HPV Vaccination: Selling Children Over to Sex for Money?

The HPV vaccine Gardasil mimics the human papilloma virus to help prevent STD infections in only four types of strains: 6, 11, 16, and 18 respectively. More than 100 types of HPV strains are in existence. And let's not forget that it is an STD. Consider our children, sex and money as you read on.

So far, the vaccine for HPV is experimental. Men and women alike can become infected. It's just that in women the infection can turn into cervical cancer. In men the body typically reacts in the form of genital warts. Different types of HPV cause genital warts than cause cancer in men. It is rare, but men can get cancer of the penis or anus due to this virus. Isn't your child worth more than just an experimental phase in an incomplete drug marketing scheme that encourages them to have more sex?

As the virus lays dormant, it can be passed from partner to partner for years without showing signs of having an STD. About half of the U.S. population who is sexually active will have the HPV virus at some time in their lives. Anal and cervical screenings are recommended: an anal pap for men and a pap test for women. Understanding how the virus is spread is crucial to understanding the vaccination. Men and women are both responsible for spreading HPV, so the focus is now shifting from women and girls to men and boys.

The HPV Gardasil vaccination is a three-shot series for girls and women who are ages 9 to 26, approved last year. It only protects against the four strains of HPV that are most likely to cause cervical cancer and genital warts in women. HPV isn't just a problem in the U.S. More women die of cervical cancer in developing countries than in the U.S. And as sexual promiscuity increases, the numbers are expected to rise. Studies have shown that men and boys actually have a greater immunity response to the vaccine than women and girls. There is no known cure for HPV, so drug maker Merck has its sights set on the STD market. Starting vaccinations at age 9 shows a revealing attitude about this drug company. Are they (we) giving our children over to sex for the sake of money? Who wants to make a rich drug company even richer?

The three series of shots cost about $360. The important thing to remember is that the vaccine only helps protect against four strains of the virus. Over 100 types are in existence. The vaccine is less effective for women who already have the virus. No evidence has been found so far that shows harm to a pregnant woman who receives the three-dose series. It is your choice whether to trust or not to trust the findings.

The controversy lies in the fact that HPV is an STD. Here is where it becomes and ethical and religious debate. Is giving the HPV vaccination simply a green light to kids to go ahead and have sex, at any age and with anyone, and say that they will be protected against possible cervical or penal cancer in the future? What kind of repercussions will we as parents and a society reap? Merck began the lobby for a campaign to give the vaccine to girls. Should a drug maker be pushing the big buttons in the name of medical science which may or may not prevent cervical cancer--in only four types out of more than 100 strains? Their financial reward could be your pregnant teen in the future.

Will vaccinating against only four strains of the virus make the other strains stronger and potentially more lethal? The almighty dollar is behind the motivation, leaving Merck in a position to make hundreds of millions of dollars per year off the Gardasil vaccination. Politicians will have to decide state by state if this is worth it. In the meantime, don't leave your voice unheard. Go to your state senator's web site and let it be known what your stance is. Do we want a drug company virtually selling our children over to sex for money? You decide where the reward and where the consequences will lie.