Teen Cervical Vaccination On The Rise

Teen Cervical Vaccination On The Rise

Even with more teenage girls getting a controversial cervical cancer vaccine the latest stats show that the expected drop in cases is nowhere to be seen. Last year in fact the number of cervical cancer cases diagnosed in teenagers grew after years of stagnation as medics still struggle to convince parents that the vaccine is safe and necessary.

Girls with ages between 13 and 17 have increased their HPV vaccination rates from 33 percent to 38 percent in 2014, however, most doctors, including specialists from the CDC say that vaccination rates still have to grow for the vaccine to make a dent in cervical cancer statistics.

HPV can be transmitted through sexual intercourse and can cause a series of serious health problems including cervical cancer and genital warts.

A three dose series of HPV shots that was first introduced in 2006 protects against the human papilloma virus and its repercussions.

The potentially lifesaving vaccine has come under a lot of criticism when certain parents feared that the vaccine would be synonymous with the start of their teenage daughter’s sex life. Doctors across the country have tried to combat the preconceived idea by clearly specifying that the HPV vaccine is simply a disease prevention measure similar to the meningitis or whooping cough vaccines.

Posted by George Daniels on Saturday July 26 2014, 9:59 AM EST. Ref: ctvnews. Link. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, Health. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0