STI Vaccine for Year Eight Girls Campaign

Media Statement

Date: Wednesday January 21

Subject: STI Vaccine for Year Eight Girls Campaign

A campaign has been launched this week enlightening parents and caregivers of Year Eight girls to the benefits of having a vaccine preventing a sexually transmitted infection which can lead to cancer.

Since 2006, New Zealand Year eight girls have been offered a free vaccine against Human Papillomavirus (HPV) but some parents and caregivers are still apprehensive.

A Northland DHB campaign, involving radio advertisements and brochures, explains that HPV is a virus that causes genital and anal warts, and certain types of cancer in both men and women. It is easy to catch as is transmitted through skin-to-skin contact as a result of normal sexual behaviour. Therefore it can be caught without having intercourse. A person only needs to have one sexual partner to be exposed to the virus and catch it.
School Based and Community Clinical Services service manager Kathryn Bowmar says, in the past, some parents and caregivers have associated the HPV vaccine with their children being sexually active and so have not consented to the vaccine being given when their child is 11-12 years old.

“One of the reasons we offer the vaccine then is because it’s before they are sexually active and research has shown they develop a good vaccine response at that age.”

However, if a girl is already sexually active it is still worthwhile as the vaccine, Gardasil, offers protection against HPV viruses.
Northland father Steve McLaren was surprised when his 11-year-old daughter came home from school with the flyer.

“I guess I was initially surprised with the whole sex scenario being mentioned but, on reading the flyer, discovered what it was all about and realised that this vaccination is about future-proofing her health.

“I want to ensure she has the best chance for a healthy and safe future so I will be making sure she has the vaccination.”

The vaccine is given over three doses and is currently only offered free to girls from Year Eight until their 19th birthday. There are many types of HPV. The HPV vaccine protects against the two types that cause over 70 per cent of cervical cancer and the two types of HPV that cause the majority of cases of genital warts.
Over 160,000 New Zealand girls have now been vaccinated and Auckland Sexual Health Clinics have noticed a 63 per cent drop in genital warts in young women since the vaccine was introduced.
Studies worldwide are showing 99 per cent of genital warts are being prevented, 98 per cent of cervical pre-cancers, 100 per cent of vaginal pre-cancers and 100 per cent vulva pre-cancers through vaccination. Pre-cancers are the changes that are seen on cervical smears (Pap Smear).
“Gardasil is not classed as a new vaccine as it has been available since 2006 and over 70 million worldwide have received the vaccine. There is continuous monitoring of Gardasil in New Zealand as part of routine medicine/vaccine surveillance,” says Ms Bowmar.
She adds that, although boys are not currently funded to have the vaccination in New Zealand, they can receive it at their GP with a charge.
# For more information on HPV and the Gardasil vaccine, contact your Public Health Nurse, GP or the Immunisation Advisory Centre (IMAC) 0800 466 863.

It’s NOT about whether you daughter is having sex. It is:
• about protecting your daughter before she becomes sexually active;
• about protecting her from cervical cancer;
• about protecting her from genital warts;
• because her immune system is at its peak at 12 years of age and it’s free.

-ENDS-

Media Feature - HPV
When Christina Rasmusen’s 11-year-old daughter came home with a form seeking permission to have a vaccination to prevent contracting a common STD, she couldn’t fill it out soon enough.

While other parents balked at the idea of their young daughters being associated with a sexually active disease, Christina’s memories of her own cervical cancer ordeal were enough of a reality to not think twice.

As a mother of a pre-schooler and baby, Christina was forced to face her own mortality when diagnosed with cervical cancer – caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV).

HPV is a common sexually transmitted viral infection affecting an estimated 80 per cent of sexually active women at some point in their lives. Most HPV infections clear by themselves but some high-risk types can cause cell changes on the cervix that may lead to cervical cancer 10 to 20 years after infection.

“A common reaction is that you’ve had multiple partners but even just one partner can give you the virus,” explains Christina now 46. “You can have it and not even know.”

Christina was 32 when she was diagnosed. Her daughter Lucy was three and her baby Charles, four months old.

“I did the typical thing and had my regular smear test every three years but this time I got called back,” she recalls.

“The poor locum girl was freaking out. She said ‘Your smear results have come back irregular – you have fully-blown cancer’.

“I think I was too busy feeling sorry for the young locum to think much else at the time.”

But back home, reality hit.

“When things are so perfect and you have two perfectly healthy children and then suddenly you might die, it’s a huge shock. You have to face your mortality - it’s horrible. I just thought ‘Please let me live so I can see them reach ten’.”

Husband Hayden adds: “It didn’t dawn on me until I saw the graphics, but the doctors said she had a 90 per cent chance and that was good enough for me. I never let myself go down the road of becoming a solo dad – I think we were just trying to look on the bright side.”

Not long after, she had an operation to remove most of the cervix. This proved unsuccessful, so a further operation was required before she ended up having a hysterectomy.

Because the cancer was contained in the cervix, no chemotherapy or radiation was required. However, Christina still went through five years of pain.

“It was ‘invisible pain’ because I had nothing to show for it but it was like going into labour all the time.

“It definitely meant that I was not as active with the children. I was still on the Board of Trustees etc. but less physically active because I was in so much pain.”

As a result of Christina’s plight, the members of her Plunket mum’s group at the time all rushed off to have smears themselves.

“One turned up cervical cancer but hers was more advanced and she had a life-changingly horrendous time having chemo and radiation,” remembers Christina. “But if I hadn’t found out about mine then she wouldn’t have got checked and would have died.”

At the same time, the five members of her Plunket group also decided to have breast checks. Two of them turned up breast cancer and one later died.

When Lucy came home from high school with the permission form to have the HPV vaccine, Christina says she was excited.

“It means it’s taken away a potential cancer for Lucy that she might have been susceptible to. It kills about 70 women each year so it’s one less cancer to worry about.

“Because she knew I’d had cervical cancer, Lucy was keen to have it. She remembered me being so sick for so long. I think she just had vague memories of me hugging hot water bottles.”

Adds Lucy, now 15: “I just remember getting up really early in our dressing gowns to take mum to hospital and visiting the zoo lots.”

“Some parents were a bit anti about the vaccine,” continues Christina. “But if you say ‘cancer vaccine’ it sounds fantastic. If you say ‘warts vaccine’ they worry about their reputations.

“There’s a ridiculous stigma that some people have but it’s a cancer vaccine so why wouldn’t you take advantage of it for your daughters?

“Because it’s attacking your reproductive organs and it can happen at any age, there’s a chance that, if your daughter gets it, you may never have grand-children.”

Christina hopes New Zealand will introduce the vaccine for males like in other countries which could help wipe out the virus completely.

“I’m really lucky that I live in an era where it can be treated and prevented.”

Now ten years in the clear, Christina still appreciates the small things in life.

“The main thing is I’ve learnt to enjoy every single day. Whether it’s having a cup of tea with a friend or smiling at pedestrians as you let them cross the road – all the little things in life are so precious.

“Every New Zealander has had a family member or friend who has had cancer and the rates are constantly rising so there are constant reminders of how lucky I am.”

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