Why I Distrust the CDC (Warning: This Article is Gross)

How can we trust government agencies and pharmaceutical companies for sound medical advice when they lie?

Recently, I took my daughters to the pediatrician. My youngest is 9-years-old, so I was surprised when their doctor recommended the HPV vaccine for her.

Here’s why.

HPV is a virus with roughly 200 strains. I’ve had HPV. You probably have too. Most cases have absolutely no symptoms and 90% clear up on their own without treatment. Some strains cause worts, so if you’ve ever had a wart, you’ve had HPV. You can contract certain strains from showering at the gym or walking barefoot at the neighborhood pool. On the bright side, toads can’t give you warts. That’s toadphobic propaganda.

Out of the 200 HPV strains, around 40 are sexually transmitted. The HPV vaccine, AKA Gardasil 9, only prevents 9 out of those 40 STD strains.

Granted, those 9 STD strains are pretty nasty. I’ll spare you the gory details (definitely don’t google them on your lunch break), but suffice it to say they’re extremely painful and may sometimes cause cancer. Sometimes. Not always.

However, the vaccine is not a silver bullet. While it does reduce risks, the American Cancer Society recommends a more rounded prevention plan:

• Get the vaccine.

• Don’t have sex with someone who has an STD.

• Use protection.

• Don’t smoke.

What they don’t tell you, and what your doctor probably won’t tell you, and the taboo advice I will absolutely give you, is that you should practice abstinence or monogamy. If you’re single, and especially if you’re a minor, don’t have sex. If you’re planning on getting married, be open with your partner about each other’s sexual histories. If you are married, don’t cheat on your spouse. Don’t be a swinger. Don’t have one night stands. Don’t participate in hook-up culture. Grindr bad.

I know. I’m old-fashioned.

But traditional sexual ethics are incredibly practical and prevent a lot more than just STDs. They also prevent broken hearts, emotional trauma, unplanned pregnancy, divorce lawyer bills, therapist bills, custody battles, and a whole lot of stress and drama.

As a parent, I don’t merely desire my kids’ physical wellbeing, but their emotional, mental, and spiritual wellbeing too. Subsequently, I’m teaching them to be wise.

To be clear, I do not think that HPV vaccines cause promiscuity. That would be like saying seat belts cause unsafe driving or forks cause gluttony.

I also fully recognize that STDs can be spread by sexual predators and cheating spouses. Personally, I think people who spread STDs through predation or deception should be criminally prosecuted, but that’s another topic for another day.

My issue is, I don’t trust the government agencies and pharmaceutical companies who approve and produce this vaccine. For one thing, the data on their own website doesn’t add up.

For example, the CDC states, “HPV is a very common virus that can cause cancers later in life. About 13 million people, including teens, become infected with HPV each year.”

But not all HPV strains cause cancer. That quote is misleading.

The CDC also claims, “About 85% of people will get an HPV infection in their lifetime. Vaccinating all 11–12-year-olds can protect them long before they are ever exposed. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States.”

But not all HPV strands are sexually transmitted. Again, this is misleading.

Before we freak out, let’s do a little math. Over 340 million people live in the US. Using the CDC’s own numbers:

• 85% of 340 million is 289 million people. According to the CDC, 289 million Americans will get an HPV STD in their lifetime.

• 13 million is 3.82% of 340 million. So, 3.82% of Americans contract HPV every year.

When the CDC’s claims that, “About 85% of people will get … the most common sexually transmitted infection,” they’re implying that over 85% of Americans — more than 289 million people — will have sex with someone with an active HPV STD infection at some point in their lives.

This seems highly unlikely to me.

Maybe 85% of Americans will get a wart at some point. I could totally believe that. Warts are common. But the HPV vaccine doesn’t prevent common or plantar warts. Do we really believe that 85% of Americans get STDs, let alone HPV STDs? I seriously doubt it. These numbers don’t make any sense.

