The visual screening test is done by a trained health care worker. The worker will wash the woman’s cervix with vinegar and gauze while a speculum is used to hold it open. Within a minute, any pre-cancerous lesions turn a very white color and can be seen with the naked eye under a halogen lamp.

Research has shown that visual screening is almost as effective in catching cancer as Pap smears which is a lot more expensive.

The test isn’t without it’s faults though. It does produce a fair share of false positives so the health care workers have to be trained to learn to determine the difference.

It’s good to know that a test like this exists and will help women in all countries determine if cervical cancer is threatening them.

Does vaccinating your preteen girl with Gardasil promote promiscuity?

We’re sure there’s a lot of people who are on one side of the fence or another. We’d like to hear your opinions for or against this idea of vaccinating preteen girls against human papillomavirus (HPV) and cervical cancer.

Also be sure to check out our newly opened forums!

It seems that a lot of states are failing to pass legislation mandating Gardasil as many of the proposals are now to only provide parents with educational materials instead of requiring the vaccine.

From AP news:

Republican Rep. Dennis Bonnen, the bill’s House sponsor, said he believes it is fair and reasonable.

“I think the governor should see this as the Legislature making a very clear and respectful statement, and I hope he’ll accept our wishes,” Bonnen said.

Governor’s spokeswoman, Krista Moody, had this to say on his behalf:

“The governor looks forward to a day when cervical cancer is eradicated and Texas women no longer have to cope with the devastating effects of this disease,” she said, adding that the Legislature’s actions will “delay that day for another four years.”

Merck’s Gardasil, the vaccine protects against four strains of the sexually transmitted HPV infection. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved the vaccine for girls and women ages 9 to 26.

We just read a very interesting comment from one of our readers in another post where she describes her daughter had become numb and fainted after being administered an injection of Merck’s Gardasil, the vaccine for HPV - Human Papillomavirus which is being mandated in some states. While we’re not sure if this is a common reaction to the vaccine or maybe just a phobia about getting “shots”, it was concerning enough to our reader to state she would not allow her daughter any follow-up treatments.

Documentation about the side effects of Gardisil are available online. I’ll do some research soon and report what I find.

Have any of your children been vaccinated with Gardisil yet? If so, tell us their reaction to the vaccine and share your experiences with us. We’d like to know how many of you discussed the vaccination with your children and how you explained the vaccine to them. We’d also like to know if you’ve decided NOT to get the vaccination for your child and what the reasons were for not getting it.

The controversial order from the governor has met opposition and praise from both ends of the political spectrum. Many critics of Merck’s Gardisil vaccine have argued that it’s too new and more studies need to be done before it’s mandated for Texas school girls. Others say that it will promote promiscuity and that it doesn’t allow the family of the child to make a choice of what should be done.

What are your thoughts on these proceedings?