HEALTHY REASONING: Is The Vaccine For Cervical Cancer Safe?

By Allan Bucka Jones
Pride Health Columnist

In Canada the HPV vaccine is mostly administered to young girls to primarily guard against cervical cancer and by extension, other types of cancer.

Human papilloma virus (HPV) is a common virus which can cause health problems, including several kinds of cancer. There are safe, effective, recommended HPV vaccines that can prevent these health problems from happening. Health Canada and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) closely monitor HPV vaccines to make sure they are safe.

While most kinds of HPV will clear up on their own, some types can cause health problems. HPV can cause anal cancer and mouth/throat (oropharyngeal) cancer. It can also cause cancers of the cervix, vulva, and vagina in women and cancer of the penis in men. There are two HPV vaccines available (Gardasil® and Cervarix®) which protect against the types of HPV that can cause these cancers.

A recent report in a local Toronto daily newspaper has come under intense fire from Canada’s public health community for its investigation into Gardasil®, the HPV vaccine given to teenaged girls across Canada to prevent cancer. The investigative front page report, mentioned that hundreds of thousands of teenage girls have safely taken Gardasil®, but the newspaper found that since 2008 at least 60 Canadians experienced debilitating illness after inoculation.

The same newspaper retracted the story about a week after, saying the information is not the full story. They stated what they need to know and understand fully, is the fact that there is no scientific medical evidence of any “dark side” of the vaccine. They further stated that the Gardasil® vaccine has been tested by highly credible national and global public health agencies, and the scientific evidence overwhelmingly concludes, that it is safe and effective.

My question then, is, what is the cause of the 60 Canadians, since 2008, who have experienced debilitating illness after inoculation? Is this a reality or not?

I recognize that many women reading this article have not taken the HPV vaccine and need their regular pap test to look for any early manifestation of cervical cancer, so let me review the subject.

1 in 150 women is expected to develop cervical cancer during her lifetime, and 1 in 423 will die of it. Before cervical cancer develops, the cells of the cervix change and become abnormal. This change is called dysplasia of the cervix. This precancerous condition can develop into cancer over time if not treated. However, most women with dysplasia do not develop cancer.

These changes in the cervix that occur before the cancer develop, can be detected by a Pap Test or Pap Smear. This test can save a woman’s life because it can detect the earliest signs of cervical cancer. If caught early, the chance of curing cervical cancer is very high.

It is recommended that women have their first Pap Test at age 21 and every two years thereafter. Your doctor will indicate how often you should do the test.

Preparing for a Pap Test requires the woman to not partake in activities that may wash away or hide abnormal cells of the cervix, so most doctors suggest that for two days before the test to avoid the following, douching; using tampons; using vaginal creams, suppositories and medicines; using vaginal deodorant sprays or powders; having sex. Doctors usually suggest doing the test when a woman is not having her period. The best time is 10 to 20 days after the first day of the last period.

The main risk factor for developing cervical cancer is the sexually transmitted human papilloma virus (HPV) that infects the cervix. Other risk factors include: becoming sexually active at a young age; having many sexual partners, or having a sexual partner that has had many sexual partners; smoking; an immune system weakened from taking drugs following a transplant, or having a disease such as AIDS; the use of birth control pills for a long period of time; giving birth to many children; having taken diethylstilbestrol (DES), or being the daughter of a mother who took DES.

In Ontario if a woman does not have her legal documents for living in Canada, free healthcare is available, no questions asked, from the community health centres (CHC) across the province.  Make use of this opportunity to get your Pap Test and other medical procedures done.

Make the right move by doing the Pap Test as recommended.

Allan Bucka Jones is a Health Promoter and Broadcaster. He can be heard on “Allan Bucka Jones LIVE”, Sundays from 3 to 5pm on CHRY 105.5 FM, CHRY RADIO App, www.chry.fm option RDO.to, Rogers Digital Cable 945, Bell Fibe 973 or mobile app TuneIn Radio. You can contact Allan Bucka Jones at allan@jonesandjones.ca.