Texas governor orders STD vaccine for all girls

[Sheherezade]

To steer back on course here......

If HPV isn't the only cause of cervical cancer, is this a good idea? I think that was also my DH's comment. From my data here (latest gyn onc textbook) 91% of cervical cancers are HPV related. So, will we be missing the other rare cases if we "eradicate" the HPV versions? Of course, how can you pass up getting rid of 90%?

I think it is important to mention that not everyone that has HPV infection gets cervical cancer. Only some women are "lucky" enough to do that. There are many factors involved in making an HPV positive person become a cancer patient -- and those are not yet understood. However, if HPV infection is decreased significantly, the secondary factors won't matter.

I'll definitely be seeking the vaccine for my own daughter -- but I'm a little leery of making every new medical advance mandatory.

[Ravenclaw]

I'm concerned about the newness of it too. We know all too well pharm companies push drugs out only to have them recalled a few years later.

If it is safe, then it sounds like a good idea.

[Sheherezade]

I agree. When the chicken pox vaccine came out here as "mandatory", I took comfort in the fact that it had been used much longer in Japan. This is new. I mean......it's been tested -- but not massively. It's only been in development for a short time, but the results are so staggeringly positive that they are rolling it out ASAP. I suppose good things can happen quickly, too. I need to be more optomistic.

I haven't heard of any bad side-effects from the vaccine to worry about - but I'll be checking. DD is 7, so she's almost in the vaccine window.

ETA: ITA with yout Annie. I have issues with "mandatory" not the vaccine itself. It makes me want to argue the negative side of a positive thing. I don't like the government requiring these things in order to let the kids in to school at 5th grade. It's not TB. Do they think the kids are passing it around at school in the coat closet? Even I wouldn't argue that. It's coersion.

[SuzySunshine]

I agree it has its pros and cons but if a vaccine can stop it them I'm all for it. I agree that it shouldn't be any different then getting the vaccine for Hep B. If I have daughters I won't think twice about having them get it.

I realize the point of how cervical cancer is created has been mentioned previously but the other thing for me is that cervican cancer is a very high on the list of infertility reasons. If my daughter did have one stupid night or got raped at the age of 15 and then couldn't have children when because of it how would that make me feel? As long as this vaccine is deemed safe it should be part of their regular check-up at the rigt age IMO.

[Rapunzel]

For cautionary reasons others have cited here I think we will be waiting a few years before our daughters get this vax. Because you can get HPV involuntarily and because it is a big contributor to a type of cancer I think it could be a very wise thing (to vaccinate).

However, I think we're going to give it a bit of time to see how this all plays out. (And, quite frankly, I am disturbed that oral contraceptives appear to be a contributing factor to cervical cancer - and I'd like to see how that plays out as well. There is a part of me that wonders if the pharm companies are HEAVILY lobbying for the mandatory use of this vaccination because of some interplay with the enormous profits they get on oral contraceptives).

(Oh, and, I said "bear" earlier when I should have said "bare".

So, will we be missing the other rare cases if we "eradicate" the HPV versions? Of course, how can you pass up getting rid of 90%?

It will be important to keep that other 10% in the public awareness, I suppose? I think that as long as birth control pills continue to be a popular option, women will maintain annual appts to get a prescription. That gets a good chunk of people there.

While I don't love adding to the laundry list of required vaccinations, it is a way to get the vaccines paid for and available, esp to populations that might not otherwise afford (like Vaccines for Children for Medicaid and SCHIP patients).

[PrincessFiona]

Nothing to add, but...HPV is found in 99% of cervical cancers....it's not like there is a weak link between the two. Most scientists consider that hpv is the cause...and that viral proteins interere with the normal functioning of cervical cells. It is considered cause/effect...

Oh...and STD's in TX? My experience? (anectodal, of course)

New a really nice girl, brought bible to class (thump, thump), preached about the dangers of premarital sex, drinking etc and joined every club imaginable to promote this...was pregnant before the end of our senior year and...didn't know who the dad was.

I knew 3 people with mildly diff. variations on this topic and a wide array of other situations......

In my experience in TX, talking about sex with your child was akin to promoting it...talking about birth control? promoting it.

[Meenah]

I spent last semester working in an STD clinic. I cannot think of a reason to withold this vaccine. We give the Hep B vaccine and that is a blood/body fluid disease. I do wonder about the mandatory part.

[Rapunzel]

Now, HPV being responsible for 90% of cervical cancer I believe. But 99%? When you take into account the other factors that seem to be involved (such as obesity and smoking as well as taking birth control pills and the small percentage of women whose mothers were exposed to a certain, toxic chemical) that number seems to be a tad high....

The bottom line is:

-Acquiring HPV does not necessarily mean you voluntarily engaged in risky sex. You can be raped. Your spouse can cheat on you and pass this on to you. One in six women in the US will be raped. One in six! A huge percentage of women in the US have husbands who are unfaithful to them (and they are unaware of such behavior and, thus, perhaps engage in unprotected sex with their spouse).

-HPV is just one of the contributing factors to cervical cancer. Links have been found with obesity, smoking, taking birth control pills, etc. It may be the most likely source for the majority of cases - but it is not the only source at this point.

-Since this vax would protect those who have done nothing voluntarily to acquire this disease I support it (as long as subsequent years show the vaccination is relatively harmless).

-Preventing HPV-caused cervical cancer should not remove focus on the prevention and treatment overall of cervical cancer (particularly because there are other causes of this cancer).


I am particularly disturbed by a link between cervical cancer and birth control pills. However, I seriously doubt any pharm company is going to fund a study on a causal relationship between one of their own products (ie "the pill" in its various forms) and a cancer.

Speculation on premarital sex in Texas is interesting. But, the fact is that Texas ranks high in the OTHER factors contributing to cervical cancer: Namely high rates of obesity (particularly among the Mexican immigrant population) and high rates of smoking.

[Rapunzel]

BTW, Anyone want to speculate as to why Vietnamese women have the highest incidence of cervical cancer in the United States?

[PrincessFiona]

Now, HPV being responsible for 90% of cervical cancer I believe. But 99%?

Jenn...check the science The 99% is from the American Cancer Society
You can find more info here from MDAnderson http://www.cancerwise.org/December_2006/print.cfm

Other risk factors associated with it may not really be the risk factors once assumed. Remember the..correlation/causation thing? The one factor that across the board is associated with cervical cancer IS HPV (not one virus, btw, but a collection of diff viruses)

[Rapunzel]

OK, what I was finding was that 90% of cervical cancer had a definite HPV link.

American Cancer Society trumps all, though!

But, seriously, why would an ethnic group such as the Vietnamese have the highest rates of this cancer??? That threw me for a loop.

[Rapunzel]

And, DON'T YOU DARE WINK AT ME!!!

I saw that!!!!

[Rapunzel]

You know, I forgot that HPV was actually a collection of different viruses. Thanks for the reminder!

So, I have a question if anyone knows the answer: Is the new vaccine effective against all of the strains or only some (or, even one)?

[PrincessFiona]

I wonder if the data suggests more vietnamese die from cervical cancer because....they don't get regular testing done/treatement until it's too late...or if genetics may play a role? defer to angie