I'm in the "i'm not sure about it" column. Initially it hits me that its a remedy for a sexually transmitted issue, but they are only giving it to GIRLS. Now, I understand that girls are the ones who are affected, but it still bothers me that it's so one-side. I had the same issue when Viagra was introduced. Viagra was covered by medical insurance but birth control pills were not. The 20-year study on heart attacks and their symptons were done on men and it is now coming out that women have completely different symptons. And thus the book "Women are not just shorter men" on how medical studies don't really study women.
I just think the medical field, who should be aware of the differences between men and women, are still in the dark ages and can be very sexually discriminating.
i think it should be given to both boys and girls. yes its meant as a prevenative for some cervical cancers but boys can get hpv as well and pass it on to other girls.
i look at it as a way to possibly put a stop to some cancers and the idea that kids will use it as an excuse to have sex is crazy to me.
Since I heard that this vaccine is solely for viruses that are past through sexual contact, I have no intention of exposing my daughter to this vaccine. They don't make that clear in their commercials, which bothers me.
I'm a middle and high school teacher, so I'm aware that there are kids out there having sex at young ages.....but I also know there are plenty of kids who DO NOT. I'm banking that my daughter will be in the latter category and won't have reason to get this vaccine.
Let me preface this by saying that I don't have any kids yet, so I don't have a parent's perspective on this situation. But, as a nursing student, I will say that I think that EVERY child/preteen (male and female) should be required to have this vaccine. The HPV virus causes cancer. Cervical cancer. A vaccine that can prevent someone from acquiring a virus that is known to cause cancer is a huge breakthrough in healthcare. I understand that parents are concerned about this because the virus is only passed through sexual contact, BUT ... I just think that there is no reason not to give every child the vaccine. I think that boys should also be given the vaccine, like another poster said, because it may help prevent the spread of HPV. I am so passionate about this issue. This is something that can prevent cancer ... it can prevent death. I just think it's such an important discovery, and has been spun in a negative light to create a media frenzy. Anyway, I'll step off my soapbox now. Just wanted to give my opinion.
But, as a nursing student, I will say that I think that EVERY child/preteen (male and female) should be required to have this vaccine. The HPV virus causes cancer. Cervical cancer.
Since you're identifying yourself as a nursing student and some people may take that to mean that your opinion carries more weight than those not in the medical field (or in school), you should try to be accurate. HPV does not cause all cases of cervical cancer, and having HPV does not mean that cancer will develop.
There are more than 100 strains of the human papillomavirus. Of these 100+ strains, four are potentially cancer-causing, and those four strains are responsible for ~ 70% of all cervical cancers and ~ 90% of genital warts. The CDC reports that there are approximately 9700 cases of cervical cancer reported in the US annually, and approximately 3700 of those cases results in death. Gardasil, which vaccinates against those four potentially cancer-causing strains, has been nearly 100% effective in preventing pre-cancerous cervical lesions in females who are not already infected with HPV. While this is excellent, the vaccine is not the end of cervical cancer. 30% of cervical cancer is not caused by HPV. Annual PAP smears are still necessary.
Personally, I am quite wary of this vaccine due to its relative newness. The best defense against HPV is chastity before marriage and monogamy after marriage.
At this time, my daughter will not be receiving the vaccine. It really ticks me off that Merck, the manufacturer of the Gardasil vaccine, has conducted state-by-state lobbying campaigns to make this vaccine mandatory, with no conscientious objection clause.
Approximately 20 million people are currently infected with HPV. At least 50 percent of sexually active men and women acquire genital HPV infection at some point in their lives. By age 50, at least 80 percent of women will have acquired genital HPV infection. About 6.2 million Americans get a new genital HPV infection each year.
I have two friends that contracted HPV in their early twenties. One contracted it from her husband and did end up with cervical cancer. It was removed and she is fine thank goodness. I guess since I have people close to me that have been effected by this virus I am more supportive of the vaccine than others may be.
If I had daughters I would have them vaccinated. Abstaining from sex until you are married will not keep you safe from STDs. There are millions of women in this world that will vouch for that.
