HPV Controversy -- Should Schools Distribute Vaccinations?

Much controversy has surrounded the issue of HPV vaccinations distribution within school. Critics have suggested that this promotion of health screening will encourage young women to engage in sexual activity at a younger age. Contrary to popular belief, prevention is an effective tool when combating future illness and beginning preventive care, children nowadays have begun to experiment with sexual acts at a younger and younger age. The world, in my opinion is oblivious to the reality of sex and the age in which it begins. Not only are they oblivious to the realities of today but also to the complete knowledge of the disease. HPV, a common sexually transmitted disease, affects 50 to 75 percent of sexually active people during their lifetime. About 20 million people in the United States are infected with HPV, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and a 2007 report in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that nearly 27 percent of women ages 14 to 59 had HPV infection. Now why aren’t we practicing preventative care?

HPV can have serious long-term consequences: it's the primary risk factor for cervical cancer. Each year in the United States, nearly 10,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and about 3,700 women die from the disease, according to the National Cervical Cancer Coalition — lives that could potentially be saved through the HPV vaccine. Parents and educators should be promoted a healthy lifestyle instead of protesting against it. Risks of contracting HPV include early sexual activity (age 16 or younger), multiple sex partners, and being under age 25. In addition to HPV infection, risks for cervical cancer include smoking, use of oral contraceptives, and not getting regular Pap tests. The CDC recommends vaccination for women ages 11 and 12, and women ages 13 through 26 who have not yet been vaccinated or who haven't received all three doses. Overall, the controversy that sounds the distribution of HPV vaccinations in school should be reconsidered. Society should face the realities of the current age of our generation and promote a healthy lifestyle not limited to the discussion of sexual acts.