Cervical Cancer Vaccine: Cure or Curse?

As early as next year, women could see a new shot on the market. This shot, called Gardasil, protects against two strains of HPV (Human Papilloma Virus) that cause cervical cancer, plus two additional types of HPV that do not cause cancer. The vaccine appears to be 100% effective against preventing HPV, but will not eliminate cervical cancer altogether mainly because HPV is not the only culprit that causes cervical cancer. Vaccinated women will still be required to get annual pap smears to check for the

According to the San Francisco Chronicle “Exactly how the vaccine is used will be largely determined by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), a panel of experts assembled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.” Some say the vaccine should be given to young women right before the onset or puberty and some disagree. The makers of the vaccine, Merck & Co. and Glaxo Smithkline target the use of the shot towards girls, but also urge it could be given to boys to limit the spread of the virus.

Conservative citizens for the shot say they wouldn’t mind making the shot available, but it shouldn’t be mandatory. Some adolescent doctors feel it is sending the message that “we expect you to be sexually active” or “it is ok to be sexually active.” Others say that parents should ultimately make the choice whether their child is given the shot or not.

But what about the inevitable amount of children that will be sexually active regardless of the shot? Wouldn’t it be a smart idea to have them vaccinated? No matter how much you talk about abstinence you will have those children that are going to have sex because they want to.

Alan Kaye, executive director of the National Cervical Cancer Coalition, likened the vaccine to wearing a seat belt. “Just because you wear a seat belt doesn’t mean you’re seeking out an accident,” Kaye said.

Maybe the answer is making the shot available to those who want it. You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make him drink. Teenagers over 13 years of age should not need parental consent to get the shot. The information given speaks from the professional or parent’s point of view, but we haven’t heard what the children have to say.

In this day and age, you can teach young adults abstinence, but it won’t go far with peer pressure. In my opinion, the best thing to do is to arm young adults with the tools they need to protect themselves should they choose to make the decision to have sexual intercourse.