I found this article regarding HPV vaccine on the BBC site.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7290088.stm
As of right now....it looks as though the vaccine is recommended, but not required. My daughter is only 16 months, so we have some time....but I am not so sure i want my daughter to get this vaccine.
It seems like there is lots of money to be made here by a pharmaceutical company.
I am just curious what other moms think about this.
just~me
You've certainly got plenty
You've certainly got plenty of time. Today's headline -- that 1 in 4 teenage girls has an STD -- is something to think about. Many of those girls have HPV.
We all hope that our kids will always make the best choices. They don't. Some Moms object to the HPV vaccination because they don't want to send the message that it's okay for girls to become sexually active. As disappointed as we may be if/when our daughters make a choice we don't approve of, getting HPV (and significantly raising the risk of developing cervical cancer) seems like a pretty huge consequence for being a stupid teenager.
My only issue with the campaign for the HPV vaccine is grammatical. It's shouldn't be "one less", it should be "one fewer". But I guess that's a little harder to jump rope to.
i realize that one day my
i realize that one day my daughter will have sex, so i am not in denial about that.
I also heard an OBGYN speak (on Oprah) about this vaccine and she is not behind it either. From what i have heard and read...this vaccine only works for 4 out of 1000's of diseases out there that can cause cervical cancer. Some may think thats great, but i am not convinced.
I know first hand that cancer is an ugly disease.
just~me
True but there are still
True but there are still some particular strains that are prevalent.
The same could be said about the flu shot but most people still get it because wouldn't you just kick yourself if you end up with that one strain?
I came across the Gardasil
I came across the Gardasil ad it says "A vaccine has been created that may help guard your daughter from 4 types of human papillomavirus. Those types may cause 70% of cervical cancer cases and 90% of genital warts cases..."
There are two "mays" in there but I choose to focus more on the 70% and 90%.
Lovemy4 is a discussion leader for North Central Phoenix, tired mother of 4 great kids and wife to one great husband.
Personally, I'm not in favor
Personally, I'm not in favor of it either. Although, I'm concerned that by the time my 3-year-old daughter gets older, that it will be manditory. The vaccine is just for a few strains of HPV (supposedly the most dangerous ones), but of the many people that actually get HPV, most do not develop cancer. We will be vaccinating everyone for a few. Plus, cervical cancer is one of the most treatable. It's too bad in this day and age we're hestitant to think abstinence is unrealistic for our kids. (I'm not referring to anyone on this post, just in general.) It's the only way to be 100 percent guaranteed your child won't get an STD.
Hobbymommy, 38, is a discussion leader from Mesa. She is a happy stay-at-home mommy to a 3-year-old daughter and a 1-year-old son.
Abstinence is great if it
Abstinence is great if it works but unfortunately it doesn't always. It is not a guarantee. Not to go off on all the what ifs; however, what if she is sexually assaulted? Marries at 18 or 20 to a man who transmits the disease within the marriage? There is a small chance that my daughter will get the mumps or the measles or whooping cough but I got those vaccines and the flu shot. She will also get the HPV series when she is 11 or 12 at the same time she gets the booster shots for all of the other preventable diseases out there. We wear seat belts, wear helmets when riding, and life vests on boats. I have insurance for any number of perils (house, auto, life, tuition reimbursement). Let's be safe instead of sorry.
Amen, Qmomma. I'm not
Amen, Qmomma. I'm not putting anyone's parenting down, but if 25% of teenaged girls have STDs, then how well is abstinence-only working?
I am with you Qmomma. If a
I am with you Qmomma. If a shot (or two) MIGHT stop my daughter from having cancer, tell me where to sign.
How could I ever live with myself if I could have easily prevented/avoided her suffering and didn't. Even if some strains are curable, no cure is easy and there is definate mental strain and anguish with any cancer diagnosis.
Lovemy4 is a discussion leader for North Central Phoenix, tired mother of 4 great kids and wife to one great husband.
