YOU, ME & HPV
Olivia Gray
Olivia Gray is a 12 year old girl living in Kansas City, Missouri with her two parents. Her family is very religious, and she attends St. Margaret's Catholic Middle School. Abigail’s parents have always made their parenting choices based on their church’s recommendations and teachings. Abigail has just reached the age of eligibility for the HPV vaccine and is interested in learning about the vaccine and whether it is something she wants for herself. She writes about her journey to obtain the vaccine in her journal, focusing on the cultural and societal barriers to getting vaccinated from a young person’s perspective.
Dear Diary, March 2
Yesterday was my 12th birthday and my mom said we were going to an appointment today. I got so excited thinking maybe she had a surprise for me! Instead I was just dragged to a boring doctors appointment. My pediatrician is named Dr. Brown and she goes to our church and has been my pediatrician for as long as I can remember. Today Dr. Brown informed my mom that I am now in the age range recommended to get the HPV vaccine . Dr. Brown had a long conversation with my mom about the vaccine and mentioned that it is recommended because it potentially prevents cancer. My mom seemed shocked at the idea of my getting this vaccine, she said “you know our church forbids premarital sex and my daughter is much too young to be at risk for HPV. This recommendation is extremely premature and unnecessary. If anything it could encourage my daughter to participate in inappropriate behavior.” Dr Brown seemed to understand my mom's concerns and said she would give us some informational pamphlets on the vaccine so my mom could be fully informed about her decision to deny the vaccine. I thought that Dr. Brown would be more insistent about me getting the vaccine but instead she just conceded that the vaccine isn’t mandatory. I was very confused by the whole conversation because no one even explained to me what HPV is or asked me what I thought about the vaccine! But if not getting it means I get cancer I think I want to learn a bit more.
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By Mishta Stanislaus
Dear Diary, March 3
Ever since that doctors appointment yesterday I haven’t stopped thinking about how I might get cancer. I’m really scared! I decided to read a bit about the HPV vaccine from the pamphlets my mom was given by Dr. Brown. The pamphlets explained that HPV is a sexually transmitted disease that can develop into cervical cancer. One of the pamphlets that I am attaching to my journal explains why it is important to get vaccinated now instead of later. I guess people my age have a unique vulnerability to HPV due to our immature epithelium (which I think is a type of tissue in my body) and immune system. This means that I am at the highest biological risk for the HPV strains that develop into cervical cancer right now! I also learned that the vaccine only works if I get it before I am exposed to the virus, so I kind of want to get it as soon as possible. Learning all this information about HPV and the risk of cancer with the diseases makes it seem so obvious that I should get the vaccine and I cannot understand why my mom isn’t letting me.
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Dear Diary, March 5
Today I overheard my parents talking in the kitchen about why they are refusing to allow me to get the HPV vaccine. I heard my mom explaining that the vaccine will make me more “promiscuous” and I don’t need to be vaccinated against something that I won’t be affected by because I am not having sex. Why is my mom more worried about all this sex stuff than me potentially getting cancer? I wish my mom recognized that I could get HPV without having sex. I even saw a TikTok where a girl actually got HPV from a Chuck E. Cheese ball pit! I was so scared and immediately reached out to my doctor. Luckily, Dr. Brown affirmed that it is super rare to get HPV from something like this, but it just makes me think: wouldn’t I rather be safe than sorry ? There’s literally no cure for HPV! I decided I would find out as much as I could about HPV and the vaccine and present my case to my mom on why I should be vaccinated.
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I should get the HPV Vaccine!
