Teens and Cervical Cancer
Why Gardasil Should Be Mandatory
What is it? Gardasil is a vaccine that can blocks infection from those strains of HPV (Human papilloma virus), that are the most common cause of cervical cancer. According to cnn.health, cervical cancer is the number 2 cancer in women, resulting in 470,000 new cases and 233,000 deaths worldwide each year. Gardasil is only effective prior to infection: as a result, the recommendation is for the vaccines to be given prior to the start of sexual activity. Many states are considering making this vaccine mandatory for middle school girls.
Why the controversy? Some fear that mass immunizations will confer a tacit approval of early sexual behavior. They worry that the protection the vaccine offers will remove one of the dangers of early sexual behavior, thus encouraging more girls to become sexually active.
Faulty Logic. It’s questionable that a fear of cervical cancer is keeping girls from engaging in sex to begin with. Plus, there are still other consequences, like AIDS, pregnancy, and other STD’s. The claim that adding more protections encourages dangerous behavior is just plain illogical. That’s like saying that we shouldn’t put seatbelts in cars because that will encourage people to drive recklessly. As responsible people, we want our kids to have all the protections they can get.
Double standard. Let’s face it, no matter how we try to pretend otherwise, we get more up in arms over the idea of our girls having sex than we would if the conversation was about boys. But here’s another way to look at it: What if we discovered that prostate cancer was caused by an STD, and we had a vaccine that could prevent it if it was given to boys before they became sexually active? Would there even be a debate? The fact that we are squeamish about our daughters having sex shouldn’t impact the comprehensiveness of their health care. Is cancer a fitting punishment for promiscuity?
Financial factors. One of the core reasons for making the vaccine mandatory is to increase availability. As it stands now, the three-dose regimen costs patients $360. The cost makes it prohibitive for many patients; it can also impact medical practitioners’ ability to keep an adequate supply of the vaccine on hand. Making Gardasil part of the compulsory vaccine panel ensures that all girls, not just those informed and affluent enough, have access.
By the way. Yesterday I took my two-year-old daughter to the pediatrician. Waiting in line, I saw a mother and her teenage daughter on their way out, and it was clear from what I overheard of their conversation with the nurse that the young girl had just received the Gardasil vaccine. After they left, I commented to the nurse that I was aware of the controversy around the vaccine, and asked if many girls had been brought in to get it. She told me that not only had many of the practice’s patients and their families made the decision to go ahead with this vaccine, but also that the doctors’ own daughters had been among the first to get immunized. That’s enough of a recommendation for me.
Also check out The Truth About Girl Power and New Cigarette Targets Girls.
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