Why are we vaccinating only the girls for a virus that is sexually transmitted when half of the infected population includes the boys as well? Yes, the virus can cause cervical cancer as well as genital warts (in both males and females). Boys are at risk for infection as well as transmission. Yet, the burden is on the girls and the vaccination is only approved at present for the girls under the age of 17 or before sexual activity. Why are the girls being targeted? It makes no sense to me as a physician, a psychiatrist, as an immunobiologist or as a mother of an adolescent girl, an adolescent boy and a pre-pubertal boy.
When I pointed this out to my children's pediatrician, she realized that it didn't make any sense to her either. If we truly want to stop the spread of the human papilloma virus, then we need to vaccinate both the girls and the boys. Why are we holding the girls responsible only? Why are we generating potential shame for the girls? Why are we not acknowledging the responsibility of the boys? What are we teaching our children? What is society and the medical/pharmaceutical community implying to parents and teenagers/young adults?
Any thoughts or comments?
DocTracy
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment