Huntsman Sr. Donates $1 Million for HPV Vaccines

None by KCPW

(KCPW News) Utah philanthropist Jon Huntsman Senior has donated one-million dollars to provide uninsured women with vaccines for human papillomavirus - or HPV- which causes cervical cancer. Huntsman says he's committed to eradicating cancer, "irrespective of its cause."

"Seventeen women in Utah will die from cervical cancer this year, and as Mr. Huntsman would say, he would spend one-million dollars to save one life," says Huntsman Foundation director Janet Bingham.

The Huntsman gift fills a gap left by Utah lawmakers who refused to fund the vaccine because HPV is a sexually transmitted disease. Department of Health Director Doctor David Sundwall estimates the money could vaccinate 20-percent of uninsured women in the state. Conservative groups helped defeat a bill that would have allocated the money because they believe the HPV vaccine encourages promiscuity. Dr. Sundwall says the Department of Health is sensitive to that concern.

"The other side of that is it's absolutely irresponsible if we assume young people in Utah are not having sex," says Sundwall. "We have seen evidence of dramatic increase in sexually transmitted diseases - many of them in younger people. And we cannot, in my opinion, avoid the fact that we need to promote responsible sexual behavior."

Huntsman's million dollar donation augments the $25,000 lawmakers allocated for cervical cancer prevention and awareness efforts. Sundwall says the overall message will be a mix of safe sex and abstinence. He has convened an advisory group to design the awareness campaign and determine criteria for the vaccinations. According to the Utah Department of Health, at least half of sexually active people will get HPV at some time in their lives. The Centers for Disease Control recommend the vaccine for females nine to 26 years old.

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