CDC Considers Vaccinating Boys, Not Just Girls, for HPV

Submitted by Minuteman on Sat, 2011-09-24 03:13

Article here. Excerpt:

'Immunizing half the population isn't forceful enough against widespread virus, expert says.

U.S. health authorities now recommend that girls and young women be vaccinated against human papillomavirus, a sexually transmitted disease that is a known cause of cervical cancer, but that recommendation does not extend to boys and young men.

At least for now.

A debate that's been simmering over whether males also should be vaccinated for human papillomavirus, or HPV, could be resolved in October at a meeting of a key advisory committee of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said CDC spokesman Tom Skinner.

HPV is widespread among men. An international study published in March in The Lancet found that half of all adult males in the United States may be infected with the virus.
...
Another strong argument in favor of male HPV vaccination, Bonhomme said, is the fact that by only immunizing half the population, health officials are not attacking the problem with full force.

"Where are women getting the virus from?" he asked. "If you don't vaccinate the guys, then you aren't helping the women."'

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Comments

I could just as well ask "where are guys getting the virus from?"

Or does this virus magically have the ability to transfer only from males to females.

Women's health is their responsibility alone. Men and boys should not be vaccinated to protect women from cancer.

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Submitted by sirprince on Sun, 2011-09-25 22:30

HPV is known to be linked to Cervical cancer, but there are those in the medical community that believe it is linked to other cancers, including cancer of the urethra and other cancer men can get. While the discussion is just about protecting women, the benefits may not be limited to women.

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Submitted by Kratch on Mon, 2011-09-26 02:49

That's fine, but men and boys must be given the choice. It's not good enough to demand they get vaccinated to protect women and try to sugar the pill by saying it "might" benefit men too. That just shows yet again how much of a secondary issue men's health is seen as.

If males are to be given the vaccine it must be solely for their benefit. Not women's.

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Submitted by sirprince on Mon, 2011-09-26 09:51