The document discusses the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) which affects millions of young people each year in the US. A vaccine, Gardasil, was developed in 2006 to protect against some dangerous strains of HPV. While the vaccine can prevent various cancers, some parents object to it as they believe it may encourage early sexual activity in teens. However, students interviewed said parents should trust doctors' recommendations and discuss sexual health openly with their children. With around 6 million new HPV cases annually, some students felt the government should play a role in mandating the vaccine. Healthcare professionals support mandates to prevent HPV-related cancers.

1. Author: Antonio Diz
The Human Papillomavirus Virus (HPV) is a sexually transmitted
infection that affects many young people across the country. According
to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), millions of new cases are
reported each year, with high school and college-age women most
heavily affected. In 2006, a vaccine for the virus named Gardasil was
developed, offering protection from some of the most dangerous strains
of the virus to teens and young adults.
If unchecked, HPV can lead to several types of cancer in both men and
women. The CDC reports that each year, more than 20,000 women and
12,000 men develop HPV-associated cancers. Soon after the benefits of
this drug became clear, states moved to mandate the vaccine for girls.
Now, at least 42 states and territories have enacted legislation to,
“require the vaccine, fund or educate the public or school children
about the HPV Vaccine.”
When news of this medical advancement broke, many parents
associated with the anti-vaccine movement boycotted the shot for fear
of its adverse effects on their children’s health. However the
controversy that surrounds this vaccine is speculated to be less to do
with possibilityof causing disabilities but rather how the virus is
transmitted. Despite the vaccine’s ability to limit future health
problems, some parents object to their children getting the vaccine
because they think it encourages their children to partake in sexual
activity. However, students at Austin High School in Austin, Texas –
the first state to introduce an HPV vaccination mandate – objected to
this logic.
“I think it’s crazy that parents jump to those conclusions, " said AHS
junior Alexa “There should be more trust, and if the kids are sexually
active then they should be made safe from HPV."
Getting the vaccine mandated has been met with much resistance.
Virginia and D.C. are the only states that have enacted mandates for the
vaccine. Legislation to create a mandate has been introduced in 42

2. other states, but has either been delayed or killed completely by both
executives and legislators. Texas did have a vaccination mandate by
executive order of Governor Rick Perry in 2007, but the State House
and Senate rescinded the order with an overwhelming majority not long
after the order was made.
Students in the Austin High School in Texas had varying reactions to
this event and the information preceding it. Most were unaware of the
HPV epidemic, let alone that there was controversy surrounding the
vaccine. “I had no knowledge of this subject before our conversation,
just that my doctor recommended it,” said rising senior Jane.
These students, though unaware of the virus’s reach, agreed with their
doctors when it came time to vaccinate. “I think it’s better to have the
opportunity to be protected even if you are not sexually active, the
doctors’ recommendation is important and people should be safe, and if
the parents are worriedthen they should talk with their child about it,”
said AHS students Barbara and Ryan. “[The parents] should discuss
sexual activity, the vaccines, and stuff of that nature with their kids if it
is a problem.”
When asked about their opinions on government action in regards to
mandating the vaccines, the students agreed that the government should
not become involved with this issue, specifically because of its private
nature, unless there is a major outbreak of HPV. But once they found
out that there are roughly six million new cases per year, their opinions
shifted.
“It is very difficult to determine when the case gets to
serious/dangerous for the government to instill mandates,” said Butler,
“With those numbers, the government should have some say in it.”
Alexa also had a concern about the mandates and the costs involved. “If
paid for, people would be more willing to get the vaccine, but if it cost
money it could be a problem for many people who would want to get
the vaccine,” she said.

3. With the controversy over the vaccine showing no signs of subsiding,
many healthcare professionals have grown impatient with those
opposed to the vaccine, especiallythe parents involved in the anti-
vaccine movement.
Nurse practitioner Carolyn Storck works at a high school in Alexandria,
Virginia, a state that mandates the vaccine. She says parental concerns
about the message the vaccination may send to kids about sex are
unfounded and even dangerous.
“I think one of the saddest things is the perception that if we don’t
vaccinate our kids, or if people don’t get vaccinated, then it will
prevent them from having sexual activity,” said Storck, “Then what
tends to happen is the cancers won’t show up until they are in their
forties and they are adults and have kids and you have women dying
with small children. Why punish people for decisions that they made
[when they were younger]?”
When asked about the government’s mandates, Storck said, “From the
medical side of it, I like the fact that they’re mandating it. I think that
they should have it. It should be a part of the entire immunization
spectrum. It has been shown to prevent cancer.”
While communities across the country continue to debate the mandates,
the growing prevalence of the virus will most likely force families into
weighing the risks of vaccination versus no vaccination.