A Small Price For One Less
“One Less”, is a chant that has been heard numerous times in many North American homes. Images of smiling young girls proclaiming that they will be “One Less” female diagnosed with cervical cancer due to HPV (Human Papillomavirus). The commercial for the Gardasil ® vaccine is sure to get anyone pumped up about a preventative treatment for cervical cancer, however, published reports questioning the safety, efficacy and value of the government-funded HPV vaccination program have lead experts in the field to protest at the lack of scientific evidence upon which these reports are based. “Almost all cervical cancers are caused by certain types of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), a virus that is transmitted by sexual contact, not just sexual intercourse” (BC Cancer Agency, 2006). The center for disease control and prevention states that at least 50% of sexually active people will get HPV at some time in their lives, and every year in the United States, about 6.2 million people will be diagnosed with the virus. Most of these individuals who contract the disease will be fortunate enough to have the virus go away on its own within 24 months, but for some women the virus will persist and may cause abnormal cervical cells that can develop into cervical cancer. “Gardasil ® is the only vaccine that may help guard against diseases caused by HPV Types 16 and 18, which cause 70% of cervical cancer cases, and HPV Types 6 and 11, which cause 90% of genital warts cases” (Gardasil ®, 2008). The clear benefits of widespread immunization of the HPV vaccine would outweigh any potential costs or concerns. Universal uptake of HPV vaccination could have an extraordinary impact on decreasing the health burden of cervical cancer, the psychological cost that HPV infection inflicts on patients, and preventing the disease in the future.
The burden of disease associated with the human papillomavirus infection should not be underestimated, even in developed nations like Canada....
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