HPV/Cervical Cancer Vaccine
So at the Womyn's Center meeting on Tuesday, we spent a while talking about the HPV vaccine, and how you can apparently get it for pretty cheap at the Health Center. (Which I personally had no idea about! Did you know you can also get a cheap gyno exam including pap smear?) Hopefully, WC will be doing something later this semester to get the word out about HPV, the HPV vaccine, and the Health Center's women's health services in general.
In the meantime, check out this website for info on HPV and the vaccine. You can also read this article from The American Prospect about why schools should consider making the HPV vaccine required to ensure that low-income girls will get it.
I'm interested to see if any states will end up making the HPV vaccine mandatory... it is certainly a good idea from a public health standpoint, as low-income women are less likely to have regular gynecological exams and therefore less likely to catch HPV or cervical cancer in its early stages. At least half of sexually active people get HPV in their lifetime (yikes!!!!), and cervical cancer is the second leading cancer killer in women.
However, you can just imagine there will be a huge uproar from conservatives about immunizing 6th grade girls against a sexually transmitted disease, using the same logic that keeps condoms and birth control education out of schools - kids weren't gonna have sex before, but now that you've talked about it and given them the opportunity to do it safely, well, now they will! *roll eyes* Maybe there would be a better reception if it is talked about as a "cervical cancer vaccine" than as a HPV vaccine? Thoughts?
Labels: health
posted by Caro at 5:57 PM
1 Comments:
An interesting thing to note is that Merck (the company which created the vaccine) is considering using their advertisments as a part of the "abstinance" policy for sex education. Since the only way to 100% protect yourself against HPV is abstaining from any sexual contact (not just intercourse), Merck has promised the FDA that it supports the abstinance policy in it's commercials. From a business standpoint, I think it's genius. Their mentality is the same as mine: True, the only way to prevent getting HPV (ie a virus that 80% of americans will get) is by never EVER having ANY kind of sexual contact. Clearly, thats just not going to happen. So best be safe and get the vaccine. I love it.
Cervical Cancer affects so many women around the world, and is just as deadly as other cancers, yet for some reason does not recieve as much attention as Breast Cancer. Furthermore, I believe that by spreading awareness about the virus (ie how common it is) it will rid the stigma. Yes, it is most commonly transmitted by sexual contact, but you've got to remember that you can still get HPV even if you haven't ever had sex. It is nothing to be ashamed of, considering the numbers of people affected by it. Technically, by getting HPV, you are joining the majority.
The prospect of cervical cancer is a scary one, especially for teenagers and college students. Which is why you should get a pap-smear at least once a year. The majority of women who have developed severe cervical dysplasia (pre-cancerous condition of cervical cells) did not recieve regular pap smears.
It's also important to talk to your doctor about getting the shot. Not all women can recieve the vaccine. For more information check out this website:
www.tellsomeone.ca or
I'm really happy the WC is supporting me in this project. I will update you all soon!
12:18 PM
Post a Comment
<< Home