HPV awareness and HIV prevention

By tsmith on August 15, 2006.

I've blogged previously about the massive effect vaccines against the human papilloma virus (HPV) could have. HPV is a common sexually-transmitted virus. Though most strains are harmless, a few have the potential to cause cervical cancer. Therefore, the HPV vaccine will be the first one ever specifically intended to prevent a type of cancer.

This vaccine has recently been approved by the FDA, and is set to roll out shortly. This is already expected to be a rather contentious issue as the vaccine is rolled out in the U.S. and elsewhere, as one target group for vaccination is adolescents who have not yet begun sexual activity. Some religious groups have already objected on the grounds that it will increase sexual promiscuity.

A Monday session The Potential Role of HPV Vaccines in Improving HIV Prevention Among Young Girls and Women (video at link) suggested that the coming controversy (and hopeful resolution) over adoption of the HPV vaccine could be used as both a model for an eventual HIV vaccination campaign, as well as begin to open the dialogue among parents, teens, caregivers, and public health officials regarding issues in adolescent sexual activity.

(Continued at AIDS at 25)

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