I have 2 daughters. One who is older and already sexually active, the other is 10 yrs old. When her doctor, who has been her doctor her entire life, thinks that the vaccine is safe I will have her vaccinated. Girls don't have to be out having multiple sex partners to contract HPV. Even if she waits to have sex on her wedding night ( which is my desire for her) for the very first time, she could contract this from her husband.
Are the odds lower if she abstains until marriage, maybe, but if by vaccinating her, I may help keep her a little healthier/safer then I'm all for it.
There are so many things that I can not protect my girls from, so I am all for the things I can do. In no way do I think that giving this to my 10 yr old, is giving her permission, or encouraging her to be sexually active.
I will just add that I'm not sure that it should be a required vaccine.
..... Even if she waits to have sex on her wedding night ( which is my desire for her) for the very first time, she could contract this from her husband.....
I guess this is why I'm in the "I'm not sure about it" column. Guys can spread it but only GIRLS are being required to have the vaccine. It just gives the impression that all of these GIRLS are out (sorry, gotta be blunt here) whoring around spreading whatever this is but guys .... well, hey, THEY have no responsibility in this at all.
How do I answer my daughter when I tell her, "Honey, you have to have this shot because you might go out and have sex all over the place and get this disease" and she comes back and asks me "Aren't the guys having sex and passing this around, too?"
I just have a problem with a sexually biased policy......
very well said Cakepro. People either don't know or just forget that simple childhood warts are a strain of hpv. The only strains of HPV that this vaccine is helping are those which are spread through sexual contact. When my daughter is old enough to make the decision to engage in sexual activities, she can then decide for herself to get the vaccine or not. I'm all for getting the vaccine for ANYONE who is sexually active.
Also....let me add, that if, when my daughter is in her teens, and I have strong suspicions that she is sexually active, I WILL have her vaccinated. Her health is more important to me than putting forth the false notion that she is still a virgin.
As for vaccines in general.....I don't like that they are required, BUT, here in NY, you can refuse any and ALL vaccines simply over religious reasons....and it doesn't keep your child out of the public schools either for doing so.
But, as a nursing student, I will say that I think that EVERY child/preteen (male and female) should be required to have this vaccine. The HPV virus causes cancer. Cervical cancer.
Since you're identifying yourself as a nursing student and some people may take that to mean that your opinion carries more weight than those not in the medical field (or in school), you should try to be accurate. HPV does not cause all cases of cervical cancer, and having HPV does not mean that cancer will develop.
There are more than 100 strains of the human papillomavirus. Of these 100+ strains, four are potentially cancer-causing, and those four strains are responsible for ~ 70% of all cervical cancers and ~ 90% of genital warts. The CDC reports that there are approximately 9700 cases of cervical cancer reported in the US annually, and approximately 3700 of those cases results in death. Gardasil, which vaccinates against those four potentially cancer-causing strains, has been nearly 100% effective in preventing pre-cancerous cervical lesions in females who are not already infected with HPV. While this is excellent, the vaccine is not the end of cervical cancer. 30% of cervical cancer is not caused by HPV. Annual PAP smears are still necessary.
Personally, I am quite wary of this vaccine due to its relative newness. The best defense against HPV is chastity before marriage and monogamy after marriage.
At this time, my daughter will not be receiving the vaccine. It really ticks me off that Merck, the manufacturer of the Gardasil vaccine, has conducted state-by-state lobbying campaigns to make this vaccine mandatory, with no conscientious objection clause.
Cakepro ... I am well aware that
HPV does not cause all cases of cervical cancer, and having HPV does not mean that cancer will develop.
I was stating some of the facts, and didn't feel that I needed to go into detail about some strains causing cancer and others not causing cancer.
I also only mentioned that I was a nursing student because others here have mentioned being a parent. I was pointing out that I have a different perspective on the issue. In no way did I mean to imply that my opinion carries more weight than anyone else's. Again, I was just stating that I have a different perspective, being in the healthcare field.
I don't think you needed to be so harsh towards me. I was simply saying that HPV can cause cancer, and there is a vaccine that can prevent that from happening. I was giving my opinion, just like everyone else on this thread. I'm not sure why you had to make it sound like I don't know what I'm talking about. It seems like there's always someone waiting in "attack mode" when any sort of controversial topic comes up here. 
