What Do You Think About Giving the HPV Vaccine to Pre-Teens?

Moms Talk is a weekly feature on all Lehigh Valley Patches in which local parents, caregivers and other members of the community are invited to share opinions and advice on parenting issues.

This week’s Moms Talk topic relates to the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine:

Believe it or not, it’s been about six years since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) first recommended the HPV vaccine for pre-teen girls. Today, it’s a topic that still meets with good deal of controversy. Most recently, Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota criticized Texas Gov. Rick Perry during the Republican presidential debate for mandating that sixth-grade girls in Texas get the HPV vaccine. She said that a 12-year-old girl became mentally retarded after getting the vaccine. Proponents of the HPV vaccine say it’s both a protection against a sexually transmitted disease and a potential protection against cervical cancer as the girls get older. The plot thickened about a month ago when the CDCP recommended the HPV vaccine be given to 11- and 12-year-old boys. There are believed to be protections from genital warts and cancers for the boys who get the vaccine. Advocates of giving the HPV vaccine to pre-teen boys also say that vaccinating the boys would be an added protection for the girls, as the boys wouldn’t pass on HPV to their female sex partners. What do you think?

Should pre-teen girls be given the HPV vaccine? Should the vaccine be given to boys? Is this a decision that should be mandated by the government?

Our Moms Council members include: 

• Lisa Amey of Upper Milford Township is a stay-at-home mom to an 8-year-old boy and a 5-year-old girl. A past president of the MOMS Club of Emmaus and longtime member of MOPs (Mothers of Preschoolers), Lisa is an Independent Consultant for Arbonne International. 
• Lisa Drew of Emmaus is a certified nutritionist and personal trainer, wellness and fitness coach with more than 17 years of experience. She is the mother of a 13-year-old girl and a 9-year-old boy.
• Jennifer Elston of Emmaus has almost two decades of professional experience in child development and counseling. She is currently a stay-at-home mom to two beautiful girls. Together with her husband, Chris, she owns Christopher Elston Photography.
• Jeanne Lombardo of Nazareth is the mother of a 10-year-old boy and a 5-year-old girl. She’s new to the Lehigh Valley, having moved to Nazareth from Bergen County, NJ in January.
• Lisa Merk of Lower Macungie is a stay-at-home mother of four boys – a 12-year-old and 6-year-old triplets. Lisa is a past president of the MOMS Club of Lower Macungie East. In her “spare” time, Lisa teaches piano to school-age children.
• Megan Patruno of Allentown is a mother of three – an 11-year-old boy, an 8-year-old girl and a 6-year-old boy. Megan also works as an admission counselor at Muhlenberg College in Allentown.
• Zoila Bonilla Paul of Bethlehem is a stay-at-home mom to two girls – a 5-year-old and a 14-month-old. Zoila is a member of her local “moms’ club” and says she is “well-versed in the fun that children can bring.”
• Beth Sharpless of Emmaus works part time in a local emergency department as a nurse and part time from home as a customer support specialist. She has two children -- a boy who is almost 2 and a 5-year-old girl. She says they love spending time outdoors and dancing.
• Jennifer Willenbrock of Nazareth is mom to two beautiful daughters, ages 5 and 6 weeks. She was previously employed by Catholic Charities, where she worked in a girl’s group home in Philipsburg, N.J.

If you would like to become a part of the Moms Council and/or have ideas for future Moms Talk questions, please email jennifer.marangos@patch.com.