Vaccine for a Sexually Transmitted Infection

The Human Papillomavirus, commonly known as HPV, is one of the most widespread sexually transmitted infections. There are many different strains of HPV and it is estimated that twenty million people are infected with HPV in one year. In most cases HPV has very little symptoms and the infection may clear on its own. However, in more severe cases it is seen that the HPV infection is what may change the cells lining the cervix, leading to cervical cancer. HPV may also lead to regular skin warts, genital warts, and respiratory papillomatosis. Cervical cancer kills roughly 233,000 women each year, and affects many more than that. In June 2006 the Food and Drug Administration introduced a new vaccine to the world. This vaccine, known as Gardasil, is capable of fighting specific strains of HPV. This new vaccine is a starting point and shows the advancement and achievements of drug companies, especially Merck who developed the vaccine.

Gardasil is advertised as being “100 percent effective”, but there are many things that may be false regarding this advertisement. As much as Gardasil does prevent and vaccinate a girl from HPV, it does not prevent that girl from all the strains. Known today there are over 100 strains of HPV, of these 100 strains 30-40 of them are transmitted through sexual intercourse, and of these 12 of them are known to be “high-risk” causing cervical cancer. The vaccine so far is only good at preventing four very specific strains of HPV, strains 6, 11, 16, and 18. These four particular strains are found to cause about seventy percent of most cases of cervical cancer. Gardasil will help decrease the number of women affected with cervical cancer but will not prevent women from all HPV and all cases of cervical caner, or cancer for that matter. For this reason, pap smears are still not something of the past, and women must still endure the routine pap smear.

For the few concerns that Gardasil might not be exactly as it is advertised, Gardasil is still something to praise. The vaccine was recommended and approved by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices for girls ranging from the ages of eleven to twenty six, and the vaccine is being covered by most insurance policies, it is still too early to determine which companies will cover it. Some states are trying to make the vaccine mandatory for girls and Texas already has made it mandatory for girls entering the sixth grade starting in 2008. It may still be too early for any type of mandating to occur, because many parents feel that this vaccine is teaching girls that it is okay to be sexually active at their age, and the parents want to maintain the right to determine if their daughters get vaccinated. It is also not vaccine to ensure that women are safe from all sexual infections, and that is something that must addressed to the child with the parent, it is something that will help prevent cancer. Personally, I believe this vaccine to be one of the greatest achievements in this century regarding sexual public health. Merck is also hoping that someday the vaccine will be accessible to males; mostly because males are carriers of HPV and can transmit it to females through sexual contact, and also because strains 6 and 11 are what cause genital warts and hopefully this vaccine can reduce the incidence of genital warts in both males and females. As a twenty year old college student, getting the Gardasil vaccine may be one of the most health conscious decisions I have made. The vaccine comes in three steps, and even though it may cause soreness for a couple of hours, if it can help prevent me from dealing with cervical cancer I can take a little pain.

-kamullig