And keep in mind HPV STDs are far from the only STDs out there. If 85% of Americans get HPV STDs, we’re in serious trouble. These sound like brothel level stats.

Here’s what I think is happening. I think the CDC and pharmaceutical companies are misusing data to frame a narrative and sell a product. If true, this means they’re lying by omitting or misapplying relevant data and context.

Here are some facts.

The HPV vaccine does help prevent 9 strains of HPV. Not all 200. Not all 40 STD strains. Specifically, it prevents strains 6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58.

It’s misleading to make the blanket claim that the vaccine prevents all HPV infections, or all cancer-causing strains, when it does not.

The CDC says it’s “a very common virus,” singular, that’s “sexually transmitted.” There is no nuance. No differentiation between the numerous different strains or risk factors. And no methods of prevention suggested besides the vaccine. How is this safe or helpful?

Another thing most medical websites won’t tell you is that the vaccine isn’t 100% effective even against the 9 strains it’s meant to prevent. Effectiveness ranges between 74% and 93% for people who were vaccinated between the ages of 9-14, and 12% to 90% for those vaccinated between 15-18.

Below I’ve borrowed a chart from Wikipedia cataloging various strains of HPV and their symptoms. I’ve marked the 9 prevented by Gardasil 9 in red:

Granted, those 9 strains are among the nastiest and most common, but like I said, the HPV vaccine is not a silver bullet. It does not protect against strains 7, 13, 16, 18, 26, 32, 35, 39, 42, 44, 51, 53, 56, 59, 66, 68, 73, or 82, all of which are awful. So, the vaccine does not make you immune to all strains of HPV, let alone cancer. It reduces your risk, which is great, and it can spare you a lot of suffering. However, this is extremely important context for people to understand when considering their prevention plans.

This is why I don’t trust the CDC or pharmaceutical industry in general. The way they present vaccines and medications is often faulty, biased, or dishonest.

Many doctors, companies, and government agencies pitch this vaccine like it’s some kind of magical cure-all, but it’s not. They act like absolutely everyone desperately needs it, but they don’t. They make it sound like your child will get cancer and die unless they get this shot. It’s a fear tactic, and any time you see fear tactics you have to question motives.

According to the CDC’s website, “HPV causes about 36,000 cases of cancer” in the US every year. Remember, they also stated that 13 million Americans contract HPV every year. Let’s assume they mean the STD strains. If 13 million Americans contract HPV STDs every year, that means less than 0.28% of those cases result in cancer annually.

Is 0.28% OK? Absolutely not. It’s terrible for those people. They’re not just a number, they’re human beings, and if we time travel I’d go back and warn them to get the vaccine. But we’re also not talking about the Bubonic Plague here.

Why withhold this information from parents?

Why not give us all the facts and let us make informed decisions?

Why do we have to dig for this data?

Why fudge statistics to paint a dire picture?

Why use fear tactics to promote a vaccine?

If our pediatrician had said, “It helps prevent 9 out of 40 strains of sexually transmitted HPV that may cause cancer, here are the side effects, here are the benefits,” I might have actually gotten my kids the vaccine. But he didn’t. Neither does the CDC, and neither does Gardasil.

They also don’t mention the over 200 pending lawsuits in 2024 and 2025 against Merck, the manufacturer of Gardasil, and allegations the vaccine caused serious side effects in women including infertility. I have no idea how many patients have had the vaccine, so I can’t tell you what percentage are suing, let alone how many experienced side effects, but it’s an ongoing issue to watch.

Whether you decide to get your kids the HPV vaccine or not, I support your decision. My whole goal in writing this is that I want to make informed decisions, and I want you to be able to as well.

Much love,

Jenn

In other news, check out my latest podcasts:

On The Jenn & Becca Show my friend and I discuss everything from child abuse prevention to the bizarre antics of Kanye West.

On Stories from Real Life I chatted with Melvin Edwards about my experiences with church abuse and how I’ve maintained faith in Jesus.