This article deals with the HPV vaccine and how it may be approved for males. The boys who get vaccinated will be helping to reduce the spread of some strains of HPV. This issue of male vaccination deals with many of the things we have talked about in class for the past few weeks, including doctor-patient communication and public health.
This is a public health issue because, as the article says, boys are mostly the ones giving the virus to girls. Although being infected with HPV is not as serious an issue for boys as it is for girls, vaccinating boys could prevent the further spread of the disease. Additionally, as long as the vaccine is not mandatory, it will be the doctors job to try to get patients vaccinated. This will require doctors to explain both the risks and benefits to their patients and their parents.
I am interested to see how many people will actually get vaccinated. I also think that one of the parents interviewed brought up a good point about people's perception of cervical cancer: “If there was a vaccine that sons could get that would get rid of breast cancer, most parents wouldn’t hesitate. But cervical cancer is the ‘sex cancer.’ " Additionally, another parent said she would not let her children get the vaccination unless it had been tested for several generations. I am curious as to whether the Chicken Pox Vaccination was met with the same amount of resistance, as it was developed in 1995 and will be incorporated into the measles and ruebella vaccine (which I think is required in every state).
Thursday, March 27, 2008
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Prevention is the step towards cure. Vaccinating boys to prevent spread of HPV or reduce the risk of cervical cancer especially amongst girls would be a great step towards promoting prevention. If the studies prove that the vaccinations have no complications for boys then its a no brainer that we should cover both sexes in preventing the spread of a sex linked infections such as HPV.
While it might ostensibly seem like a “no brainer,” I think it is interesting to see the percentage of men who actually seek the HPV vaccine. As one parent alluded to, there is concern of potential, unknown side effects due to the newness of the drug. Since HPV is a greater health risk for women then men, it is interesting to see how many men overcome hesitations. I think particularly important in this discussion is that way male HPV vaccination is framed by doctors. In explaining the vaccination to patients, are potential risks, complications, or unknowns elucidated? I imagine not. Perhaps, doctors may structure HPV as an equal problem between the genders, thus encouraging vaccination under false pretenses. Such an example makes evident the potential short comings between doctor-patient communications.
I feel that the vaccination of men will eventually play an important role in the reduction of cancer-linked HPV strain infections. However, I feel it will take time to convince men to make an effort to get vaccinated. At present, I am sure many men will find little incentive to spend $360 to get vaccinated against a virus that will leave them with no symptoms and will probably disappear on its own within a few years. I believe that educating parents about the importance of vaccinating their children (both sexes) will hold importance in the reduction of HPV spread in future generations.
At the moment, fear of side effects is a reasonable concern. There have been, in fact, 11 reported deaths associated with the vaccine. However, most [short term] side-effects associated with the vaccine are characteristic of most vaccines and are typically harmless. In addition, I cannot foresee any major long-term side effects as the vaccine is made up of surface proteins found on the outer coat of the HPV virus. As we are constantly exposed to foreign surface proteins it is unlikely that these proteins will cause any harm. Waiting for long term results will confirm the safety of the vaccine, at the expense of new cases of cancer-linked HPV infections that could have been prevented.
I am sure that most insurance companies will eventually cover the cost of the vaccine, as the vaccine is recommended by the CDC. Cost will probably play a strong role in influencing a male's decision to get vaccinated. However, I feel the strongest influence will be come from public education. Currently, our knowledge about the vaccine is mostly shaped by what our doctors tell us and information obtained from the internet. This may not be enough.
I completely agree with the idea to vaccinate men for the HPV virus. Sexually transmitted infections have become a large problem in colleges across the country. It is also apparent that it is men that are causing the problems with the spread of the HPV virus. By vaccinating men, it will reduce the risk of contracting the infection, will further educate men of the dangers of sexually transmitted infections, and hopefully help lead the way for vaccinations of other dangerous infections. I think it would be very beneficial to vaccinate men for HPV.
I agree with the person who wished the vaccine had initially been approved for both boys and girls. Just because boys and men don't face a major threat to their own lives from the disease is no reason to try to limit the spread of HPV by vaccinating girls only - HPV is a problem shared in common by all people.
I did a summer research project last summer at Harvard, developing an assay to track HPV as it enters a mucous barrier. Afterall, the mucous barrier is our first line of defense; once some pathogen passes it, it is up to the second line of defense to protect us. No one has actually documented this happening; there have been biophysical studies done on how the virus behaves once it is inside the mucous. After the summer, and mathematical calculations, we discovered that the virus cannot get past the mucous barrier on its own with simple diffusion. Since then, I have talked to my PI and found out that when they mixed sperm with the virus, the virus bound to the sperm in a specific way, and entered a mucous barrier with the help of the sperm. If this kind of research can come to light and show that some sexually transmitted viruses actually need a high-energy source to enter an organism's system, perhaps men would realize how beneficial it would be to receive the vaccination. I am not blaming men as being a "carrier" of the virus or the only reason why cervical cancer is occurring, but it seems to be that the virus uses the sperm as one of its mechanisms of infection. Maybe so many are hesitant to get the shot because it's labeled as the "sex cancer." But frankly, you do not get cervical cancer just from having sex. This is definitely a combined issue of science literacy, the ability to extract truth for scientific information, and the ability of medical professions to best present the risks and benefits to patients.
I would be very interested in how the media and the science community will try to promote this issue. Like the quote in your post mentioned, this is a 'sex cancer' and is sometimes thought to be taboo but with such a prevelance of infections (the recent 1 out of 4 girls with an STD study) I feel that this vaccine for boys will be highly publicized. Who knows, maybe communities will soon be holding vaccine fairs like that footage of hand washing awarness that we saw in class...
I think it's great that the vaccine is now available for boys. Since boys are usually the ones who spread viruses to girls, it might be smart for boys to get the HPV vaccine because that will decrease the chances of them spreading the virus. Even though boys now have this option available, it is a good idea for girls to still get the vaccine. Covering both sexes would definitely lead to a decrease in the spreading of sexual transmitted infections. However, those less educated who get the vaccine might think that because they are vaccinated, they won’t have to use any protection. This could be a possible area of backfire. Doctors will have to make sure to communicate and emphasize to their patients that even if you are vaccinated, there still is a small chance of getting an infection, so be smart and still use protection.
I believe that vaccinating boys to prevent the spread of HPV it is very important issue, and is one that is not publicized enough. It has been pretty much proved that most vaccinations do not effect men, therefore there is no reason they should not promote the vaccination. Also although, I believe that alot of promotion to improve awareness of HPV virus has occurred, it is only being targeted towards women, and not men.
I think that a lot people have brought up some very interesting points, from how the media will promote the issue to men who might not see a reason, to how the virus uses sperm to cross the mucous barrier. The sooner that the vaccine is approved for men, the sooner that health campaigns, other organizations, and doctor-patient communication can help to resolve the potential issues and help take those first crucial steps to prevention.
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