HPV: Bulletproof Vaccine or False Sense of Security?

There is a public debate brewing on whether or not parents should have a role in choosing to vaccinate their child or not.

From measles and hepatitis to the flu, some parents are starting to ask more questions about the role vaccines play in their child’s health as well as their own.

One vaccine that is stirring up a lot of controversy is the HPV vaccine.

There has been a big campaign aimed at parents to have their pre-teens vaccinated with the HPV vaccine, but renowned preventative health expert, Dr. Christine Horner, says we need to be cautious of relying on vaccines alone and become more aware of the all the options available to to prevent cervical cancer.

Sexually active teens ages 14 to 19 have the highest incidences of human papillomavirus (HPV), a common virus passed from person to person during sex that can lead to cervical cancer.

But is the HPV vaccine the only preventative solution?

“The choice to vaccinate or not vaccinate children should be the parents’ decision,” says Horner, a board-certified surgeon and author of Waking the Warrior Goddess, a comprehensive guide to all research-proven natural approaches to prevent and fight breast cancer. “Even if you choose to give your child the HPV vaccine, there are other preventative steps you should be taking.”

Horner says currently there’s no effective Western treatment to cure HPV once you get it, and there are concerns about the efficacy of the HPV vaccine. To date it only seems to be effective in 50 percent of patients who receive it.

Listen in as Dr. Horner joins Naturally Savvy hosts, Andrea Donsky and Lisa Davis, to discuss more about the HPV vaccine and if it's appropriate for your child.