They Say: HPV Vaccine Makes Girls More Aware of Risks
When use of the cervical cancer vaccine became widespread, some conservative parents and groups balked. Clearly, if girls were protected against one sexually transmitted disease, they’d throw caution to the wind and forget the other risks of sexual activity: pregnancy, for one, as well as all those other STDs the HPV shot doesn’t cover. Stupid girls (was the unwritten message).
But proving that when you empower a teen girl with knowledge about and respect for her own body, she’s more likely to take care of it, a new study out of the University of Manchester found that teen girls are smarter than those conservative groups give them credit for. When 553 girls who were offered the vaccine were surveyed, 80 percent said that getting the shot reminded them that there were risks to having unprotected sex.
Fourteen percent of girls thought the shot might lead them to take more risks, while six percent of the girls’ parents refused the vaccine. (Of that six percent, three percent of girls wanted it anyway.)
Since it’s apparently not “cost effective” for boys to get the vaccine, it’s more important than ever for girls — whether they’ll get the vaccine or not — to be educated on the best ways to protect themselves from STDs and pregnancy. Because even if you don’t plan on letting that happen until she’s married, kids have a way of making up their own minds about these things on their own.
Photo: Brian Hoskins, sxc.hu
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Tags: cervical cancer vaccine, girls, hpv, hpv vaccine, parenting, sexual activity, teen girls, unprotected sex
2 Comments
Eric commented on Oct 29 09 at 7:19 pmI get a little frustrated when ‘conservatives’ get painted with a broad brush because its expediant for the author. One major concern with the HPV vaccine, especially early on, was the threat of side effects. Unlike the H1N1 vaccine that oh-so-many are considered justified in avoiding for fear of side effects, rejecting this vaccine would be foolish. Never mind that its far easier to avoid catching an STD (through protection and avoiding promiscuity) than it its to avoid the flu. I’m not advocating against the HPV vaccine, just frustrated with the politicizing of a private health choice.
Lucky commented on Oct 30 09 at 2:41 pmI don’t think the author is talking about people who were reasonably concerned with weather or not the drug was thoroughly tested. (Consequently it’s different from a flu shot that’s made the same way every year)She’s talking about people who are against the drug based on the fact that it protects against an STD and that girls shouldn’t be protected against STDs because they shouldn’t be having sex. These people won’t be satisfied with any amount of safety because it’s not what they appose.