My daughter will definitely be getting this vaccine. I am aware of the fact that it will not protect her 100% from ever being a victim of cervical cancer, because this one particular virus is not the sole cause of cervical cancer. BUT, isn't some protection better than none?? How can we tell them years later that yes, I had the opportunity to prevent this from happening, but I didn't.
Parents can also choose how to explain the vaccine to their children, and can do it in a manner other than - "now that you've had this shot, you can have sex without worrying about getting cancer." It can be explained that this vaccine can prevent one type of cancer, and that should be enough of an explanation for the youngest girls who receive it.
If this vaccine works in the same manner in boys as it does in girls, then most definitely boys should receive it also.
-Lisa
Cakesbyjess, I wasn't being harsh by providing some additional facts here in this thread. I wrote straightforwardly, like an adult, and simply pointed out that HPV does not always cause cancer, and an HPV infection does not mean cancer will develop. Simple statements of fact. Providing additional information to a thread is not any kind of attack on you.
indydebi, it's only "sexually biased" because males do not have to worry about cervical cancer. Since they can certainly transmit the virus, and rarely, HPV can cause anal cancer in homosexual males, I think it's inevitable that this vaccination campaign will shift its focus from just female to everyone in the near future.
[Speaking to no one in particular]
I think there's a lot of fearmongering that is going on with this vaccination campaign, so I just wanted to provide some additional reassurance. Up to 90% of HPV infections clear up on their own, and most HPV infections do not result in cervical cancer.
[Pure opinion]
If people didn't indulge in every whim of their libido like barnyard animals, STD's would not be rampant. Being chaste until marriage and faithful in marriage would be the absolute best vaccine against STD's and other sex-related travesties, such as abortion, "unwanted children," and so much heartbreak.
I guess I'll jump in on this controversial topic:
As a woman, I think that both boys and girls ought to get this vaccine, if it also works for men anyway. I know of several people who have had irregular pap smears that turned out to be HPV and had to get laser surgury to remove the HPV.
I had never even heard of HPV when my best friend told me she had it. She certainly isn't promiscuous. She had a couple long-term boyfriends and it was probably from one of them. She has a latex allergy, by the way. She thought she was safe from STDs because of having blood tests but there was no test for a guy to see if he's got HPV. Only recently has information about HPV come out. Many people have been completely in the dark about this.
As a mother, I'm glad that I don't have girls to worry about this but then, I do have boys and they could potentially kill a girl if they don't get vaccinated. Of course I will teach them abstinence and to use condoms...but if this vaccine is available to boys, I think I might let them have it as well. What does it hurt? They've been vaccinated against measles, mumps, rubella, chicken pox, small pox, polio, tetanus, etc etc etc...what's one more vaccine?
As far as the issue of making it mandatory...I don't know about that.
I have to say I am a huge supporter of this. A friend of mine was diagnosed with it 11 years ago. She had luckily found the cancerous pollups ( I don't know how to spell it) early. She had laser treatment to remove them within a few weeks. However it is something she will always have to worry about. At that time, she was told that 20 or 30% of college students carry some kind of sexually transmitted disease. WOW! This is the one, at the time, that was a big deal. Men can carry it, but women can get cancer from it.
I know how difficult it is to say that you have to be vaccinated for another disease. No, I am not saying it is o.k. for kids to have sex, but I have been talking about this for 11 years. No one had even heard of it unless they found out from a yearly exam. I am so happy to see the commercials. I have never held back talking to young women about it.
I don't know about having men take the vaccine. I don't know enough about that side of it. I say go ahead and give it to them, but it is a hard argument when I don't think it can kill them. The boys should take it too, but the insurance companies won't take that argument easily.
So, my friend made a mistake. she shouldn't have to die for it if there is a cure. What if it were my daughter? I had a relative die from chicken pox and illness that followed. I got the vaccination for my kids as soon as it came on the market. I wouldn't hesitate to do what I could to protect them.
I hope I don't offend anyone. I'm not trying to. It is just one of those things that has hit close to home.
I don't have daughters, just two boys. My own personal opinion, if I did have a daughter, would be to have her vaccinated, but only after it was, in my opinion, proven to be a safe vaccine. I would let her know what the vaccine was for, and that it in no way was me giving my okay for her to be sexually active before marriage. You don't have to be a "barnyard animal" indulging in "every whim of your libido" to contract HPV or something else. There are a lot of different scenarios that can result in someone catching HPV. A woman (who is a virgin), can marry a man who has had only ONE other sexual experience in his life before her, and he could have gotten it and passed it on to her. Or, and I don't mean to sound so negative, some poor girl who is date-raped or molested by someone. I would think that there would be enough emotional trauma going on without the potential serious risks of HPV added in.
