Maren Gibb

Critical Thinking Paper- Revised

Blue group

May 7th, 2018

 79 million people in our country are infected with Human Papillomavirus (HPV)(CDC).

HPV is a sexually transmitted disease in which the symptoms vary from genital warts to cancer.

First discovered in 1956, this disease in a fairly new discovery. It wasn't until 1984 that it was

linked to cervical cancer by Harald zur Hausen who later discovered the vaccine. Because of this

late discovery many people doubt the seriousness of this disease and the ability of the vaccine to

prevent it. Their doubts simply do not compare to the amount of people affected by this incurable

disease. It is the most common of the sexually transmitted diseases since it is spread by skin to

skin contact (Planned Parenthood). This makes it easier to contract then other diseases such as

chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis, which are spread by the exchange of bodily fluids.

According to the CDC, 12,000 women in the US suffer from cervical cancer caused by HPV.

This cancer goes on to kill about 4,000 women every year in the United States. With the vaccine,

health officials have seen a decrease in the amount of victims, “We are continuing to see

decreases in the HPV types that are targeted by the vaccine," said lead researcher Dr. Lauri

Markowitz, a medical epidemiologist with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention”

(Healthy Women). Even with reassurances that the vaccine is functional and completely safe,

states and individuals still have doubts about administering it to their children. Laws on

vaccinations are mostly up to state legislatures, but only three out of fifty states require this

vaccine. Out of those three, only one requires males to get the vaccine as well. Everyone needs to

be vaccinated for HPV, because everyone can suffer the consequences of the disease. The State
of Maryland must do it’s part in diminishing this tragic death rate by mandating the vaccination

of HPV as a condition for public secondary school enrollment because the vaccinations will

protect individual students from illness, will alleviate passing the disease to others, and will

reduce the expense of the treatment of HPV.

Getting the HPV vaccination will protect the health of individuals. HPV is the most

common sexually transmitted disease. According to the CDC, there are about 20 million new

cases every year, “In fact, almost everyone who has sex gets the HPV virus at some point in their

lives”(Planned Parenthood). This is a very serious problem and people dismiss it because they

are unaware of HPV and its symptoms and consequences. For this reason, when individuals do

come in contact with this disease and gets infected they are not aware so they can’t do anything

to stop it. The symptoms, when they do appear, include warts, which can appear on the genitals

as well as the mouth and throat. A more serious symptom is cervical cancer, which only affects

women. Although there are ways to treat these symptoms, there is no cure. The only way to be

100% sure that one won't contract the disease is abstinence or the vaccination. For women,

cervical cancer can only be detected by a pap-smear, a test which analyzes the cells in the cervix

to determine if they are abnormal. But these tests are not very regular. According to WebMd,

“[one] should have the test every 3 years from age 21 to 65. [For] age 30 or over, you can have a

Pap test every 5 years”(WebMd). This is an issue because if a woman gets infected with HPV

and contracts cervical cancer in the off years of their testing, they will not know if they have

cancer and therefore can’t begin the treatment which can save their life. If individuals get

vaccines, they will refrain from passing of disease from person to person. Women could stop

suffering from cancer and men could stop suffering from other symptoms.
 HPV vaccinations will also help lower the rate of infection in others. If one person is

vaccinated, then that will alleviate the passing to one of their partners. It is a very complicated

disease. The CDC explains,“Anyone who is sexually active can get HPV...You also can develop

symptoms years after you have sex with someone who is infected”(CDC). Sometimes the virus

does not appear and you are a silent carrier, one doesn’t have symptoms but one can still have

the disease. It is very hard to tell when or if one has become infected. Since there is no defined

line to when symptoms can occur, people who are infected will often not go to the doctor with

concerns about HPV. If people don’t have concerns and therefore don't get tested, they will most

likely not be aware that they have the disease. Thus they would not know if they are infecting

other people. It is an endless cycle which only leads to the infections of millions of people. This

is even more serious for women because if a male partner does not know that they are infected,

then they could pass the disease onto the women who can suffer greater consequences like

cervical cancer. If everyone gets the vaccine, then the unknown variable of whether you have the

disease or not is no longer an issue. High schoolers in particular should be required to get

vaccinated, “CDC estimates that youth ages 15-24... account for half of the 20 million new

sexually transmitted infections that occur in the United States each year”(CDC). Although this

relates to all STDs and not just Human Papillomavirus, it is apparent that people in this age range

are sexually active and are at risk for sexually transmitted diseases. If the State of Maryland

introduces the HPV vaccination as a requirement, it will open the doors to discussion on

prevention of other sexually transmitted diseases.