I have two boys so I guess I
I have two boys so I guess I have not thought about this much vaccine. However, a few weeks ago I had gone to a health seminar and the HPV topic came up. The gyn speaking was in favor of the shot. Who knows if it will become mandatory in the years to come - she did mention it could possibly become mandatory shot for girls (and possibly boys too - way down the road for boys.) Well, the next day I was watching the news and I didn't get the entire story, but the headlines was something to the effect of a little girl getting the HPV vaccine and ended up having problems walking. Again, I didn't watch the entire clip, but it just made me think 'wow, whatever anyone decides to do....do your research'. Know what is being given to your child and if there are any complications that can occur. Because as I saw that little girl limping around it made me think that I'm sure her mother thought she was doing the best thing for her at the time...then look what happened. Don't always go with the 'herd mentality' in medicine . I learned the hard way - you must be an advocate for your own medical care as well as that of your family- do your homework. Challenge the information by knowing the information in great detail and always seek a second, third opinion if things don't add up or are not 100% clear or proven.
LisaMommy is a discussion leader in Paradise Valley/Scottsdale area for arizonamoms.com. Her two boys are ages 5 months and 3 years old.
Wow - this is exactly what i
Wow - this is exactly what i am talking about and what i am afraid of. I think people are so afraid of cancer (including myself) that they are quick to say give me the injection because it will prevent some cancers.
This is on the CDC site regarding the safety of the vaccine:
"The FDA has licensed the HPV vaccine as safe and effective. This vaccine has been tested in over 11,000 females (ages 9-26 years) around the world. These studies have shown no serious side effects. The most common side effect is soreness at the injection site. CDC, working with the FDA, will continue to monitor the safety of the vaccine after it is in general use."
The statement that scares me the most...."CDC, working with the FDA, will continue to monitor the safety of the vaccine after it is in general use." So are we lab rats?
just~me
There are dozens of other
There are dozens of other routine vaccines and procedures that we accept as safe, and many of them are required. The CDC, working with the FDA, monitor all of them. These vaccines obviate smallpox, whooping cough, polio, measles, mumps, and other infectious childhood diseases that could, even today, put your entire household in quarantine. Seriously. No one in or out, and contaminated articles burned -- just like it happened in the Velveteen Rabbit.
For the most part, the CDC won't get too fussed about chicken pox, impetigo, strep throat, mono, lice, ringworms, conjunctivitis (pink eye), or athlete's foot, unless a parent is reckless in putting an infected child in direct contact with other children. Once that happens, not only the Health Department, but also CPS, is likely to become involved.
STDs, left untreated, aren't much different from pink eye and athlete's foot -- except that they put the young person at risk of losing his/her opportunity to have a healthy adult life.
I wonder why a little girl
I wonder why a little girl was getting the shot in the first place?
Lovemy4 is a discussion leader for North Central Phoenix, tired mother of 4 great kids and wife to one great husband.
I don't have a daughter, but
I don't have a daughter, but I do have lots of friends that have contracted one STD or another during our college years. I am one of the lucky few that didn't, but it does scare me that really abstinence is the only prevention for all disease. HPV can be contracted even while using barrier methods of contraception. I have a friend who may not be able to carry children to term because she has lost so much of her cervix due to cancer. If I have a daughter or if they make a vaccine for males, I will go forth with the vaccination. I can't imagine subjecting my child, who will eventually be sexually active, to anything that could give them cancer. If your child is infected and they DON"T have serious consequences that doesn't mean that someone they pass it to won't. It's not just about one child.....
In the study that estimates
In the study that estimates that 1 in 4 teen girls has an STD, they estimated of those, 18% has HPV. It is too late to protect the 18% in this study, but with a disease this common, we need to be on the defense, I think.
Lovemy4 is a discussion leader for North Central Phoenix, tired mother of 4 great kids and wife to one great husband.
In the study that estimates
In the study that estimates that 1 in 4 teen girls has an STD, they estimated of those, 18% has HPV. It is too late to protect the 18% in this study, but with a disease this common, we need to be on the defense, I think.
Lovemy4 is a discussion leader for North Central Phoenix, tired mother of 4 great kids and wife to one great husband.
I have two children, boy/15
I have two children, boy/15 and girl/10 ...
