By Co-Editor-in-Chief, Sosseh Taimoorian

            According to Gardasil.com, 70 percent of cervical cancer cases are caused by HPV Types 16 and 18, while 90 percent of genital warts are caused by HPV Types 6 and 11.

Over the past year, many may have seen the popular commercial that Merck & Co., Inc., a pharmaceutical company that markets Gardasil, advertises the popular slogan, “You could be one less” victim claimed by cancer.

         In June of 2006, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the world’s first vaccine that may protect against cervical cancer, the eleventh most common type of cancer among women. Also known as Gardasil, the vaccine is intended for women between the ages of nine and 26 or before they become sexually active.

            Talk of Gardasil becoming mandatory for women was widespread during the product’s early development; however, such talk has ceased due to excessive complaints from parents, physicians and consumers.

            Gardasil, appropriately named, is said to “guard” against the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), which causes cervical cancer. The vaccine targets four strains of the virus, HPV Types 6, 11, 16, and 18, out of 120 strains.

            The vaccine is administered as a three-shot series over a period of six months. The first dose is injected at the time of appointment with the patient’s doctor, the second dose is given two months after the first, and the third is given six months after the first dose.

Side effects of the vaccine include pain, swelling, itching, and redness of the injection site and fever, nausea, and dizziness.

            While this new vaccine reaps health benefits for many, at the same time, it comes with a hefty price. Each shot costs $120. Most insurance companies do not cover this medical cost.

            Nevertheless, the vaccine will not protect against all the different types of HPV. Therefore, it is important to schedule annual Pap smear tests after an individual becomes sexually active or turns 21.

A Pap smear test is a gynecological exam which detects cells in the lining of the cervix with any abnormalities that may develop into cancer.

Currently, there is no cure for HPV, but the infection has been known to subside on its own. Researchers are currently working on a vaccine for males and wide-ranging age groups.

            To find out more about Gardasil and how to be “one less,” contact a doctor or healthcare professional or visit www.garadasil.com.