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HPV Vaccine, the first vaccine against cancer

SS Member Image By drodriguez 03.19.07
HPV Vaccine, the first vaccine against cancer
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In 2006 the HPV (Human Papillomavirus) vaccine Gardasil was FDA approved for 9-26 year old girls and women in America. HPV is the most common STD in the US, it's known to cause cervical cancer in women and 3,700 deaths per year. The vaccine tested 'effective' against the particular HPV strains for genital warts and strains leading to cervical cancer. This is the first vaccine to prevent cancer.

So what's the debate? The immunization committee has recommended this vaccine for all 11 and 12 year old girls. It is the first female only vaccine, the first to target an STD and most importantly the first to protect against cancer. However, in some states the decision to mandate this vaccine has been unpopular, watch the video to learn more.



Do you think all states should mandate this vaccine? How young is too young? And do you believe girls will become promiscuous because of it?

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  • vintagepurple By vintagepurple
    08.30.10  

    ps i don';t care what if it only prevented a kind of cancer you get from kicking puppys, i am pretty sure i would give it to my kid, i mean cancer is no joke

  • vintagepurple By vintagepurple
    08.30.10  

    i don't see what the big deal is people get vacsinations for all kinds of things, and this should be one of them, when people don't get vacinated they up other people at risk

  • scatteredpearl By scatteredpearl
    02.27.08  

    I'm 95% positive that this is something that my neice has due to rape. But because of the circumstances her doctors refuse to test her, they say it would be more tramatic.

    I understand that, but if being tested for STD's and normal yearly examinations is too tramitic, I wonder if dying isn't?

    I think it should certainly be an option. I cannot agree with it being mandated due to being a womans choice. The argument is that these girls are not women. My argument is that they will be.

    We teach our childre to be their own adult person, to make good educated decisions. This is assuming they cannot do that.

    If I was in the age group I would certainly want the shot. I do think that my neice needs the shot, but I cannot agree that she should be denied an education because she or her parent decide to not vaccinate.

  • sarahhummel By sarahhummel
    02.22.08  

    After having to go all these tests and pain with abnormal paps i sure wish i cld have gotten it if theres even a chance it might have helped all this!

  • workerbee By workerbee
    07.04.07  

    I feel very strongly about this subject. First I do not believe it will induce promiscuity. If the girls are taught well by their parents, schools and church, they already have the moral foundation they need. A needle will not change that.

    I also will not allow my daughter to get the vaccine. We hear too often of the new drugs on the market and then the class action law suits after all of the side effects are fully realized.

  • cnmjoy By cnmjoy
    05.23.07  

    i don't get everyone's morality issue... bottom line is EVERYONE EVENTUALLY will have sex... and this vaccine will PREVENT CANCER... enough said... we are preventing CANCER

  • chudgins3 By chudgins3
    05.21.07  

    I believe more research should be put into this vaccine and ALL vaccines before they are declared mandatory. Too many times the research for the vaccine is done AT THE SAME TIME as the vaccine is declared required. I feel that a decision should be made my each person after researching and understanding the pros and cons of the decision.

  • cmckinney By cmckinney
    05.12.07  

    I DO NOT feel that giving this vaccine is going to make our daughters promiscious. My daughter is 11 and has had 2 doses of the HPV vaccine. In my opinion if there is any chance that I can protect my daughter from any form of cancer I am going to do it. People don't question their children getting the MMR vaccine, why are they fighting this one? The reason some young girls are more sexually active is because they are unsupervised, if we raise our children right then we don't have to worry about them getting into trouble.

  • wendys By wendys
    05.12.07  

    I do not think it should be mandated. It is not even 100% effective. It only is able to stop 4 or 5 strains of the virus not all of them. PAP's are essential to detect early and treat. I do not feel that this vaccine will influence promiscuity.

  • clbenene By clbenene
    05.10.07  

    I have a 2 yr. old daughter and 13 yr old daughter who has had 2 doses of the vaccine. I believe in all vaccines. To bad they weren't available in the 80's. My family has a history of cancer and maybe we can stop the suffering we've gone thru. And YES my 2 yr. old will get the vaccine when she is 11.

  • leeann4167 By leeann4167
    05.09.07  

    When I first heard about the vaccine my first thought was great I want to protect my daughter. She is 8 now so there's time yet for me to learn more about it.I don't feel that Texas is right, it is still to new. Also, I don't feel it will affect girls sexual activity with all the possible outcomes from sex there are now I don't feel it would push choices one way or the other.

  • RaVonne By RaVonne
    05.09.07  

    I haven't decided whether it should be mandated or not, but something that doctors strongly encourage to parents and their daughters. Parents need to be honest with the girls about the reason for the vaccine - to protect against an STD, and cancer. I don't think it make young girls more promiscuous........ but we must protect the health of our future women.

  • engteacha1 By engteacha1
    05.09.07  

    It appears to be a great new science finding that can benefit women and girls. Yet, it still seems to new to become mandated! It should be a choice for any girl or woman at this point in time.

  • twokids93-97 By twokids93-97
    05.09.07  

    I think the vaccine is too new. I'm not getting my daughter vaccined because it is too new, i dont know the long term side effects.

  • velvetpixie67 By velvetpixie67
    05.09.07  

    My niece, who is now 19, was diagnosed with HPV when she was 17. She has had two sexual partners in her life. I TRULY believe that ALL girls should get this vaccine, but it should not be mandatory yet until more testing is done for long term side-effects. I however would hate to see anyone go through what my niece has gone through since her diagnoses!

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