Not only is it distasteful, the treatment of HPV is quite costly, the typical cost for the

standard treatment of the skin infection is four hundred dollars for medication and eight thousand
dollars for surgical removal (American Sexual Health Association). These figures are excluding

the treatment of cancer caused by HPV. Not only is cancer treatment extremely expensive, the

screening tests that prevent cancer are costly as well. The CDC talks about the price of

pap-smears “...current cervical cancer screening practices in the United States range from $3,906

to $14,723”(CDC). If the State of Maryland mandates the vaccine, then the need for screenings

will decrease significantly. If no one is infected with HPV, no one will have to pay for the

treatment. For people who do not have health insurance, these numbers are life changing. The

cost of medical care in general is simply not fair for some families, let alone for a disease that is

completely preventable.

The State of Maryland needs to mandate the vaccination of HPV as a condition for public

secondary school enrollment because it protects individuals, alleviates passing the disease to

others, and minimizes the cost of treatment for HPV. People still doubt the seriousness of HPV

and the capability of the vaccine. In the article by ​Living Whole, ​it claim that “...if you get your

young kids vaccinated, chances are they have not been exposed to HPV yet, BUT…any

protection the vaccine might give will have ​worn off​ by the time they become sexually active.”

Obviously the credibility of these claims are highly questionable, as the vaccine cannot simply

“wear off.” Consumer Reports explains, “​Unlike some other shots, there’s no evidence that the

protective effect of the HPV vaccine...diminishes with time” (Consumer Reports).​ It is this kind

of false advertising that differs parents from getting their children vaccinated. Many parents are

doubtful of getting their children vaccinated because of the recommended age for vaccination.

Girls and boys should be vaccinated between 11-12. No one wants to think about such young

children ever being sexually active. But they grow up, and at some point it will happen. Though
parents may not want to admit it, students in high school do engage in sexual activity and it is

best to protect them against diseases to ensure their safety. It is better to have children

vaccinated before they are sexually active because the vaccine works best when the patient has

yet to be infected with HPV. Too many people live with HPV, and it is up to the states to make

sure that no one has to live with it ever again.

Work Cited

"Adolescents and Young Adults." ​CDC​, www.cdc.gov/std/life-stages-populations/

adolescents-young adults.htm. Accessed 13 Mar. 2018.

"The HPV Vaccine: What You Need to Know." ​Living Whole​, www.livingwhole.org/

why-no-woman-should-ever-get-the-hpv-vaccine/. Accessed 13 Mar. 2018.

"Human Papillomavirus." ​Center For Disease Control​, www.cdc.gov/std/hpv/

std facts-hpv.htm. Accessed 9 Mar. 2018.

"Pap Test." ​WebMD​, www.webmd.com/women/abnormal-pap-test-directory. Accessed 16

Mar. 2018.

"What is HPV & How Do You Get It?" ​Planned Parenthood​, www.plannedparenthood.org/

learn/stds-hiv-safer-sex/hpv. Accessed 11 Mar. 2018.

"Cost of HPV." ​Center For Disease Control​, wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/14/2/pdfs/

07-0499.pdf. Accessed 18 Mar. 2018.

"Proof That the HPV Vaccine Works." ​Healthy Women​, www.healthywomen.org/content/

article/proof-hpv-vaccine-works. Accessed 26 Apr. 2018.

"Why Your Kids Need the HPV Vaccine." ​Consumer Reports​, www.consumerreports.org/

hpv-vaccine/why-your-daughters-and-sons-need-the-hpv-vaccine/. Accessed 26

Apr. 2018.

Annotated Bibliography

"Adolescents and Young Adults." ​CDC​, www.cdc.gov/std/life-stages-populations/

 adolescents-young adults.htm. Accessed 13 Mar. 2018.

This fact sheet informs the public about sexually transmitted diseases and their relations to the

youth. It explains the treatments and different types of STDs that are common for young adults

to contract.

"Cost of HPV." ​Center For Disease Control​, wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/14/2/pdfs/

07-0499.pdf. Accessed 18 Mar. 2018.

