Twenty years ago, the idea of vaccinating people against cancer was a dream, but then scientists discovered that a virus actually caused several kinds of cancer, and they came up with a vaccine to prevent infection.
Virginia was the first state in the nation to require that girls be vaccinated – assuring that they would never get cervical cancer, but many Virginia parents are opting out.
Each year, about 19,000 women will develop cervical cancer, and about 8,000 men will be diagnosed with throat cancer. Both diseases are caused by the human papillomavirus. Nationally, about 35% of young women are getting the required series of three shots, but here in Virginia the number is even lower – just 28%.
Jessica Keim-Malpass is an assistant professor at the University of Virginia School of Nursing. She says the way parents are informed about the vaccine by doctors and nurses may be part of the problem.
“Providers may be reluctant or almost feel bad that they’re bringing this up, because it is a sexually transmitted disease. Parents, of course, may not want to vaccinate their child, and then finally there’s access barriers, and that’s just financial barriers, insurance concerns and ability to get to those clinic visits.”
To help health care professionals talk with families about HPV, she and colleague Emma Mitchell will study who in Virginia gets the vaccine, where they live, how they’re asked, and whether they get it along with other routine shots. They’ll also be talking with parents who come to UVA’s Medical Center, asking health care providers about their strategies for discussing the HPV vaccine with families and surveying online sites, such as parenting blogs, where this subject comes up.
“We’re going to look and see what those conversations are on social media, because we know that health communication is such an integral piece of this.”
Assistant Professor Mitchell is especially concerned about rural and inner-city families with limited access to medical services.
“The vaccine is one of our greatest tools in prevention. Because these populations unfortunately also have a higher risk for developing these kinds of cancers and a decreased likelihood that they will be screened so that we can treat early.
Scientists say 11 to 12 is the ideal age to begin the three-part vaccination process. Because men can be carriers and can develop less common cancers related to HPV, experts at UVA and the Centers for Disease Control say it makes sense to vaccinate boys too.
