Mandatory HPV Vaccinations
Human papilloma virus, or HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States today (Taking 350). There has been a great deal of debate as to whether young women should be required to receive a vaccine to prevent this virus. Young women may not be prepared to make such a decision for themselves. Parents may not be able to make the right choice for their child regarding this vaccination either. Over all, there is simply not enough accurate information available regarding the subject, so it should not be made mandatory.
While there is no treatment for HPV, about ninety percent of women who contract it, clear it within two years. And while nearly all cases of cancer in the cervix are caused by HPV, there are many strands of HPV, and not all of them cause cancer. In fact, the vaccine in question only protects against four strands of the virus, including two that commonly cause cancer.
Cervical cancer is the third most common cancer among women globally, but the risk in the United States is much lower, and it is far less likely to die as a result of it. As long as sexually active women attend their yearly gynecological exam and receive a Pap test, they are very likely to detect cervical cancer at an early and treatable stage (Taking 351).
In the United States, the chances of contracting HPV are high, but the chances of the infection ultimately leading to cervical cancer are low. The vaccination itself is quite costly. It requires the administration of three doses which end up costing about three hundred and seventy five dollars. While the CDC recommends that young women receive the vaccine, it is just that, a recommendation and it is not required.