinical symptoms are known as sub-clinical HPV, which connotes that they are not visible, neither do they have recognizable symptoms (Women 's health specialist, November, 2009). Most of the time, Sub - clinical HPV is discovered when there is an abnormal results from pap smear. On the other hand, research also shows that men do encounter sub-clinical HPV, but the test does not work for them. Therefore, men may have it without knowing.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most common sexually transmitted viral infections in the United States. There are nearly 1 out of 4 women who have been diagnosed with HPV (CDC, 2015). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that at least 80% of women acquire a genital HPV infection by the age of 50 (CDC, 2015). HPV is an important topic that needs to be discussed because it has been estimated that 6.2 million cases of HPV has been reported (CDC, 2015). HPV is one third of all new sexual transmitted infections (CDC, 2015).

Cervical cancer is the second foremost occurring cancer in women after breast cancer. Cervical cancer is a sexually transmitted disease caused by the human papillomavirus, or HPV. Infection by HPV typically occurs in the early years of sexual activity according to the World Health Organization (WHO), but it can take up to a full twenty years for it to develop into a full-blown malignant tumor. Scientists believe that for all intents and purposes all cervical cancer cases are caused by infection with a few types of cancer. Great strides have been made in recent years in the development of a vaccine to treat the cervical cancer. Scientists have cultivated a prophylactic vaccine that would protect against the human papillomavirus. HPV's

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most prevalent virus in the human population. Almost all people will be exposed to HPV infections in their lifetime. HPV-associated cancers comprise 5% of all human cancers. Two prophylactic vaccines that are designed to block the four most prevalent HPV types (>150 types) in the genital infection have reduced the incidence in the vaccinated population. However, the vaccines offer no therapeutic effect against pre-existing infections. Furthermore, the vaccination completion rate was 26 % overall. The large unvaccinated population will continue to be at the risk of developing HPV-associated diseases and cancers until an effective treatment is available.

Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is a very common virus hearty 80 million people are currently infected in the us.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), we know that Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a kind of severe sexually transmitted infection (STI) and it is so common that the majority of sexually active people may infect HPV during their lives. The majority of HPV infections cause no severe symptoms and can be resolved spontaneously in two years. But some of them preserve and lead to premalignant condition or warts. The premalignant condition will increase the danger of several kinds of cancers, such as the cervix cancer, vulva cancer, vagina cancer, mouth cancer and throat cancer. According to the information from the CDC and WHO, HPV16 and HPV18 are two kinds of high risk HPVs, which may cause cervical cancer among women; HPV6 and HPV11 are considered to be the common causes of genital warts and respiratory papillomatosis.[2]