Why Is There An HPV Vaccine Controversy?

For those who are not familiar the HPV vaccine, it is a cancer prevention vaccine to protect individuals from developing cervical warts and cervical cancer.

So why is there an HPV vaccine controversy over a life saving vaccine?

While it may be a misunderstanding, the controversy is real. The vaccine is given to children, mostly girls, and in certain circumstances boys before they begin puberty during the preteen years. The HPV virus is often the beginning of cervical cancer and cervical warts that often cause sterility and can spread as cancer throughout the body.

The effectiveness of the vaccine has been known to help those who have not been diagnosed with all four cancer causing viruses. So even older individuals can take the series of vaccines and be protected.

It's estimated that 80% of the nation's population has already contracted at least one of these cancer causing viruses; some people don't even know they have it.

The controversy over the HPV vaccine is over the notion of giving this type of vaccine to children. It's a sexual disease vaccine they are giving to young children who are yet to become sexually active and may not know anything about their sexuality or even sexually contracted diseases.

However, just because the HPV vaccine is often given to those who are yet to become sexually active, it doesn't mean it is encouraging promiscuity or sexual activity. In fact, it has been proven 99% to protect against these cancer causing viruses, but will not protect against other types of sexually transmitted diseases.

Take careful consideration and learn all you can about the disease and then choose whether you would like this type of protection for your child.

Your child will receive many different types of protective vaccines throughout their life. Why choose to allow your child to miss out on one of the cancer prevention vaccines? If you are uncomfortable discussing sexual diseases with your child or if they are not old enough to understand, perhaps just explaining it is a cancer prevention vaccine will be enough for now.

While the HPV controversy may go on, it's usually through ignorance and rumor instead of facts. Make sure your decision to get your child vaccinated or not is based on knowledge, not hearsay, especially when it comes to a potentially life-saving vaccine such as the HPV vaccination.