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