The Human Papillomavirus Dilemma: Should You Get Vaccinated for HPV?

There are many cases involving cervical cancers that have HPV as the cause. HPV stands for the human papillomavirus and, contrary to popular belief, it can affect both men and women. Countless ways have been developed to fight HPV but, so far, the most effective way is to get vaccinated for it at an early age.

If you’re sexually active, remember that the HPV vaccine is not a cure for genital warts; it’s a cure for cancer, a more serious problem. Here’s why you should get HPV vaccinated.

Extensive testing is already done

When you get vaccinated against something, you want to be safe from that disease; alternatively, you want the vaccine used on you to be proven safe and effective. They test the current HPV vaccines being circulated today thoroughly and is as safe and effective as possible.

HPV is something you shouldn’t laugh at

Sexually active people are commonly at risk for STDs like the clap—chlamydia—and gonorrhea as well. However, the most commonly transmitted disease is still HPV. Furthermore, HPV can evolve to become more serious; cancer is one of the most common diseases it evolves into.

If it doesn’t work, you’re covered

Vaccines have an almost equal chance of not working. If you’re not sure whether to get your child or yourself vaccinated, consider going for it anyway. Most insurance companies have it covered, and it’s one way of making sure you’re covered even before you have sexual contact or otherwise.

It does work

HPV vaccines available in the market have had a stunning success rate; out of 100%, 71% of adolescent women have had cancers and other genital diseases prevented. That’s a big number. You cut infections at the roots or even before they begin because of the vaccination.

Prevention is still better than a cure

If there is a cure for cancer, that is. Most of infections caused by HPV always end up turning into cancer; the best way to prevent it is still to get vaccinated. You don’t want to play Russian bullet by not getting vaccinated and contracting HPV.

It’s one of the readily available vaccines

When your child gets vaccinated, you can have HPV vaccination included as well. It’s already available to teeners aged 11-12 and is part of a three-fold vaccine to shield you against infections. The other two—which is available at an early age—is for meningitis and whooping cough.

IF you think getting vaccinated for HPV can come at a later time, you think again. There’s a fine line between HPV infection and not getting infected—if prevention is better than a cure, HPV vaccination is certainly better than trying to cure stage 1 of a potentially nasty cancer.