By: Tina Case
12 November 2010
I have been closely following the news on the cervical cancer vaccine known as Gardasil. Cervical cancer is the most prevalent cancer among women according to the WHO (World Health Organization). Cervical cancer is responsible for over a quarter million deaths every year. But it is important to note – 85% of those in developing countries. I’ll get back to this number in a minute.
What’s important to understand is that the cause of cervical cancer is by a sexually transmitted microbe known as HPV or the human papillomavirus. Many newsworthy cancers such as breast cancer or prostate cancer have a genetic predisposition and are not caused by a virus.
For the past few years when our three daughters had their annual physical, our doctor would gently encourage us to consider giving them the Gardasil vaccine. The information they provided was sparse, mainly a small brochure. So when my oldest daughter was ready to enter college, we thought this was a no brainer. Without question, and at the advice of our doctor, we proceeded to have it administered. After all, if you could prevent a disease such as cancer with your child, you would, wouldn’t you?
Unfortunately her experience with the first of the three shot series was alarming.
Read the entire article here.
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