Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia, about 12,000 women in the United States are diagnosed with cervical cancer, and about 4,000 women die from it, each year. Human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted disease, is the main cause of this cancer. The incidence of cervical cancer is decreasing because of regular screenings with the Pap smear test for women beginning at the age of 21. Gardasil is a vaccine, approved by the FDA in June 2006, that helps prevents HPV infection and subsequent cancers of the cervix, anus, vulva, vagina, or penis. It is administered to males and females between the ages of 9 and 26.
With this background in mind, review the statistics found on the CDC website, and discuss the differences in incidence rates across racial and ethnic groups and across states. In your post, include your answers to the following questions:
What are possible causes for these differences?
What might account for the decrease in incidence overall?
Should Gardasil vaccinations be mandatory for adolescents before entering middle school or junior high school? Why or why not?
Should students be tested for existing HPV infections during school or sports physicals? Why or why not?
Should physicians disclose results/findings of HPV infection to parents of adolescents under the age of 18? Why or why not?
