| The FDA's decision to approve a human vaccine | | | | they have it until symtoms of cervical cancer |
| designed to prevent infection of human | | | | or genital warts are present. |
| papilloma virus, which is the cause of nearly | | | | |
| all cervical cancers, should have been cause | | | | There is no test for HPV in men and most |
| for celebration in the field of pediatric | | | | sexually active men who contract (and then |
| medicine. 10,000 American women will be | | | | spread) HPV will never be diagnosed unless |
| diagnosed with this devastating disease this | | | | their partner's HPV is found first. |
| year and another 3,700 will die from it. So | | | | |
| why aren't more people celebrating now that | | | | According to a 2006 study conducted for the |
| we have a safe, effective way to prevent most | | | | New York Academy of Medicine, 40% of girls |
| cervical cancers?"Girls that age are just too | | | | are sexually active by age 14. |
| young," the vaccine's most vocal opponents | | | | |
| cry. Others object to vaccinating their | | | | To be effective, the HPV vaccine must be |
| children against what they consider a | | | | given to girls before they become infected. |
| sexually transmitted disease. Still others | | | | |
| argue that vaccinating young girls will | | | | The vaccine has been tested on thousands of |
| encourage them to experiment with risky | | | | women and has been proven safe and |
| sexual behaviors and promiscuity. But are | | | | effective.No parent relishes the idea of a |
| these arguments valid? Or are they just an | | | | child becoming sexually active. But this |
| attempt to hide our discomfort at being faced | | | | vaccine has the potential to save millions of |
| with our children's sexual natures? Before | | | | women from a painful and often deadly |
| you decide not to vaccinate your daughter | | | | disease. After all, having brakes on your |
| against HPV consider the facts:Human | | | | automobile doesn't encourage you to drive |
| papilloma virus, or HPV, has been called the | | | | recklessly, does it? Why would vaccinating |
| world's most common sexually transmitted | | | | your child against a potentially deadly virus |
| disease. The Centers for Disease Control | | | | encourage her to become sexually |
| estimates that by age 50, at least 80% of | | | | promiscuous?Lisa Barger is a traditional |
| American women will have contracted the virus | | | | naturopath specializing in natural health |
| though the vast majority will never realize | | | | education. To learn more about Ms. |