Cancer prevention better than cancer treatment
Almost a year ago, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a vaccine that offers protection against the human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV is known to be the cause of approximately 70 percent of cervical cancer cases.
Worldwide, cervical cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer deaths among women which means that every year 10,000 women in the U.S. are diagnosed with cervical cancer and 4,000 American women die of the disease.
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Cancer is a critical public health challenge. Everyone can agree that cancer prevention is better than cancer treatment. Current recommendations by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) and the Advisory Committee (ACIP) to prevent cervical cancer include pap smears for early detection AND routine vaccination against HPV in 9-26 year old young women. The scientific data shows and as a mother and a physician, I believe the best way to protect our daughters from cervical cancer is to make sure the HPV vaccine is offered to all young women before they are at risk of infection which means before they begin any sexual activity.
Worries that the vaccine will cause promiscuity are unfounded and political beliefs should not get in the way of saving lives. The HPV vaccine is a red light for cancer - not a green light for sexual activity.
Studies have shown that successful immunization programs, such as those for polio, require immunization for school entry. I think we should encourage further study into the feasibility of including HPV vaccine into the required vaccinations for entry into school.
But it is not enough to mandate our daughters be vaccinated; we must ensure that funding is made available to fully meet HPV immunization needs so that no family will have to face a choice between financial hardship and their daughter's exclusion from school. School-entry requirements for the HPV vaccine should be in line with all other required vaccines. Parents should have the same opt-out and exemption guidelines for all vaccines required for school entry, and public education programs should be put in place to educate families about the vaccine.
HPV vaccine presents a major breakthrough in the fight against cervical cancer, and critical decisions now will affect women's health in future generations.
Leslie E. Robinson M.D.
Wellspan Health System
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