The pro's for teenage girls getting the new HPV vaccine Essay

The pro's for teenage girls getting the new HPV vaccine - Essay Example Of the more than 100 types of HPV, more than 30 types can be passed from one person to another through sexual contact† (National Cancer Institute, 2008). It stands to reason, then, that if a vaccine is to be effective, it must be administered before or shortly after a young woman becomes sexually active. There have been numerous arguments brought up against using the vaccine, but a coherent look into its advantages clearly indicates the positive significantly outweighs the negatives. To begin with, the virus has proven to be effective against some of the more dangerous strains of HPV. â€Å"Studies have found the vaccine to be almost 100 percent effective in preventing diseases caused by the four HPV types covered by the vaccine – including pre-cancers of the cervix, vulva and vagina and genital warts† (Division of STD Prevention, 2006). Together, these four strains of HPV are thought to cause approximately 70 percent of cervical cancers and 90 percent of genital warts. â€Å"The vaccine covers types 6 and 11, which are thought to be responsible for more than 95 percent of genital warts cases, and types 16 and 18, which are believed to be responsible for more than 70 percent of cervical cancer cases† (Dempsey cited in University of Michigan Health System, 2007). One of the main complaints against new vaccines is commonly concerns regarding the safety of the ‘cure’. In the case of the HPV vaccine, â€Å"the FDA has licensed the HPV vaccine as safe and effective. This vaccine has been tested in over 11,000 females (ages 9-26 years old) around the world. These studies have shown no serious side effects† (Division of STD Prevention, 2006). By comparison, â€Å" In the United States there are about 10,000 new cases of cervical cancer each year and around 4,000 deaths from the disease† (â€Å"A Vaccine Expert†, 2007). By providing the cure long before the behavior, many girls’ lives