HPV And Teens

The HPV or Human Papilloma Virus is something that not many people know about. They do not realize the dangers of this virus and that most people have it. There are 70 different forms of this virus and the most dangerous ones can cause genital warts and cervical or penis cancers. With more and more teenagers having sexual intercourse at such a young age, the risk of them contracting HPV is extremely high. The virus is mainly sexually transmitted and can be more prevalent in those that have more than one sexual partner, have sex at a young age, and who do not practice safe sex.

There has been so little attention placed on HPV and what it can do that a large percentage of the population has it. There have been many treatments developed, but more recently a vaccine which aims at preventing the virus from infecting young girls. There has been much debate over this vaccine which is called Gardasil, as it does cause adverse reactions too and the National Center for Vaccination Information has stated that the clinical tests were not done according to the correct standards.

They argue that the vaccine needs to be tested thoroughly and is not safe for young girls aged between 9 and 15. The manufacturer, Merck, has however distributed the vaccine all over the USA and they are lobbying for the vaccinations to be done at middle and high schools. Many parents however are not letting them do this, because of the cons that have been outlined.

These include sores and swelling with complication from the injection due to the aluminum that was used as a solution instead of saline. The aluminum is also supposed to be dangerous if absorbed into the brain and can cause massive cell destruction. The test also showed contraindications of various forms of arthritis, and according to the National Center for Vaccination Information, death in 17 of the trial patients. This has forced them to refuse the worldwide use of the drug and suggest more studies be done on young girls.

Pros are that the drug is proven to kill the two strains of the HPV virus that causes genital warts and cervical cancer. Many women, about 3000, are affected by this cancer every year, and this vaccine can solve this problem. Many teenagers and young adults are beginning to understand d the concept of this especially if they have sexual intercourse with different partners and are eager to take the vaccine.

With the information above, you should decide for yourself if your child should be immunized and when.