http://www.care2.com/greenliving/sex-shot-the-safety-and-ethics-of-the-hpv-vaccine.html
Sex Shot: The Safety and Ethics of the HPV Vaccine
What could be more awkward than the discussion of pre-adolescent sex and cancer? Well specifically talk of the human papilloma virus (also known as HPV), which serves as the viral cause of most cervical cancers, is one of the more awkward and difficult subjects for parents, doctors and children alike.
Over the past few years, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended that girls in pre-adolescence (around 11 or 12) receive the HPV vaccine (Gardasil) to protect them against particular strains of the virus known to cause cervical cancer. The idea is that if young girls are vaccinated prior to engaging in sexual activity (this is assuming that the vast majority of girls under the age of 12 have yet to have sex) they will avoid exposure to potentially lethal strains of HPV that are transmitted sexually (interesting note: it appears as if the makers of Gardasil are hard at work on a comparable vaccine intended for boys to help protect them from genital warts and other forms of cancer).
Recent news has revealed that along with parents who remain leery of a pre-adolescent vaccine for young girls, doctors are less than confident about administering the vaccine for many reasons. One of the sticking points is the question of how long the vaccine will remain effective once administered, and if it is advisable to administer a vaccine to an 11-year old who may not become sexually active until she is 16, well after the point where the vaccine would be most effective. To add to the general concern, the CDC has reported at least two deaths among young girls possibly related to the vaccine, and other doctors have voiced their apprehension about neurological problems related to the vaccine.
In addition, there is the whole hornets nest of highly emotional and moral issues surrounding a vaccine that presumes an active sex life for an adolescent girl. Needless to say, many parents have expressed moral outrage (as well as medical concern) when it comes to compulsory HPV vaccines for their girls. Some have seen this as license for, or a tacit approval of, unchecked teenage sexual shenanigans. Others worry that a vaccine of this sort will provide a false confidence among adolescents that they are somehow protected from sexually transmitted diseases.
While I am hardly a fervent advocate of wholesale vaccinations for everyone, I do see the potential value of a vaccine that is both safe and effective. However, we rarely have the luxury of both of these qualities wrapped up in one anodyne package. I assume people will remain vocal about the use (or lack thereof) of HPV vaccines until something radically shifts in the public consciousness or in the quality of the vaccine–or both.
I would love to hear from readers regarding this issue of HPV vaccines. Has anyone had to make this decision for his or her child? Do you feel it is ethical to have compulsory vaccines of this regard? Is there something inappropriate about vaccinating a young child against a potentially sexually transmitted disease? Should more testing be done before we start handing out “sex shots?”
Eric Steinman is a freelance writer based in Rhinebeck, N.Y. He regularly writes about food, music, art, architecture and culture and is a regular contributor to Bon Appétit among other publications.
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57 comments
add your comment »I dont even know where to start commenting about most of these comments, some good points made by some people though.
Ive been vaccinated myself but i had it when i was 24 years old not half that age. Im not going to go into the no vaccinations at all arguement but i will say that i think a lot more research should be done before giving girls of that age this particular vaccine.
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The video link didn't work but it is easy to watch this video at nvic.org. Do it now and get educated about the harmful effects of vaccines before you advise your daughter or anyone to get vaccinated.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMtruyRm
Watch Barbara Loe Fisher from The National Vaccine Information Center speak about vaccines
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The article was cut off because it was too long but please go to mercola.com and search for probiotics and immune system. Also Vit D3 is vitally important for everyone's health. And of course mostly plants and only meat from animals that haven't eaten genetically modified feed or been given hormones or antibiotics and no processed foods-white anything. Most of what we eat is not food. Everybody is sick and overweight and they wonder why. Hmmm. We become good clients for big pharma because of our choices. More importantly than the public option and a better health care system is learning how to eat well and keep ourselves healthy.
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Hi Meryl, You don't have to worry about catching even a cold from someone if your immune system is healthy. Only unhealthy people with impaired immune systems catch colds from others. We are a culture who make ourselves sick with our diets. A lot of people think they eat healthy but get a couple of colds a year plus the flu or asthma, allergies or cancer. These are examples of most of our population but not healty people and their health can be tracked to their diets. Read this article about Probiotics: Probiotics Found to Help Your Gut's Immune System
Posted by: Dr. Mercola
July 05 2008
Probiotic bacteria, which are living microorganisms that have beneficial effects on human health, have mostly been studied as treatments for different gastrointestinal diseases and allergies. However, not much is known about what kind of effects they have on the immune system in healthy adults.
A new study shows that probiotics can modulate immune responses via your gut‘s mucosal immune system.
It was found that probiotics have an anti-inflammatory potential. They caused a decrease in serum CRP levels, and a reduction in the bacteria-induced production of proinflammatory cytokines.
Sources:
Eurekalert June 11, 2008
World Journal of Gastroenterology April 7, 2008; 14(13): 2029-2036
Dr. Mercola's Comments:
Most people, including many physicians, do not realize that 80 percent of your immune system is located in your digestive system, making a hea
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I had many sex partners after losing my virginity at 16 years of age and never got the HPV virus. There's no way I would let my daughter get vaccinated with this or the other dangerous vaccines. You don't get cancer from other people. If your immune system is impaired by bad lifestyle choices, then you predispose yourself to all kinds of diseases including cancer. The best way you can protect your daughter is to get her to not eat any processed foods especially with with high fructose corn syrup, low nutrient and high calorie foods, contaminated fish, any meat not from grass fed cows or non-fermented soy products like the protein powder or milk (it's not healthier), take probiotics to build her immune system. And you should be eating this way also to protect your health. If you eat a high nutrient diet and low calorie, you will not have a weight problem and avoid most health problemsThey will learn healthy habits and taking care of themselves from you. Instead of all the drugs, live a healthy life. As far as the moral issue of sex out of wedlock, that's a separate issue.
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Cindy--of course I'd by happy for my daughter to say "No" to sex before marriage. Two thoughts still made me want to get her vaccinated:
(1) One in 6 women is sexually assaulted in her lifetime--as are 1 in 33 men (U.S. statistic from http://www.rainn.org/statistics). A woman who is sexually assaulted, or who marries a man who was assaulted, can be exposed to HPV and other diseases despite saying no to sex before marriage.
(2) Sometimes young people make bad choices. I don't support making bad choices, and don't want my child to make bad choices. But if she does make a bad choice, I still want to minimize the risk to her health and her life from making it.
So, I can encourage her to wait to have sex and also get her vaccinated. Actually, because she's well-informed and because we talk freely, I think she's less likely to have sex too early than I was. I'm still glad she's been vaccinated.
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Thank you to everyone for your views, opinions, and varied experiences on the matter of HPV vaccines and teen sexuality.
Keep the discussion going.
Thanks again,
Eric Steinman
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Whatever happened to people just saying "No" to sex before Marriage... we are not like animals!!!
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I think I'm going to have to pass on this one. My daughters are 12 and 8. This product is still very new and barely touches all the hpv strains and does NOT prevent cervical cancer. Only the possible cancer by the 4 strains targeted. Hardly worth my daughters' health.
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