Srpski arhiv za celokupno lekarstvo 2013 Volume 141, Issue 1-2, Pages: 127-130
https://doi.org/10.2298/SARH1302127M
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Ethics and reproductive health: The issue of HPV vaccination
Matejić Bojana (Medicinski fakultet, Institut za socijalnu medicinu, Beograd)
Kesić Vesna (Medicinski fakultet, Beograd + Klinički centar Srbije, Klinika za ginekologiju i akušerstvo, Beograd)
The ethics of reproductive health covers a wide field of different issues,
from the ethical dimensions of assisted reproduction, life of newborns with
disabilities to the never-ending debate on the ethical aspects of abortion.
Furthermore, increasing attention is paid to the ethical dimensions of using
stem cells taken from human embryos, the creation of cloned embryos of
patients for possible self-healing, and the increasingly present issue of
reproductive cloning. Development of vaccines against human papillomavirus
(HPV) has introduced new ethical aspects related to reproductive health and
the need for a consensus of clinical and public-healthcare population. Today
immunization with HPV vaccine is a measure for the primary prevention of
cervical cancer and it provides effective protection against certain types of
viruses included in the vaccine. The most often mentioned issues of
discussions on ethical concerns about HPV vaccination are the recommended age
of girls who should be informed and vaccinated (12-14 years), attitudes and
fears of parents concerning discussion with their preadolescent daughters on
issues important for their future sexual behavior, dilemma on the vaccination
of boys and the role of the chosen pediatrician in providing information on
the vaccination. In Serbia, two HPV vaccines have been registered but the
vaccination is not compulsory. Up-till-now there has been no researches on
the attitudes of physicians and parents about HPV vaccination. Nevertheless,
it is very important to initiate education of general and medical public
about the fact that the availability of vaccine, even if we disregard all
aforementioned dilemmas, does not lead to the neglect of other preventive
strategies against cervical cancer, primarily screening. The National Program
for Cervical Cancer Prevention involves organized screening, i.e. regular
cytological examinations of the cervical smear of all women aged 25-69 years,
every three years, regardless of the vaccination status.
Keywords: human papillomavirus (HPV), vaccination, reproductive health, ethics