I have the HPV virus, and you probably have it, too

According to the CDC, the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is so common that most sexually active men and women will get at least one type of HPV at some point in their lives. Other sources indicate the incidence of infection is closer to 80 percent of the population. In either case, the odds are against us all.

For me, the diagnosis and ensuing procedure were traumatic. Although almost 25 years ago, I still recall that out of body experience when, at the age of 18, I was told I had a sexually transmitted disease that could cause cervical cancer if left untreated, and that I would need to have cells removed from my cervix with a scalpel. I was ashamed and embarrassed and scared.

{mosads}My doctor explained that the virus lays dormant within the body and could resurface during times of stress. To ensure optimal health, I would need to have ongoing pap smears to monitor things closely.

Indeed, it did come back, almost 20 years later, at the age of 37. This time, the procedure, while inconvenient and uncomfortable, was over in 15 minutes. This time, my doctor told me that every 18-year-old today who is sexually active has HPV, and much of the medical community doesn’t treat it in younger women any more. Instead, they monitor and treat only in those few cases where it becomes necessary. Because it takes 15 to 20 years for cervical cancer to develop after initial cervical changes, the medical community isn’t under pressure to treat immediately.

If I could go back and get the HPV vaccine to avoid the entire ordeal altogether, I would not under any circumstances. A series of three injections seems a fair trade for a life without watching and waiting, but consider the following facts:

HPV vaccines cause six times more life-threatening incidents, nine times as many disabling incidents, and three times the number of deaths than the average of other vaccines combined.

In fact, the death rate from cervical cancer is lower than the rate of serious adverse reactions, including death, from the HPV vaccine (4,729 adverse reactions per year on average for the HPV vaccine while there is an average of 4,210 cervical cancer deaths each year).

HPV is largely a transient infection with 90 percent of infections resolving naturally within two years. About 80 percent of those that do turn into cancer occur in developing countries where there is poor access to pap smear screening and early treatment, and where lower nutritional status and other cervical cancer risks are more prevalent.

Unfortunately, we aren’t told these statistics before receiving the HPV vaccine. Nor are we informed about alternatives to the vaccine, such as safe sexual practices and abstinence. Proper informed consent should include all of the above and any additional information a patient or parent requires to fully understand and evaluate the risks and benefits of all options. Instead, the HPV vaccine is pushed by medical professionals with very little discussion beforehand.

It is also assumed to be more than a sexually transmitted disease. For example, Rhode Island, Virginia and the District of Columbia now require the HPV vaccine as a prerequisite to attend school despite the fact it cannot be transmitted in the classroom. New York and New Jersey are considering enacting similar legislation. This is unacceptable. Reasonable people should be able to weigh the risks and benefits of the HPV vaccine and decide for themselves whether to vaccinate against the HPV virus.   

I am not opposed to all vaccines, but I am opposed to this one because the risks far outweigh the benefits. It’s easy to say if I could go back I wouldn’t get the vaccine when the conversation is hypothetical. But I also have two small children, an 11-year-old daughter and a 3-year-old son. I have not vaccinated them against HPV, nor will I.

Perhaps with enough feedback from reasonable people asking reasonable questions, a safer vaccine will be developed so that by the time my children do become sexually active they can choose to vaccinate without the threats of death and disability.

Gretchen DuBeau, Esq. is executive and legal director of Alliance for Natural Health-USA (ANH-USA), an international organization dedicated to promoting natural and sustainable health and consumer freedom of choice in health care.