Interesting article in the Irish Times the other day on whether boys should be getting the Cervical Cancer vaccine as well as girls. It's apparently already happening in the UK and Oz.
I was rather delighted earlier this year when Health Minister Mary Harney finally announced that beginning this September, the Gardasil vaccine would be administered to girls in Irish secondary schools.
The vaccine protects against four strains of HPV, two of which are associated with about 70% of cervical cancer cases and two of which are associated with about 90% of genital warts cases.
HPV is one of the more mysterious STIs out there. There are between 30 and 40 strains that can be transmitted through sexual contact, and because condoms do not cover the areas around the genitals or inner thighs which can be exposed to the infected person's skin, they are not effective in preventing transmission. Testing usually won't detect HPV, unless visible symptoms occur. It is so common, that most people who have been sexually active already have HPV, and for most of us, our bodies will clear the infection on its own without us ever knowing we have it. Of course everyone's immune system is different, and not everyone will clear the infection. Two possible results in this case are genital warts, and genital lesions which can progress to cervical cancer. Of course anything that can help prevent these sounds like a good idea.
However, because the drug only prevents HPV strains which have not yet been contracted and does not treat a person's existing HPV-related problems, it had been particularly recommended for younger girls who were less likely to have had (m)any sexual partners. But it has also been found to be effective for women up to their late twenties, and now it's also being recommended for boys.
Ok, so your average boy may not be in possession of a cervix, but seeing as the vaccine is also awesome at lowering the risk of getting genital warts as well as reducing the transmission of certain cancer-causing strains of HPV between horny kids, it sounds like a damn good idea to me. Of course, the government don't really want to talk about the genital warts thing, because if our girls realise the vaccine could also help prevent them from catching a nasty STI, next thing they'll be humping every boy in sight sans-durex and going wild, and Joe Francis would be cleaning up.
No, far more respectable to just stick with the cancer part, nobody can argue with cancer -even the Catholic church can't argue with that, right? [Hmmm...]
Personally I think they should be playing up the warts thing - or at least the profit-lovin' drug companies should. For a start it doubles their market. Also.. and I'm not for a second saying cervical cancer is preferable to some pesky vag warts... but at the same time, at least I can try to keep cervical cancer in check with regular paps -warts are less likely to call and let you know they're coming. They just arrive on your doorstep and then you're fucked and need to revert to celibacy and numerous cryotherapy treatments which I hear are no picnic. Shudder.
I'm not altogether sold on this whole Gardasil vaccine in the first place. In theory I am, but I've also read some dodgy reports on the health risks, and really I'd need to investigate a little more before I decry everybody should go out and get shot up with the stuff. But, also in theory, I think if we're going to do this we need to do it right, and to effectively reduce the risk of cervical cancer [AND warts!], I think we need boys to get in on this too. Pretty much like most aspects of feminism, it just works better if men and women are all on the same page.
I decided not to use a picture for this post. You're welcome.
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