This article explained the cost of HPV prevention and treatment. It also explained how much

money we would save if there were more preventative measures in place against HPV.

"Fast Facts-HPV." ​American Sexual Health Association​, www.ashasexualhealth.org/

stds stis/hpv/fast-facts/. Accessed 18 Mar. 2018.

This fact sheet about HPV informs the public about Human Papillomavirus and all the symptoms

that comes with it. It also provides details on how many people contract the disease per year in

the United States.

"HPV-Diagnosis and Treatment." ​Mayo Clinic​, www.mayoclinic.org/

diseases-conditions/hpv-infection/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20351602.

Accessed 10 Mar. 2018.

This article explains how one gets diagnosed with HPV and what treatment options are available.

It provides details about the disease and what you can do to prevent it.
"The HPV Vaccine: What You Need to Know." ​Living Whole​, www.livingwhole.org/

why-no-woman-should-ever-get-the-hpv-vaccine/. Accessed 13 Mar. 2018.

This article explains why no women or anyone for that matter should get the HPV vaccination. It

informs the reader of the reasons why no one should be vaccinated, using opinions based

arguments.

"Human Papillomavirus." ​Austin Edu​, www.austincc.edu/microbio/2993r/hpv.htm.

Accessed 11 Mar. 2018.

This article provides the history of the disease. Informing the reader of the scientist that

discovered it and other background information.

"Human Papillomavirus." ​Cancer Research UK​, scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.org/

2014/09/16/hpv-the-whole-story-warts-and-all/. Accessed 10 Mar. 2018.

This blog provides clinical data regarding cancer and the causes of different types of cancer. It

also provides details on treatment and where to seek out this treatment.

"Human Papillomavirus." ​Center For Disease Control​, www.cdc.gov/std/hpv/

std facts-hpv.htm. Accessed 9 Mar. 2018.

This article provides details about the disease, how many people have it and what preventative

measure you can take to not contract it.

Incidence, Prevalence, and Cost Incidence, Prevalence, and Cost of Sexually

 Transmitted Infections in the United States." ​CDC​, www.cdc.gov/nchhstp/

newsroom/docs/factsheets/sti-incidence-prevalence-cost-fact-sheet-508.pdf.

Accessed 11 Mar. 2018.

This fact sheet gives price points for different sexually transmitted diseases. As Well as the cost

of specific diseases and the age range that they affect.

"Pap Test." ​WebMD​, www.webmd.com/women/abnormal-pap-test-directory. Accessed 16

Mar. 2018.

This article provides details on the Pap Smear test. How often women should get it and what it

does. It also informs the reader of any consequences resulting in not getting tested for cervical

cancer.

"State Mandates on Immunization." ​Immunization Action Coalition​,

www.immunize.org/laws/hepa.asp. Accessed 2 Mar. 2018.

This organization informs the reader of which states mandate which vaccinations for public

school enrollment. It also provides details on the years that legislation was put in action and

when or if they were removed.

"Vaccine: State Legislature." ​National Conference of State Legislature​,

​www.ncsl.org/research/health/hpv-vaccine-state-legislation-and-statutes.aspx​.

Accessed 2 Mar. 2018.

This website provides details on the national level of vaccination requirements.

What is HPV & How Do You Get It?" ​Planned Parenthood​, www.plannedparenthood.org/

learn/stds-hiv-safer-sex/hpv. Accessed 11 Mar. 2018.

This article informs the reader of HPV, how you get it and how you can treat it. Planned

Parenthood also provides locations where you can get tested for HPV as well as where you can

get treated.

"Proof That the HPV Vaccine Works." ​Healthy Women​, www.healthywomen.org/content/

article/proof-hpv-vaccine-works. Accessed 26 Apr. 2018.

This article provides proof on how effective the HPV vaccination is and how necessary it is to

get the vaccine to remain protected from the disease

"Why Your Kids Need the HPV Vaccine." ​Consumer Reports​, www.consumerreports.org/

hpv-vaccine/why-your-daughters-and-sons-need-the-hpv-vaccine/. Accessed 26

Apr. 2018.

This article provided parents will well rounded data and facts on why children should be

vaccinated against HPV. It gives the reader insight on how the disease works as well as how

effective the vaccine is.