Despite the rantings of the conservative right, the HPV vaccine, which protects against a virus known to cause cervical cancer in women, makes girls who get it cautious when approaching sexual situations. According to a study published recently in the British Journal of Cancer, eight in 10 girls say that getting the vaccine makes them think twice about the risks of having sex.
BBC News reported that:
One in five of the 12 and 13-year-olds polled by the University of Manchester team thought the vaccine was embarrassing because it is for a sexually-transmitted infection – human papillomavirus, or HPV.
But, 79% of the girls said having the vaccination reminded them of the possible risks of sexual contact and 93% said it showed they were serious about their own health.
Only 14% of the girls surveyed reported said they might take more sexual risks because of the vaccine.
Granted, the study was funded by GlaxoSmithKline, which makes the Cervarix vaccine. But the HPV vaccine is one that prevents cancer. That this study was necessary at all is the problem.