Dear Diary, March 12
Today was the big day. I had worked all week learning about HPV and the risks associated with the disease. I told her that she has always had my best interests at heart and has made good choices on my behalf. For example I have the Hepatitis B vaccine, which also protects against a sexually transmitted disease that damages the liver . I asked my mom what the difference is between the HPV and HBV vaccines and why she would allow me to have one and not the other. I explained that both prevent the contraction of a disease that can have lasting and harmful effects and should be perceived in the same way. The real reason she thinks they are different is because one was given to me as a baby and there was no idea of sex attached to the choice as it is now with the HPV vaccine. I then explained to her that the idea of contracting cervical cancer is very scary to me and I would rather have the piece of mind of knowing that I am safe from it as 70% of cervical cancer stems from HPV infections . After my presentation my mom was not convinced. She said that as my parent she knows what is best for me and this vaccine won’t help me in any way because I am not at risk for an STI. I just don’t understand why she is so against it, all my friends' parents let them get the vaccine and I don’t want to be the only one without it!
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Dear Diary, March 13
After talking to my Mom, I was feeling really incredibly frustrated by our conversation. I thought that my presentation about the vaccine would convince her that it’s a necessity. I decided to call my pediatrician and ask her if I could get the vaccine without my mom knowing about it. Dr. Brown and I talked, and she explained that in Missouri I need parental consent for any medical decisions, including vaccinations, since I am a minor . I was upset to learn this because I thought that I had a say over my own body, even though I’m only 12. I also feel ashamed and embarrassed that my Mom doesn’t trust me to be safe about sex! If only she knew that I haven’t even held someone’s hand yet…
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Why doesn't she understand?
One day I can make this choice for myself!
Dear Diary, March 14
I’m so upset that I am not able to get the vaccine without my parents permission. I tried to get around this rule by going to a clinic, but they told me the vaccine is really expensive, it costs over 250 dollars per dose of the vaccine and I need 2 doses ! I only have 20 dollars saved up from my birthday gifts so without my parents insurance there is no way for me to get this vaccine. The clinic told me that in some states you are able to get the vaccine as a minor without parental approval if it pertains to sexual health related medical decisions, but not here in Missouri. I hope that there will be a law passed here like the one in California that lets anyone over the age of 12 make their own choices about their health . I will continue to try and convince my mom that I need this vaccine but I am not hopeful that I will get it anytime soon. I guess I will have to wait until I am 18 to get the vaccine, but by then I will need 3 doses instead of just the 2 I need now. In the meantime I will be very safe so as to not contract HPV while I am unvaccinated.
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References
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Slomovitz, B. M., Sun, C. C., Frumovitz, M., Soliman, P. T., Schmeler, K. M., Pearson, H. C., Berenson, A., Ramirez, P. T., Lu, K. H., & Bodurka, D. C. (2006). Are women ready for the HPV vaccine? Gynecologic Oncology, 103(1), 151–154. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ygyno.2006.02.003
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Smith, H. B. (2013). Handbook on Human Papillomavirus: Prevalence, Detection and Management. Nova Biomedical, Chapter 3 “Human Papillomavirus Infection in Adolescents”.
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Ryndock, E. J., & Meyers, C. (2014). A risk for non-sexual transmission of human papillomavirus?. Expert review of anti-infective therapy, 12(10), 1165–1170. https://doi.org/10.1586/14787210.2014.959497
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LeDuc, M. (2020). Hepatitis B and HPV Vaccination | Power to Decide. https://powertodecide.org/news/hepatitis-b-and-hpv-vaccination
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Human papillomavirus (HPV) and cervical cancer. (n.d.). Retrieved February 28, 2021, from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/human-papillomavirus-(hpv)-and-cervical-cancer
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Almendrala, A. (2019). When parents say “no” to HPV shots, teens have no choice. Some states are changing that. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/health/kids-health/when-parents-say-no-hpv-shots-teens-have-no-choice-n1028511
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HPV Vaccine | What Is the HPV Vaccination. (n.d.). Retrieved February 28, 2021, from https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/stds-hiv-safer-sex/hpv/should-i-get-hpv-vaccine
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Lowes, R. (2011). California Minors No Longer Need Parental Okay for HPV Shot. Medscape. http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/751366
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