Crider offers free HPV vaccines
Disease responsible for more than 70 percent of cervical cancer cases
Crider Health Center is trying to remove money as an obstacle by offering young women free vaccines to prevent human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted disease that can cause cervical cancer.
"People's perception used to be that HPV wouldn't affect them," said Crider spokeswoman Annie Schulte. "But now we know that almost one in five teenage girls have HPV."In a study released March 11, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that one in four (26 percent) American teenage girls has a sexually transmitted disease. The most common was HPV, infecting 18 percent of girls.
Of the 30 HPV strains, only two cause cervical cancer, Schulte said. But the infection is responsible for more than 70 percent of cervical cancer cases, she said.
The American Cancer Society projects that cervical cancer will kill about 3,870 women in the United States this year.
Using a grant from the Missouri Foundation of Health, Crider obtained 100 doses of Gardasil HPV vaccine. If it runs out, it can request more, Schulte said.
Crider is offering free vaccinations to women between the ages of 11 and 26, but only if they have no insurance or their insurance does not cover the vaccine.
Schulte said she recognized that some parents might be uncomfortable with vaccinating children against a sexually transmitted disease, but she added that children are routinely vaccinated against hepatitis B, which is also sexually transmitted.
"If we can prevent our daughters from having cervical cancer in the future, why wouldn't we?" Schulte said.
For some families, the answer is price. According to the American Cancer Society, HPV vaccinations typically cost $120 per dose or $360 for the required series of three doses over a six-month period. Doctor's fees can push the total cost to around $500.
Some insurance companies refuse to cover HPV vaccination for young women because they consider it a "childhood immunization," meaning women should have received it when they were children, Schulte said.
Although Crider is not charging for the vaccinations, it will require women to first undergo a paid examination. The screening will cost most people about $30, depending on income. A single woman with a very low income could pay as little as $10, Schulte said. Proof of income will be required before the examination, she said.
Women can make appointments to receive HPV vaccinations by calling Crider Health Center's Wentzville location at 636-332-6000 or its Warrenton office at 636-456-1500.
