It is vital that young women understand what and why they are injecting Gardasil into their bodies. As mentioned previously, young women are being taught what they are injecting into their bodies (vaccine preventing HPV), but are not given a full understanding as to why (Why are they preventing HPV? What exactly is HPV?) Our goal is to inform sex educators the importance of teaching the facts of HPV towards young men and women. It is vital that an enriched sex education program exist in order to focus not only on HPV, but on ALL sexually transmitted infections. There is a high incidence rate of STI contraction during adolescence, and sex educators need to inform both male and female students about their consequences. HPV is not the most lethal STI, and other diseases such as HIV need to be emphasized immensely. Moreover, similar to family doctors, we recommend that sex educators stress the importance of yearly pap tests and its connection to HPV and other STIs. It is common among adolescent girls to switch to a female doctor in order to increase their comfort levels during this time period. Sex educators should provide information as to where to receive a pap test and provide several contacts (including female family doctors), if they have trouble searching for a family doctor.
Presently, our society is more open-minded towards sexual practices compared to several decades ago. We cannot ignore the fact that young adolescents engage in pre-marital sex. We want sex educators to refrain from abstinence education, and enforce the use of condoms for practicing safer sex. Condoms should be available at all times within the school. Finally, we want sex educators to be honest with adolescents. We do not want sex educators to say, “sex is bad, because you can contract and transmit STI’s and/or get pregnant.” Sex educators should address why the media portrays sex as positive, and admit the pleasures associated to sex. An enriched sex education program such as this, will give adolescents the true facts regarding safe sex, benefits of sex, consequences of sex (HPV, other STI’s) and finally methods of prevention, and pap tests. Finally and most importantly, it will give parents and young women the proper education to make an informed decision towards Gardasil.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Goals and Recommendations: Education --> Who Will be Targeted?
A major argument reiterated throughout this blog stresses the lack of education pertaining to HPV as a sexually transmitted infection. We argued that parents and young women are not properly educated about HPV, making it unfair and unjust to implement its vaccine. Decisions concerning Gardasil have been made strictly surrounding the prevention of cervical cancer. Nonetheless, HPV vaccination programs have been designed to educate parents, but not in a proper manner. For example, in Toronto, grade 8 females are given an information package to take home to parents. This “educational package” includes the following:
- A letter outlining the HPV program
- Fact sheet on HPV vaccine
- Consent form
- Pamphlet (translated into 12 languages)
The information package outlined above provides information concerning the vaccine only. But, what if someone has never heard of HPV? The pamphlet may provide important facts; however, it does not guarantee that parents and children will actually read it. Our goal is to further educate parents, young women, and sex educators about all the facts concerning HPV as a disease, in order to guarantee an informed decision.
We want to begin by targeting parents who feel uncomfortable towards Gardasil due to their misconception of HPV. For example, many parents part of the Catholic School Board believe that the implementation of Gardasil will lead to an increase in young women’s promiscuity. Our goal is to eradicate this myth, and provide proper education and facts regarding HPV, because in reality one can still contract the disease even if he or she is not sexually active. Next, we want to target all parents and young women concerning what is HPV, and inform them about alternative approaches to cervical cancer prevention (pap tests). Finally, we want to ensure that family doctors stress to their female patients the importance of yearly pap check ups. We want to educate family doctors and gynaecologists the importance of maintaining prompt contact with their patients regarding pap test results.
- A letter outlining the HPV program
- Fact sheet on HPV vaccine
- Consent form
- Pamphlet (translated into 12 languages)
The information package outlined above provides information concerning the vaccine only. But, what if someone has never heard of HPV? The pamphlet may provide important facts; however, it does not guarantee that parents and children will actually read it. Our goal is to further educate parents, young women, and sex educators about all the facts concerning HPV as a disease, in order to guarantee an informed decision.
We want to begin by targeting parents who feel uncomfortable towards Gardasil due to their misconception of HPV. For example, many parents part of the Catholic School Board believe that the implementation of Gardasil will lead to an increase in young women’s promiscuity. Our goal is to eradicate this myth, and provide proper education and facts regarding HPV, because in reality one can still contract the disease even if he or she is not sexually active. Next, we want to target all parents and young women concerning what is HPV, and inform them about alternative approaches to cervical cancer prevention (pap tests). Finally, we want to ensure that family doctors stress to their female patients the importance of yearly pap check ups. We want to educate family doctors and gynaecologists the importance of maintaining prompt contact with their patients regarding pap test results.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Goal: Pap Tests for all!
Another goal we have for our policy on HPV is that there be free Pap tests available for all women. So many women fail to get tested each year for a number of different reasons. Some do not have a family doctor, some do not have access to a clinic or hospital as they live in rural areas or are marginalized in the community (this may be due to poverty, being an immigrant or refugee, being Aboriginal, etc.). Also, many women simply are not educated on the importance of getting a pap test, or what a pap test actually does.
