According to the Federation of Medical Women of Canada, every Canadian girl and woman should have the option to choose whether or not to protect themselves against HPV diseases like cervical cancer and genital warts. As it now stands, only those who can afford the HPV vaccine have a real choice.
The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recently recommended that all Canadian girls and women aged 9 to 26 should be routinely vaccinated with GARDASIL(TM) to protect them against the Human Papillomavirus (HPV), the primary cause of cervical cancer. Studies have shown that GARDASIL(TM) is 100 per cent effective at preventing disease from the HPV types that account for 70 per cent of all cervical cancers and 90 per cent of genital warts.
“International Women’s Day is the perfect time to talk about choices for women and we want the Ontario government to make sure this new HPV vaccine is an option for women in the province,” said Dr. Gail Beck, President of the Federation of Medical Women of Canada. “Minister George Smitherman took a strong leadership position in favour of immunization when he took office after the last election. The roadmap is there, we just need the Ontario government to show leadership once again.”
HPV is the primary cause of cervical cancer and is linked to vaginal, vulvar and anal cancers. Three in four (75 per cent) Canadians will get at least one HPV infection in their lifetime, while 44.8 per cent of women aged 20-24 in the United States are currently infected with HPV. Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in Canadian women aged 20-44 after breast cancer.
“Too many women are struck by HPV-related diseases in the prime of their lives and our governments should be concerned about this important loss of human potential,” said Dr. Gail Beck. “To make changes that really matter, the federal and provincial governments need to show true leadership and this new HPV vaccine is an excellent opportunity for them to show Canadians how they can work together for the benefit of girls and women across the country for years to come.”