Health

Parents Who Smoke More Positive Re: HPV Vaccine

by Barbara McPherson | February 8, 2010 at 03:07 pm

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Researcher Carolyn Y. Fang, associate professor in the Cancer Preventionand Control Progam at Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia has released information in the February copy of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention that indicates that parents who smoke are more positive in their attitudes toward the HPV vaccine. Her research indicates that those parents with a set of behaviors were the most likely to accept the HPV(Human Papilloma Virus) vaccine for their daughters.

Those who were more accepting of the vaccine were current or former smokers; had engaged in health promoting behaviors such as physical activity within the past month; or had not used alternative, complementary or unconventional therapies within the past year. Furthermore, those who were more accepting of the vaccine also believed that cancer can be cured if caught early

HPV can cause warts in the genital area in men and women. It may also infect the head and mouth. Some people will show no symptoms but be infective The genital warts do not normally turn cancerous. There are many strains of HPV and some of them do cause cancers such as cervical cancer. Some viruses disrupt the normal functioning of cells without killing them turning them into rogue cells.
According to the CDC, about 20 million Americans are infected with this virus and some of these people will go on to develop cancers from the virus.
The HPV is spread by sexual contact. There are now vaccines developed that can prevent infection by many of the strains. They are known commercially as Cervarix and Gardasil. Since the introduction of the vaccine to the public, many parents have expressed reluctance to have their children vaccinated, citing various reasons for this reluctance.