By Samantha Manning
In an age of awareness and prevention, it is almost impossible for University students to be uninformed of the epidemic of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and the danger it poses among young women. HPV is one of the leading causes of cervical cancer. HPV Types 16 and 18 cause 70 percent of cervical cancer cases, while HPV Types 6 and 11 cause 90 percent of genital warts cases.
Several universities have recently begun offering in their health insurance plan a low-cost vaccine for HPV named Gardasil. This semester, Brown and Harvard universities are offering the three-dose HPV vaccine for $75 to all female students under the age of 26 through the universities’ insurance plans. Yale University also decided to cover the vaccination under its insurance plan last June.
Although certain schools have decided to incorporate the HPV vaccination in their health insurance plan, others have rejected the idea. The University’s Wellness Center does not provide Gardasil or any HPV treatment.
Director of the Wellness Center Maureen B. Houck, explained that the University does not provide the vaccine because its insurance is a third-party bill, which makes the vaccine far too costly for the University’s budget. However, Houck added that doctors will administer the vaccine to a student if it is prescribed and provided by an outside health care provider.
“Hofstra should offer the HPV vaccination because it’s important for the University to look out for its students.” said Jenna Marucci, a junior. “I think it’s part of the responsibility.”
Other universities, such as the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn), elected not to offer the vaccine either. Similar to Hofstra, UPenn decided that it is too costly to include it in the university’s budget. UPenn officials cited the cost as close to $400. Evelyn Weiner, director of student health service at UPenn, said she hopes for a vaccine to develop that will offer competition for Gardasil, thus lowering the price, and perhaps encouraging other universities to offer the service to students. “Actually, I thought that the [University] did offer [the HPV vaccine] and I was considering getting it here,” said sophomore Claire Sojda. “I’m really surprised they don’t offer it.”
Gardasil is the only Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved vaccine currently developed that may help protect women against diseases that can lead to cervical cancer. Gardasil is given as three injections over six months. Possible side effects of the vaccine include swelling, itching and redness at the injection site, fever, nausea and dizziness.
The vaccine was originally opposed by critics on the basis that it could encourage promiscuity among teens and pre-teens; the opposition soon diminished because of the vaccine’s potential for critically reducing cancer. It is recommended for girls between the ages of 9 and 26.
Although the University Wellness Center does not carry the HPV vaccine, it does offer other gynecological services such as pap smears, which is another method of detecting cervical cancer. The price of a pap smear varies at the Wellness Center, starting at $70.