The Gardasil Vaccine and Sexual Health

An article caught my attention recently. You may have seen the commercials for the Gardasil Vaccine lately. Educating the public about the HPV virus is terrific, however there are some things the commercial doesn’t mention. You should make an informed decision about whether or not to pursue this route to achieve sexual health. I’ve included a link to the article and a few points from it below.

In today’s society, we want a quick fix for everything and the drug companies would have you believe that the Gardasil Vaccine will fulfill this for us. Since most of us probably have been exposed to HPV and very few will actually die as a result, I’d rather see them spend the millions and millions of dollars towards educating our youth on healthy sexual practices, self exams and PAP smears instead of injecting them.

So, what exactly is HPV?

The article by Brenda Eastwood, RNCP, shares this:
“HPV is a very common family of viruses found in both males and females. The virus is found in and around the genitals. It is most often passed between two people through sexual activity, but this can also happen through other close skin to skin contact. About 3 out of every 4 people – males and females – who have had sex have been exposed to HPV… Only two of the 100 types of HPV can develop into cancer. Other HPV types can cause ordinary and genital warts, but rarely cause cancer.”

What you won’t see “advertised” on the commercials is that only 1% of those infected will actually develop cervical cancer. And, if caught early enough through regular pap smears, it can be successfully treated. There are also several side effects that are not readily noted. That’s why I encourage the education of young girls about their sexual practices and PAP smears, instead of immediately succumbing to the call of the commercials.

Brenda Eastwood, RNCP, is a Women’s Health Specialist with more than 25 years experience working with thousands of women. Her goal, like mine, is to empower women with information.

A copy of her article regarding the HPV vaccine can be found here but you need to scrool way down below her current newsletter