Advantages and Disadvantages of the HPV Vaccine in Adolescent Girls: An Ethical Essay

valet papillomaviruses (HPV) atomic number 18 a group of more than 40 fibers of viruses that infect the venereal areas, throats (recurrent respiratory papillomatosis), and mouths of males and females and is the number one some common raiseu bothy transfer disease (Center for Disease Control and Pr sluicetion CDC, 2009). It is spread by genital contact. It is most easily spread by vaginal and anal sex, exclusively also through oral sex and even just genital-to-genital (skin-to-skin). In 90% of concourse that subdue HPV, their own immune system clears it up within two years, most never even developing each symptoms from it (CDC, 2009). Out of the many types of HPV types, most end up causing warts on one of the above-mentioned areas, while a certain few are known to cause cervical crab louse. Lockwood-Rayermann & McIntyre (2009) state that the most common oncogenic/ wild virus types worldwide and in the United States are Types 16, 18, 31, 45, and 52 11% of invasive cervica l crabmeats in the United States are caused by Types 16 and 18 (55% by Type 16 and 22% by type 18).HPV Types 31, 45, and 52 comprise a nonher 8% of all cases. Cervical cancer is usually not detected until it is quite advanced, which is why women should waste ones time screened for cervical cancer regularly. in that respect is also another precaution women can take. The fare and Drug Administration approved the very first vaccinum to counteract cervical cancer by the types of HPV that cause it in June of 2006 (doubting Thomas, 2008). This vaccinum, being new, and in this little is known roughly its long term make, has caused respectable debates about the use of it, particularly in adolescent missys.Thomas (2008) mentions that the CDC recommended, by a unanimous vote, that girls climb ond 11 to 12 years old suck this new HPV vaccine. This may seemyoung, but in order for the vaccine to be effective, it must be administered before a person has been opened to HPV, which ha ppens during sexual encounters. Since few girls are sexually active at this age, most of whom havent gone through puberty yet, this is an ideal age to have them be vaccinated (Thomas, 2008). Thomas (2008) also goes on to judge that this vaccine has been administered to 11,000 girls around the world with no serious side effects. Their ages ranged from 9 to 26 years old.This vaccine is given by a serial publication of tierce shots over the course of six months and its important that they piddle all three to be effective, since little is known about the strength of people who only receive one or two (2008). and is it ethical for a girl as young as social club years old to be receiving such an invasive procedure in order to avoid a sexually transmitted disease? after all, what nine year old is even thinking about sex and STDs? That is why this reveal is one that is left for the stirs to decide, and opinions are unsurprisingly mixed.One of the of import arguments against vaccina ting young girls with the HPV vaccine is cost. Thomas (2008) lists the total cost of this vaccine, for all three shots, as around three hundred dollars, relatively brassy considering the detrimental consequences of contracting one of the types that are known to cause cancer. There is another issue to take into consideration, though, when accounting for the price of this vaccination the effects for protection are only estimated to be four or quintet years (2008). If a young girl were to be vaccinated at nine years old, and again at ages twelve, sixteen, and twenty, you are looking at close to one thousand dollars in total.How are parents with poor health insurance coverage or none at all say to protect their daughters for this virus that can cause cervical cancer? A parent can also anticipate losing a days pay to take their child to the doctors office or the clinic on three different occasions to receive all three shots. Because of the cost, and the limited duration of effectiven ess, a wad of women decide not to get vaccinated and not to vaccinate their daughters, hoping that a better, longer lasting, and less pricy alternative will arrive on the pharmaceutical market at some point in the near future (2008).Another public argument against HPV vaccination is that some parents view it as a colour light for their daughters to behave promiscuously (Thomas, 2008). Much like condom distribution at high schools, there are those that view HPV vaccination as another way to promote, and cause a rise in controlling sexual behavior (2008). Thomas (2008) goes on to describe a traditionalist political group called the Traditional Values Coalition and how they have in public denounced the HPV vaccine and claim that genital warts, cervical cancer, etc. are not a national health concern, and that HPV can be prevented through moderation and marital fidelity. This group attributes monetary gain by pharmaceutical companies as a motive for the mandate for HPV vaccinati on.Like most every ethical or moral dilemma going on in this country, this issue rests in the parents spiritual and personal beliefs. Stu blends have shown that despite abstinence programs, teenagers nevertheless engage in sex, proving that something as insignificant as a vaccine is not going to encourage kids to have sexthey are having it anyway. Thomas (2008) cited a study that showed that 90% of teens are using condoms when they engage in sexual intercourse, but condoms alone cannot protect you from HPV, making the vaccine all that more important for young girls to receive. If a parents cannot set aside their religious and personal beliefs long enough to acknowledge that this vaccine has the potential to extradite their daughters life, then they may require a lot more than just education.Each year 6.2 million new cases of HPV come on about and currently, 20 million people in this country are infected with HPV. The vaccine that is available has the potential to save 70% of the people it would otherwise infect from cervical cancer in young women (Thomas, 2008). In 2008, an estimated 11,070 women in the United States will be diagnosed with cervical cancer, and 3, 870 women will die from the disease (Lockwood-Raverrmann &McIntyre, 2009). Lockwood-Raverrmann & McIntyre (2009) go on to explain that the prevalence of HPV in peaks in women in their early twenties, and also go on to say that even younger women, i.e. teenagers, are more susceptible to the virus. They describe one likely explanation for this is because in younger women, it could be the changing histology of the cervix chase the commencement of puberty. They go to say that during this period of time, large populations of cells are undergoing ripening and are moresusceptible to the development of an HPV infection (2009).With all of this statistical data, it is confusing to think that some little girls parents are prepared to deprive her of a vaccine that could potentially save her life should the opportunity arise and she chooses to have sex. Again, said girl wouldnt even have to have vaginal intercourse to contract Type 16 HPV, which would years later cause cervical cancer in which she could quite realistically die from. It is a frustrating and pestiferous thoughtthat this girl could die because of her parents ignorance and/or their undyin