Vaccinating the Odds

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Vaccinating the odds


Marisa Picker
Posted: 5/2/06

When a good friend of mine called and told me she was in need of surgery, I envisioned a harrowing car crash. I never would have guessed my friend needed surgery because of sex.

Sarah is the most responsible of my friends. She is in graduate school, overly tidy and as sweet as can be. She has had sex with two people: a previous long-term boyfriend and her current long-term boyfriend.

She always uses protection and birth control, yet she still contracted a sexually transmitted infection. Sarah has human papillomavirus. Ten out of the 30 sexually transmitted strains of HPV can cause cancer. About 11,000 U.S. women are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year, and more than 3,900 of these women will die. Sarah has HPV 16, the most common cause of cervical cancer.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, about 20 million people have HPV. At least half of all sexually active men and women will contract the infection in their lifetimes. HPV spreads through skin-to-skin contact, rather than bodily fluids, making it easy to contract.

When Sarah's doctor identified pre-cancerous changes in cells on her cervix via pap smear, she was encouraged to get the precautionary surgery. This invasive procedure caused her much pain and bleeding and she is still unsure as to who she contracted it from.

Vaccines against HPV should be available in the next six to 12 months. According to the National Cervical Cancer Coalition, vaccines manufactured by Merck and GlaxoSmithKline "have shown remarkable results in clinical trials: close to 100 percent protection against HPV 16 and 18."

Of course, there are concerns. The vaccination would be given to 11- to 12-year-old girls, as advocates encourage the administration of the vaccine before the person is sexually active.

Many objectors believe such vaccines will encourage sexual activity at a younger age. However, knowledge of HPV, especially amongst adolescents and teenagers is vastly limited. With little knowledge of the infection, vaccination against it will play a small role in decision-making about sexual activity.

But what's the alternative? Currently, there are limited effective ways to test men for HPV. A visual diagnostic test (inspecting the genital areas for genital warts associated with the infection) is the only way to detect HPV in men. Many times men (and women) show no symptoms or irregularities when they carry the infection. Without vaccines, the only true way to avoid HPV is to abstain from sex, as the infection can travel through latex condoms. Condom use is correlated with a lower frequency of HPV contraction, but the more exposure you have to someone infected with HPV, the more likely you are to contract it.

Yet, the vaccine does not have unanimous support. According to the NCCC, "Abstinence groups like the Family Research Council will be watching closely. While not opposed to the vaccine, the council believes it should be voluntary and include a warning about the risks of sexual activity."

When it comes to sexually transmitted infections, or anything to do with sex, there will always be conflict. But detractors aside, it is up to public health officials to determine whether this vaccine should be mandatory for our nation's children.

You don't know Sarah, but I am sure you have a friend like her. No one deserves to go through what she went through. Worldwide, 500,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year. If cervical cancer were eliminated, 250,000 lives would be saved. Hopefully in the next six to 12 months, our children will be able to avoid the experience my friend, Sarah, and thousands of others have suffered. Hopefully in the next six to 12 months we will begin saving thousands of lives.

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