For the sake of girls

    Gardisal has been made for girls and geared toward girls, but now it will be given to boys too. By 2009, it is hoped that Gardasil, the “One Less” cervical cancer vaccine, will be approved for vaccination for boys. Since it was first introduced to us in June 2006, it has been advertised mostly as a vaccine to protect against a type of cancer for girls ages 9-26, not even acknowledging that it is spread through sexual contact.

    This comes as a surprise to many since the commercials for Gardisal features a world of girls fighting against cervical cancer, never even mentioning boys. The truth is, in addition to cervical cancer, it prevents genital warts, so giving Gardasil to boys would also help lower the spread of cervical cancer and protect boys and girls against genital warts.The vaccine protects against Human Papilloma Virus types 6 and 11 which cause 90 percent of all genital warts, and 16 and 18, which cause 70 percent of cervical cancers. Though men never develop cervical cancer, they can contract the virus without even showing signs of having it and then unknowingly spread it to their partners.

    After it was first introduced, it became the first vaccine to prevent against the HPV bringing Merck & Co. a profit of $1.5 billion. If the market is opened up to boys, it is thought that the profit will increase to an overwhelming $10 billion. The problem with Gardasil, though, is its surprising price of $360 for the three shots that are given over a period of six months. Many are unable to afford the vaccine so this matter of health care is shelved and forgotten by some.

    “Health is more important than money,” said Junior Adanech Debeli. Governor Tim Kaine seemed to agree with this reasoning when he approved legislation mandating that all girls entering the sixth grade must be vaccinated against HPV, but also added a provision allowing for parents to opt out their daughters from getting the vaccine. This will begin October 1, 2008 diminishing the problem of cost for girls. But what about the boys? What happen if the vaccine is approved to be given to them? So far, they will have to pay full price. However, the number of guys who are willing to pay such a price for shots.

    Freshman Gary Gonzales said that he would take the shot. “I don’t want to spread cancer. But some [guys] wouldn’t care.”
Much of the opposition to Gardasil, is from parents who are worried that the vaccine will just encourage promiscuity among pre-teens and teenagers. They feel that sixth graders are too young to be given a vaccine that protects them from a sexually transmitted disease. However, researchers have concluded that the right age is before the child becomes sexually active.

    So should guys take the vaccine? “No, because how often do women get it. It’s pointless,” said freshman Brittney Terry. It is estimated that there will be 11,070 new cases of cervical cancer annually, with 3,870 deaths in 2008 because of it. Cervical cancer remains the number two cancer killer of women, just behind heart disease. HPV is one of the most prevalent sexually transmitted infections with 7.5 million women in the U.S. having it. Though a large amount of the female population is suffering with it, it is still an unacknowledged infection.

    Freshman Daniel Calabro said, “It should be an option for the guys.” But later admitted that they probably would not choose to take it. For those guys who would not feel like decreasing the number of women who die from cervical cancer a year is a good enough reason to take the vaccine, there are also benefits for them too. Though genital warts is not a life threatening disease, it is not easy to live with them, since the bumps, which are treatable, can always reappear. The treatment can also be painful with freezing the warts, cutting them, or burning them as some operation choices for the more serious cases. Even if the bumps have disappeared the virus is still in the body, so having a vaccine to prevent it from ever occurring seems to be a likely solution.

    Because cervical cancer is spread by sexual contact, some see it as a two way responsibility. “I guess they should take the vaccine, if they’re planning on being sexually active with girls so they won’t give cancer to them,” said junior Bianca Temple. She believes that just because the girl is the one threatened by cervical cancer, does not make the guy any less responsible. But she continued and said, “I don’t think guys would do it because they don’t care what girls get. They’re pretty selfish.”