Arsenic acceptance

Please note: I wrote this in September after the first course of injections for the HPV vaccine. I feel that it needed to be published, even though I wasn't daring enough to do so at the time.

The first course of HPV injections took place on Monday. It's supposed to prevent women contracting the two main types of the HPV virus that cause cervical cancer.

Let's review why I didn't have this vaccination:

• My mother and I are quite alternative (my dad less so). She's against quite a few vaccinations, so shortly after the initial courses of injections that every baby has, I stopped having them. I haven't had an injection (except anaesthetic in my gum) for probably about 14 years.
• This vaccination has only been tested for around five years. The Sims 3 was in devolpment for longer than that. If a game cannot be made perfect in five years and still has glitches, how can a vaccination?
• Most of the research and testing for this vaccination was paid for by the drug companies, so therefore could have been biased. Ultimately, those companies want to sell the drugs.
• Side-effects can be anything from mild flu-like symptoms to paralysis, incontinence, brain damage, seizures and death. And it's not a tiny minority either.
• 90% of HPV infections can be cleared by the body's own defences and most people will contract HPV at some point in their lifetime.
• Dr Christianne Northrup, a gynaecologist, supports the claim that a healthy, nutritious diet helping the immune system is a much better defence against HPV infections and cervical cancer than the vaccination.
• One in five women with cervical cancer tested negative for HPV infections. Surely this shows that there are other causes that also need to be investigated.
• I don't really want arsenic in my body. If I did, I'd ingest it myself.
• The vaccination is estimated to last around six to seven years. If I were to have it now, at age 15, it would last until I was around 22. Women can't have smear tests before the age of 25. If a woman was to get cervical cancer in the window where she was not protected, she wouldn't know. Then what happens when the vaccination runs out? Is the Government going to be able to provide booster injections for everyone.

So, those are my personal reasons. You may disagree, and that's absolutely fine. I just think everyone's accepted these injections far too easily. I'm the only person I know who did any independent research prior to deciding on whether to have the injection. It's like signing a contract before reading it, and in doing it you could be signing your life away.

Well, no one's died in my school which is very good. If anyone was going to die, they would have done by now so hopefully everyone's safe.

I'm not saying never. If conclusive evidence to show that this vaccination is absolutely safe and necessary is produced, go ahead and stick a needle in my arm. But if not, I remain resolute.

Oh, and no, I don't see myself having any sexual contact in the next year so if I change my mind about the injections by the time the next vaccinations come around, that's fine.