Gardasil, a Merck & Co. creation, is the first vaccine approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat human papilloma virus (HPV), the nation’s most common sexually transmitted disease, according to a six-year study by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.
According to AIM co-founder Dr. Sharon Mitchell, who now offers the vaccine at the AIM clinic, HPV is commonly known as genital warts, which are treatable. However, treatments only remove the warts, doing nothing to stop the spread of the disease, which can cause cervical cancer.
The new vaccine targets the two forms of HPV that can cause cervical cancer, making it possible to reduce risk of the disease, Mitchell said.
Martha Kempner of the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States called the vaccine a “major step forward in public health and prevention.”
An FDA panel recommended that all women ages 11-26 get the vaccine. However, AIM plans to offer the vaccine to all women in the industry.
“It is no secret that HPV is prevalent in the industry, and we have high hopes that all new and working female talent get vaccinated as soon as possible to eliminate the presence of HPV in the industry,” Mitchell said. “After a lengthy visit with our pharmaceutical representative, we determined that every woman regardless of age, can benefit from this vaccine.”
The vaccine requires three shots over a six-month period to be effective. AIM charges $150 for each vaccine. Mitchell called the total of $450 a small price to pay to prevent the potentially fatal cervical cancer.