I am not a doctor or clinician of any sort, and I may not have all the facts. I would just have to go on my gut instinct with this if it was my child. I have always told my older son that girls are to be treated with respect, that no means no, and that nothing but abstinance is foolproof. I can't be blind to the fact that what I have taught him may go in one ear and out the other, hopefully it won't, but I pray that some of what I have been telling him has stuck in his brain and he will be careful. And when my 9 yr. old is ready for the more intense information, he will be getting it too.
Just my .02. Hope I haven't offended anyone.
Cakepro ... I appreciate you providing additional information in your post, but I still felt a little bit attacked. I think that I was also handling this like an adult, so I'm not sure what that comment was about. I'm not here to argue. We obviously have very different opinions about this topic, which is fine. I just don't agree with your "barnyard animals" reference at all, but I'm not going to go into that. I understand that you don't believe in premarital sex, and that's fine. But I also don't believe that premarital sex is the cause of STD's. That's all I'm going to say about this. We can agree to disagree.
Cakepro ... I appreciate you providing additional information in your post, but I still felt a little bit attacked. I think that I was also handling this like an adult, so I'm not sure what that comment was about. I'm not here to argue. We obviously have very different opinions about this topic, which is fine. I just don't agree with your "barnyard animals" reference at all, but I'm not going to go into that. I understand that you don't believe in premarital sex, and that's fine. But I also don't believe that premarital sex is the cause of STD's. That's all I'm going to say about this. We can agree to disagree.
Well said, Jess. I bet if we were to discuss this in a relaxed atmosphere over a cup of coffee, we could share our opinions in a friendly discussion and no one would feel attacked. Unfortunately, we lose so many cues on bulletin boards. I assure you I was not attacking you. This subject (HPV/STDs) is just a small part of the larger issue of sexual morality which I feel passionate about too. 
LOL, no pun intended.
~ Sherri
an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
does giving a child a tetanus shot "give them permission" to play with, step on rusty nails and the like?
to invert a classic saying: what's good for the gander is good for the goose.
if it's spread by all just like that laundry list of childhood diseases (which if those vaccines had been around would have saved me and my mom 3 weeks of misery (MMR) and then my sis and mom and me another 2 (chickenpox -- go play w/ your brother and lets get this over with!) -- then it should be required for all.
and as previous poster said, wise way to explain: its a shot to help prevent cancer.
and may I add....I hope the first of many such vaccines.
(would there be such a fuss if it were for breast cancer or prostate cancer or lung cancer or ovarian cancer or cancer of the uterus, or....)
(seems once that three letter word gets involved, people get all in a tither about stuff.)
I think the problem that people are having is that this vaccine is being forced upon very young girls AND this vaccine ONLY prevents the types of HPV that is contracted through sexual contact alone.
No parent would ever willingly put their child at risk for getting any type of cancer. I am also very leary of any new vaccine that comes on the scene with such a sense of urgency (as this one). The commercials make it out to be such a grim possibility of our young girls contracting these types of HPV, when in actuality, it's not so common after all. Granted, it occurs, but to make it out to be so commonplace and that this vaccine is the cure all? I find it irresponsible marketing for a vaccine that is so new to the public.
I think the problem that people are having is that this vaccine is being forced upon very young girls AND this vaccine ONLY prevents the types of HPV that is contracted through sexual contact alone.
No parent would ever willingly put their child at risk for getting any type of cancer. I am also very leary of any new vaccine that comes on the scene with such a sense of urgency (as this one). The commercials make it out to be such a grim possibility of our young girls contracting these types of HPV, when in actuality, it's not so common after all. Granted, it occurs, but to make it out to be so commonplace and that this vaccine is the cure all? I find it irresponsible marketing for a vaccine that is so new to the public.
