Guest Author - Violette DeSantis
And it is a controversy, so the name of Dr. Shobha S. Krishnan’s book is very appropriate. The HPV Vaccine Controversy: Sex, Cancer, God and Politics, – A Guide to Parents, Women, Men and Teenagers by Dr. Krishnan may be the book for you in your search for answers.
If you are a parent of a daughter, particularly one aged 11 or 12, you’ve heard of Gardasil. Many have seen the marketing campaign that Merck & Co., Inc. launched in November 2006 after being approved by the FDA in June 2006. You may have even heard of the controversy but are uncertain if it warrants making a decision not to allow your daughter to get the shot.
How can we get the information we need to make the right decision? Are we getting it from the pharmaceutical companies via expensive advertisement campaigns? From the media who has garnered criticism for its lack of reporting on the negative news related to the HPV Vaccine? From the state governments in a rush to mandate the HPV Vaccine to all 6th grade girls?
As parents we want to make the best decision possible for our children. This controversy is seemingly as divisive as the abortion issue and you may find yourself having an argument over whether or not the shot should be mandatory. In that do we lose ourselves and miss the important question of if we should give the shot to our daughter?
Personally I am overwhelmed by the topic and The HPV Vaccine Controversy is a comprehensive book to help educate on numerous issues related to the vaccine. Dr. Shobha S. Krishnan has written an honest book about the HPV vaccine, but it is more than that. It is full of information and the claim that “Parents, young adults, and teenagers considering the HPV vaccine will find answers to their questions in this book…” is accurate.
Why is the HPV vaccine an issue? For one, as long as I remember I don’t recall being asked one way or the other whether I wanted to vaccinate my child for anything. I have no religious reason not to and now while I am confronted with the question of will I allow my daughter the HPV shot and when, I find I want to make an informed decision.
The other controversy surrounds the fact that this is a vaccine for sexually transmitted disease. Are we promoting sexual promiscuity in our young children through recommending or mandating this vaccine?
Dr Krishnan touches on the science versus faith aspect of the controversy and then draws you into what is at the heart of the matter, the history of HPV. We learn of the “silent epidemic” in all its many forms.
We also learn about the other HPV vaccines available and the potential of an HPV vaccine for males.
Will The HPV Vaccine Controversy give you enough information to make an informed decision? That is entirely up to you and would say this is one book that shouldn’t be passed up. I would say read it and learn all you can to make a better informed decision one way or the other on whether or not to vaccinate your daughter for HPV.
Dr. Shobha S. Krishnan’s speaks to us more than as a gynecologist and family physician; she is the mother of a young daughter. She wants to educate and inform us and hopefully prepare us for the next round of discussion when we are faced with vaccines for other sexually transmitted diseases.
THE HPV VACCINE CONTROVERSY: Sex, Cancer, God and Politics, – A Guide to Parents, Women, Men and Teenagers was published by Praeger in September 2008 and is available for $39.95.
