Cervical Cancer Vaccine Controversy: The Health of Women is at Stake

"Cervical cancer is cancer of the uterine cervix, the portion of the uterus attached to the top of the vagina. Ninety percent of cervical cancers arise from the flattened or "squamous" cells covering the cervix. Most of the remaining 10% arise from the glandular, mucus-secreting cells of the cervical canal leading into the uterus. Worldwide, cervical cancer is the third most common type of cancer in women. It is much less common in the U.S. because most women have routine Pap smears that can detect the early, treatable forms of the disease." (2)

So basically, women of the US are lucky. We have access to advanced healthcare that finds symptoms early, while the disease can be managed fairly easily. And we have healthcare that can, for the first time, prevent this disease. If you've ever had a disease, then you know prevention is the best medicine. So, if we have access to preventative measures why aren't we preventing people from getting Cervical Cancer as aggressively as possible? Why would anyone want to make prevention inaccessible?

Let's look at how the vaccine works: "The vaccine appears to be virtually 100 percent effective against two of the most common cancer-causing HPV strains. The vaccine protects women against strains of a ubiquitous germ called the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). Although many strains of the virus are innocuous, some can cause cancerous lesions on the cervix (the outer end of the uterus), making them the primary cause of this cancer in the United States. Cervical cancer strikes more than 10,000 U.S. women each year, killing more than 3,700."(1) "It is thought that the Pap smear has reduced the death rate from this disease by 70% since it was introduced in 1941. However, many women are still diagnosed with cervical cancer in the U.S. In the year 2000, 12,800 women were diagnosed with cervical cancer and there were 4,600 deaths."(2)

Based on this statistic, of the Cervical Cancer cases in one year almost half of these women will die. I've read stats that cite closer to half of Cervical Cancer patients losing their lives. This disease is very real. It has struck every female in my immediate family. Both my sisters, my mother and myself have received treatment successfully. Our doctors say the same thing: "they don't know much about the disease, more research needs to be done." However, let's use common sense for a moment. When you find something that works, you go for it! Why aren't we going for the distribution of this vaccine?

"Because the vaccine protects against a sexually transmitted virus, many conservatives oppose making it mandatory, citing fears that it could send a subtle message condoning sexual activity before marriage." (1)

Wake up! This vaccine prevents cancer from a virus that can be transmitted through hand-to-hand contact at your local convenience store - through the exchange of money. If you exchange money at the local convenience store to pay for gas, then you are putting yourself at risk to HPV and possibly cervical cancer, if you are a woman. This "germ" is spread to children who have never been sexually active. Women are more at risk because the female body has lots of warm places for this germ to thrive. How many women wash their hands BEFORE they use the bathroom. If you don't wash beforehand, then you could be taking those convenience store germs into the bathroom with you, along with the germs already there. This is a recipe for cancer. Now that we have a preventative measure for some cancer, conservative groups want to prevent its use stating that it would encourage sexual activity in teenagers. Do these groups do any reading or research before giving such a ridiculous objection? There is also no proof that the HPV virus, seen as warts on the hand, could not be spread to other warm places on the body. There are different strains of the virus that live in different areas of the body. Just as the common cold has many strains to its virus, HPV also has many strains. In fact, both the common cold and HPV have about two hundred different strains each! You can clearly see how important a vaccination like this is - for everyone.