These are my feelings exactly. When a vaccine is new, I'd like to be given the choice to make my own decision. I think it's scary that this vaccine is being pushed into being mandatory. I have the same feelings about the varicella vaccine. Please understand that I am not anti vaccine, but they spend a huge amount of money pushing something like varicella and making it mandatory when the number of people getting seriously ill or dying is low. I'm not saying it's not great that there is something to prevent it, or that the people that do die don't mean anything, but I wish they would spend these huge amounts of money on things like safer cars and car seats because it's much more dangerous for me and my children to get in a car. I'm an intelligent person and I would like to be given the chance to look into something on my own and make my own choices about what I'm putting in my body or my childrens' bodies.
Interesting to read about both sides on this....
I have to admit I have thought about this a lot. I am definitely on the fence on this one. I can't say that I am in a real big hurry to put a fairly new vaccine in my daughter without knowing more about any side effects down the road that could harm her as well.
I hear about all these new drugs out on the market and then a short while later you hear they have been pulled from shelves and people have died from them or whatever.....scary!
So I know we all have our views on this....but we can all agree on one thing for sure.......we ALL want what's best for our daughters whatever that may be!
These vaccines have actually been on the market in other countries for longer than they have here. A few years ago when my friend had gotten HPV, I was discussing HPV on another forum and a guy from a country in South America asked, "why don't people get vaccinated like they do here?" There was a vaccine there and available before people here even really knew that HPV existed.
I really don't know why HPV has been so unknown until recently. It's been around for a really long time but people haven't even known of its existence. It's crazy.
These vaccines have actually been on the market in other countries for longer than they have here. A few years ago when my friend had gotten HPV, I was discussing HPV on another forum and a guy from a country in South America asked, "why don't people get vaccinated like they do here?" There was a vaccine there and available before people here even really knew that HPV existed.
I really don't know why HPV has been so unknown until recently. It's been around for a really long time but people haven't even known of its existence. It's crazy.
the National Institutes of Health (NIH) seems to suffer along w/ the Center for Disease Control, FDA, and most of the American medical establishment from:
NIH -- Not Invented Here.
many more medicines available overseas than here....
but it can take forever and a day for them to be approved for US use.
Thanks, Sherri. I appreciate your understanding and your very mature response. I agree that if we were discussing this in person, there would have been no misunderstandings. It's all good. 
perfectly stated Mocakes. Bottom line: we all want what's best for our children.
As for the whole issue of drugs/vaccines being available overseas that are not yet available here: I'm thankful for that. I see it more as our country erring on the side of caution and having higher standards by which drugs are made available to the public. I don't see it having anything to do with the fact that one drug might be invented in another country.
Just my thoughts.
I'm not sure if the vaccine you're talking about is the same one that was "invented" ( for want of a better word ! ) here in Australia recently & exported overseas, but if it is, it's a vaccine to prevent numerous strains of cervical cancer,provide free through our schools for girls 12 & over - only girls because boys don't get cervical cancer - I for one think this is fantastic & when my daughter is old enough I will make sure she gets it.
I don't see how a cancer vaccine would make any young girl promiscous either - that's just rubbish
When my daughter is old enough, she will have this vaccine for the same reason I got all of her vaccines when she was a baby. The odds of her getting pertussis or measles are pretty slim in these days of vaccines, but it's not worth the risk. If there's something I can do to keep her safer, I'll do it every time. Hopefully she will never 'need' the protection from HPV, but at some point that is out of my control (and possibly out of hers, in the case of rape). For my own peace of mind, I need to know that I've done everything I could.
A dear friend of mine contracted HPV, and has only ever had one partner. STDs are rampant, no matter what your lifestyle choice. If they had a vaccine to prevent AIDS, I'd get that, too. Not because I expect my children to be promiscuous, but because you can't be too careful.
I don't think there is a double standard here at all. This is a disease that could possibly give my daughter cancer, not my son. It's preventative care. My daughter will receive the vaccine when she reaches the necessary age. I'd rather protect my daughter than worry about burning my bra. Any woman who has ever had to go through the "carrot peeler" for displaysia knows - this is not fun. A LOT of women have this. If you've have a less than favorable pap, check out the reason. If you haven't had a pap in ages, get one. Once upon a time, if you had less than perfect on the pap, they didn't tell you why, just said pre-cancerous condition. HPV isn't something that gives you sores or bugs or whatever that people typically associate with STD.
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