Doctor, I have a question
Have you heard arguments for and against the HPV vaccine? Here is a doctor's point of view.
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Question: Dr. Chura, I’ve heard different arguments for and against the HPV vaccine. Do the benefits actually outweigh the harm?
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection, currently affecting more than 79 million Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It is also a significant cause of cancer. In fact, the rate of cancers caused by HPV has soared in recent years. This year alone, it’s estimated that more than 12,000 women will be diagnosed with cervical cancer — nearly all of those cases would be caused by high-risk strains of HPV.
While 90 percent of all HPV infections, including the cancer-causing strains, will resolve on their own without treatment, the HPV infections that do not resolve can become a serious health risk. This is why the HPV vaccine, which aims to prevent HPV infection, is so important. By CDC estimates, if 80 percent of teens received the recommended three doses of the vaccine, an estimated 53,000 additional cases of cervical cancer could be prevented over the lifetimes of girls aged 12 and older.
Of course, there are possible side effects of the HPV vaccine, but these tend to be minor when compared with developing cancer. Of the nearly 57 million doses of the vaccine administered in the United States between June 2006 and March of this year, there have been about 22,000 reports of adverse events—that’s 0.04 percent. About 92 percent of those adverse events were categorized as minor, such as injection site pain, nausea and headache. The remaining 8 percent were considered serious, which included fainting, vomiting and generalized weakness.
I have witnessed many lives cut short by cervical and vulvar cancer, but the HPV vaccine has the potential to change this. To be clear, the benefits of the vaccines far outweigh any potential risks. However, I encourage parents and young women who are deciding about the HPV vaccine to look at the science behind it, discuss it with their doctors, and ultimately make the decision best suited for them.
Justin Chura, M.D., is Medical Director of both Gynecologic Oncology and Robotic Surgery at Cancer Treatment Centers of America® in Philadelphia. His clinical expertise includes training in obstetrics and gynecology at Magee-Women’s Hospital in Pittsburgh, PA, and a fellowship in gynecologic oncology at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Chura is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and has been named one of the “Top Doctors” for 2009, 2011 and 2012 in Main Line Today.
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