We will touch upon the educational component in a different blog, but we would like to stress the importance that women need to know what a pap test is, why they should get one, and where and how they can get one. We propose that all women should have the right to getting tested, and they should be able to do so once a year, for free. Women should be able to go to clinics or hospitals, and those who are marginalized or live in isolated areas should have access to testing sights. This may mean once a year running a clinic on native reserves, or in rural areas. Also, women should have the right to getting the results from their tests in a simple and timely manner. We understand that testing does take time, and their is a waiting period for results, we just want to make sure that abnormal pap tests are always reported.
Ensuring that all women receive pap tests would be extremely beneficial in reducing the spread of HPV, as well as cervical cancer. If a woman does test positive for HPV, she can be made aware of the infection, prevent infecting anyone else, and receive treatment. We believe that freedom and power is in knowledge.
We will touch upon the educational component in a different blog, but we would like to stress the importance that women need to know what a pap test is, why they should get one, and where and how they can get one. We propose that all women should have the right to getting tested, and they should be able to do so once a year, for free. Women should be able to go to clinics or hospitals, and those who are marginalized or live in isolated areas should have access to testing sights. This may mean once a year running a clinic on native reserves, or in rural areas. Also, women should have the right to getting the results from their tests in a simple and timely manner. We understand that testing does take time, and their is a waiting period for results, we just want to make sure that abnormal pap tests are always reported.
Ensuring that all women receive pap tests would be extremely beneficial in reducing the spread of HPV, as well as cervical cancer. If a woman does test positive for HPV, she can be made aware of the infection, prevent infecting anyone else, and receive treatment. We believe that freedom and power is in knowledge.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Goal and Recommendation for new policy: Access for all girls
Currently in Canada, girls in grades 7 or 8 are able to recieve the HPV vaccine for free in their school, as long as their school board has chosen to accept the Gardasil vaccine. What happens to those girls who do not have access to the vaccine for free in their school like their peers? Many Catholic school boards for instance, have rejected the policy, and said the vaccine has no place in their schools. Many parents and childen who attend Catholic schools may be ok with this, as it may fit with their morals and values, however this isn't the case for everyone. There are girls who attend these schools who do want the option to get vaccinated for free, so there need to be places for these girls to go. We propose having the vaccine available in clinics or at doctors offices for free, or at least at a reduced cost. If a girl is of the target age, that is the age in which the province has decided to give out the vaccine for free in schools, and cannot get the vaccine at school, she should have the same rights as her peers.
This raises the issue of whether or not the school is the best place for vaccines. We believe that the school is a good place for those who may not have a family doctor, or have access to a clinic or hospital, as the school is a place that is available to everyone. However, we also feel that a girl should have the option to go to her doctors office to receive the vaccine for free, if she chooses not to get vaccinated at school. The doctor, or a nurse, would be able to give the girl more education, and more time to discuss her options. Funding for all of this would have to come out of the funds that each province recieved for the Gardasil program, and it would have to be redistributed, ensuring each girl of the target age would have access to free or reduced cost vaccination.
This raises the issue of whether or not the school is the best place for vaccines. We believe that the school is a good place for those who may not have a family doctor, or have access to a clinic or hospital, as the school is a place that is available to everyone. However, we also feel that a girl should have the option to go to her doctors office to receive the vaccine for free, if she chooses not to get vaccinated at school. The doctor, or a nurse, would be able to give the girl more education, and more time to discuss her options. Funding for all of this would have to come out of the funds that each province recieved for the Gardasil program, and it would have to be redistributed, ensuring each girl of the target age would have access to free or reduced cost vaccination.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Recommendation: Research
If the HPV vaccine is going to continue to be given to young girls, research is needed on its efficacy and outcome expectancies.
The government has clearly not taken into account the fact that Merck Frosst does not even know yet how effective the vaccine is and whether or not another shot will need to be given to young girls 5 years or so after their first round of shots; this is just asking for the government to provide more funding in the future for a vaccine that may not even be 100% effective.
Additionally, the research that has been done on the vaccine itself is insufficient. Instead of Merck Frosst doing it’s own testing, comparisons of different vaccines carried out in “government supported research programs, free from any conflict of interest” needs to occur. In order to effectively make health care decisions, and evidence based policy decisions, research needs to show that the vaccine is in fact, cost effective and overall effective enough to be given to girls 9-26 across the board. The original testing of the vaccine only tested around 1200 girls, this number is clearly too low and testing needs to be expanded to more girls across all ages.
Before implementing a nationwide vaccination program, the long term side effects of Gardasil need to be discovered. Currently, they are “waiting” to see if there are any long term side effects from the HPV vaccine; using young Canadian women as guinea pigs.
Research findings also need to be available to the public in order for young women and their families to make informed, evidence based decisions and be aware of all possible short term and long term side effects.
