Securing a daughter’s health and a mother’s well-being.

Securing a daughter’s health and a mother’s well-being.

The importance of HPV testing and vaccination is growing each day as cancer cases related to the HPV virus are being reported.

Read One Vaccine against many diseases.

It is high time for mothers to be tested and daughters to be vaccinated.

The only thing that is preventing this from happening is the attitude toward the virus and misconceptions about them. To date, a small minority has immunized their children against the virus. We as a society need to work towards busting these myths and openly addressing the fears parents have when it comes to vaccinating their young children.

One of the commonest reasons parents fear is that vaccinating their children will encourage sexual activity or dispel the reservations society has built around pre-marital sex. This is baseless and doctors, schools, and medical societies need to work hard toward changing these attitudes.

Another reason is the lack of necessity. Parents do not feel the need to vaccinate their young children against HPV because of a lack of knowledge. While they will not miss a scheduled immunization appointment, they would not include the HPV vaccine in it.

These trends have been noticed in the upper middle class to affluent families too.

The main characters in changing attitudes towards HPV vaccination are physicians and pediatricians. They are the people who can advise and guide parents while they dispel myths and misconceptions among parents. 

This is a powerful vaccine that when administered at the right age can help prevent nine cancer-causing strains of HPV. 

Read - HPV vaccine – Why is it so important

But the change will happen from within when mothers begin testing themselves.

The HPV virus can be passed on from a pregnant mother to her unborn child. This fact stands as the biggest reason to be tested.

The belief that if one does not have multiple partners so the possibility of contracting the HPV virus is zero has been proven wrong.

From the age of 25 to 65, a woman should undergo HPV testing every 5 years.

There are 3 kinds of test

• cytology
• HPV
• cytology and HPV together

Read - One step can protect you from Cervical Cancer- HPV testing

Your doctor is the best person to recommend which test you should undergo. But making an appointment and consulting a doctor is every women’s responsibility to ensure her well-being. A women’s health lies in her own hands.

Once women understand the importance of undergoing regular screening for the HPV virus the responsibility of ensuring that their daughters are vaccinated will follow.

Many google doctors who surf the net for medical answers may read that the HPV virus need not be treated in all cases and the body’s immune system will fight it back. This is only a half-truth. The fact remains that only a professional doctor can evaluate if the strains of the virus need to be left untreated or need immediate treatment.

Cancer caused by HPV is a fact and ignoring the need to be tested and vaccinated at the correct time will only lead to a massive rise in cancer among the population.