I'm a fan of preventing cancer. Most people are. I got the three Gardasil shots a year or so ago. It wasn't really a big deal. Three shots=no HPV, didn't seem like a huge decision. I was reading the Huffington Post and saw this piece about the vaccine and there were a few things that I was a little surprised about.For example (and this may only illustrate how little I know), I didn't realize how easily HPV can be spread. It could be just skin-to-skin contact. Also, according to the author, there's evidence that the vaccine may prevent not only cervical, vaginal, anal and vulvar cancer, but also other forms of cancer, like some oral and throat types.That's pretty impressive.
Not to mention that HPV is the most common sexually transmitted disease. Let's face it. Rates of cancer and STIs are pretty high. The fact is both are extremely destructive and can cause serious problems. It's scary how little most women know or understand about their own bodies and their reproductive health, myself included.
Reproductive health is an important part of our lives, which is part of why abstinence-only education is so destructive. I checked out the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals website to see what they had to say about HPV and the vaccine. The site also has a lot of information about every aspect of reproductive health, I'd recommend it. Let's empower ourselves by understanding our bodies and taking care of them!
Photo Courtesy of www. flickr/kimonomania
No comments:
Post a Comment