Parents deny teens of cervical cancer jab because they think it will cause their daughters to become promiscuous, claims a new study.
According to the University of North Carolina parents whose teenage daughters are set to be vaccinated against the human papilloma virus (HPV) are concerned it could encourage their kids to become promiscuous- even though it could prevent their daughters developing cervical cancer.
The HPV vaccine, which has been introduced across schools in the UK, hopes to protect young girls from developing cervical cancer.
HPV is transmitted by skin-to-skin contact including sex. While some who contract the virus develop gential warts others will develop cervical cancer affecting the skin (including the lining of throat), anus and cervix.
While cervical cancer can be detected by a smear test an increasing number of women fail to turn up for their appointments- encouraging experts to develop news way to detect and prevent cervical cancer sufferers.
However parents of nearly 900 girls aged 9 to 18 years old (in the United States) were asked for their views on the cancer jab and 20 percent claimed they were concerned the vaccines would cause their teenage girls to become more sexually active. Perhaps influenced by some conservative groups who hold the same view, says the study.
What’s more less than 1 percent would prevent their daughters having the potentially life saving vaccine, as a result of the increased ‘risk’ of promiscuity. Even though 1, 000 women die every year from the cervical cancer.
However Dr Noel Brewer who headed the study claims most parents and guardians support the HPV vaccination, despite public and media debates concerning the dangers of the vaccine.
“These findings show that most parents see the vaccinations as a necessity to protect the health of their daughters and dispel the myth that so many are concerned about the effect on their daughters’ sexual behaviour,” says Dr Brewer.
“ Policy makers need to see these unusual beliefs as a risk factor for parents not vaccinating their daughters, rather than a reason to withhold the vaccine from the many parents eager to get their daughters the vaccine,” concludes Dr Brewer.