The government has clearly not taken into account the fact that Merck Frosst does not even know yet how effective the vaccine is and whether or not another shot will need to be given to young girls 5 years or so after their first round of shots; this is just asking for the government to provide more funding in the future for a vaccine that may not even be 100% effective.
Additionally, the research that has been done on the vaccine itself is insufficient. Instead of Merck Frosst doing it’s own testing, comparisons of different vaccines carried out in “government supported research programs, free from any conflict of interest” needs to occur. In order to effectively make health care decisions, and evidence based policy decisions, research needs to show that the vaccine is in fact, cost effective and overall effective enough to be given to girls 9-26 across the board. The original testing of the vaccine only tested around 1200 girls, this number is clearly too low and testing needs to be expanded to more girls across all ages.
Before implementing a nationwide vaccination program, the long term side effects of Gardasil need to be discovered. Currently, they are “waiting” to see if there are any long term side effects from the HPV vaccine; using young Canadian women as guinea pigs.
Research findings also need to be available to the public in order for young women and their families to make informed, evidence based decisions and be aware of all possible short term and long term side effects.
Recommendation: Addressing the Media
One area which needs to be addressed when thinking of a new policy for HPV (or sex education) in Canada is addressing the media.
The current “HPV information campaign” that has been introduced by Merck gives the impression that the Gardasil Vaccine presents ALL cervical cancer, and basically makes girls feel invincible. It instills fear in young women and their families, without even stating the true facts of the matter. If Merck were running a truly “educational” campaign, it would include that it is not only HPV that as a young women it is not only HPV that you need to be protected against, but rather, all types of sexually transmitted diseases; it would promote general sexual health. Merck’s Gardasil campaigns are clearly in the inestered for the company itself, rather than the health of young people across the country.
The way that Gardasil has been marketed has made it difficult for reflection between parents and children, health care providers and their clients as well as among the public and policy makers, about what HPV is and about the vaccination (CWHN).
A new policy would address this by instead, using the media to promote greater awareness of disease risk, safe sex, condom use, promote Pap tests, and would give the truth about HPV in relation to cervical cancer (more than is in the small print of Mercks current campaign).
The reality is that young women and men need to be educated on sexual health in general, and one way of doing this is using the media. As we can see from the success of Merck’s Gardasil campaign in promoting their vaccine across the county, the same effect could be had using the media to promost sexual health overall. Where are the ads encouraging young women to get Pap smears? Which can protect/identify more sexual health concerns than cervical cancer alone. Where are the ads promoting condom use? Which can prevent STIs and pregnancy. Instead of instilling fear about one STI alone, all aspects of sexual health need to be addressed in order for young women to be well informed across the board about sexual health issues.
It would be difficult to pull Merck’s commercials off the air, but if the government is willing to put aside $300 million for HPV vaccine, the government should be willing to set aside money to promote all aspects of health for young women.
The current “HPV information campaign” that has been introduced by Merck gives the impression that the Gardasil Vaccine presents ALL cervical cancer, and basically makes girls feel invincible. It instills fear in young women and their families, without even stating the true facts of the matter. If Merck were running a truly “educational” campaign, it would include that it is not only HPV that as a young women it is not only HPV that you need to be protected against, but rather, all types of sexually transmitted diseases; it would promote general sexual health. Merck’s Gardasil campaigns are clearly in the inestered for the company itself, rather than the health of young people across the country.
The way that Gardasil has been marketed has made it difficult for reflection between parents and children, health care providers and their clients as well as among the public and policy makers, about what HPV is and about the vaccination (CWHN).
A new policy would address this by instead, using the media to promote greater awareness of disease risk, safe sex, condom use, promote Pap tests, and would give the truth about HPV in relation to cervical cancer (more than is in the small print of Mercks current campaign).
The reality is that young women and men need to be educated on sexual health in general, and one way of doing this is using the media. As we can see from the success of Merck’s Gardasil campaign in promoting their vaccine across the county, the same effect could be had using the media to promost sexual health overall. Where are the ads encouraging young women to get Pap smears? Which can protect/identify more sexual health concerns than cervical cancer alone. Where are the ads promoting condom use? Which can prevent STIs and pregnancy. Instead of instilling fear about one STI alone, all aspects of sexual health need to be addressed in order for young women to be well informed across the board about sexual health issues.
It would be difficult to pull Merck’s commercials off the air, but if the government is willing to put aside $300 million for HPV vaccine, the government should be willing to set aside money to promote all aspects of health for young women.
Summing it up...
The HPV Vaccine has indirectly oppressed women by focusing on HPV as being a female only problem (and as we have discussed men can carry the disease as well). The current vaccination program that has been implemented by the government of Canada does not address the wider concerns that sex education should currently be addressing for males and females. In the next few blog we will talking about goals, objectives and recommendations for policy alternatives in Canada.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