My daughter had her first shot of the series of three back in March. I didn't think anything about. It wasn't painful and she had no symptoms. Her second shot was scheduled for April (1 month later). The day came and we went. This time it was painful. It hurt more and more as she sat there (they have you wait 20 minutes after the shot - precaution), the injection site was red, sore to the touch and she got dizzy [which went away when she laid down]. This didn't happen to her with the first shot and made me think what will happen with the third shot?
I am always sure to research anything that has to do with my kids. This time I took the 'word' of the pediatrician. This is heart wrenching on my part hoping I did not cause something to be worse. I did plenty of research and there are many pro's and con's toward this drug. I side more for the con's because of it being a new drug and they don't have any 'long term' statistics yet (did not know this and was not informed of this by the pediatrician either!).
I am more concerned with the effects toward infertility - how do I know that my daughter will not be able to conceive when she becomes married? I will feel so horrible if this transpired. Gardasil has polysorbate-80 which has caused infertility in rats. What about humans? There are cases where at least 5 girls have died after recieveing this vaccine, girls were hospitalized and some where given the vaccine while pregnant and either spontaneously aborted or were born with defects. That's a high price to pay for a 'what if' drug in my honest opinion. It may protect, it may not.
My daughter still has the third shot left of the series. She's had two and I am not sure if I want to continue it ... will it make a difference if she gets it or maybe I can stop something by not proceeding.
An Arizona Mommy of 2,
Lisa Marie
"My mother's menu consisted of two choices:
take it or leave it."
There is absolutely no
There is absolutely no evidence that completing the HPV vaccine course has any relationship to fertility. Shots sometimes hurt a lot, and sometimes, they don't hurt much at all. Cervical cancer hurts a lot, makes you bald, and makes you write your will at a very young age.
The "studies" that you're reading are skewed. They are sponsored by right-wing organizations that think that parents who ask doctors to administer the vaccine are somehow giving their daughters permission to have sex.
Yes, five young women who had the vaccine died; there's no proof that the vaccine had anything to do with it. Dozens of people who've had the MMR (Mumps, Measles, and Rubella) vaccine die every day. Dozens of people who ate a hot dog today died, too.
It's not appropriate to give the vaccine to a pregnant woman. Unfortunately, some kids won't tell their Moms or their doctors that is might be possible that they are pregnant. My OB/GYN hero doc insisted, even though it was absolutely impossible for me to be pregnant, in doing a test on every visit before she'd put on her gloves.
In my opinion, tetanus shots hurt the most; I wouldn't hesitate a minute if my kid stepped on a rusty nail. If there's a vaccine against any kind of cancer, we're going to do it. I don't care if it's a cervix, a penis, or an elbow.
Unless there's a chance that your daughter is pregnant, get her the third shot. You don't want to ever have to think that she got sick because you'd be embarrassed by which part of her body could need attention.
There is absolutely no
There is absolutely no evidence that completing the HPV vaccine course has any relationship to fertility. Shots sometimes hurt a lot, and sometimes, they don't hurt much at all. Cervical cancer hurts a lot, makes you bald, and makes you write your will at a very young age.
The "studies" that you're reading are skewed. They are sponsored by right-wing organizations that think that parents who ask doctors to administer the vaccine are somehow giving their daughters permission to have sex.
Yes, five young women who had the vaccine died; there's no proof that the vaccine had anything to do with it. Dozens of people who've had the MMR (Mumps, Measles, and Rubella) vaccine die every day. Dozens of people who ate a hot dog today died, too.
It's not appropriate to give the vaccine to a pregnant woman. Unfortunately, some kids won't tell their Moms or their doctors that is might be possible that they are pregnant. My OB/GYN hero doc insisted, even though it was absolutely impossible for me to be pregnant, in doing a test on every visit before she'd put on her gloves.
In my opinion, tetanus shots hurt the most; I wouldn't hesitate a minute if my kid stepped on a rusty nail. If there's a vaccine against any kind of cancer, we're going to do it. I don't care if it's a cervix, a penis, or an elbow.
Unless there's a chance that your daughter is pregnant, get her the third shot. You don't want to ever have to think that she got sick because you'd be embarrassed by which part of her body could need attention.
I agree wholeheartedly that
I agree wholeheartedly that there are many vaccines where ones have either gotten very sick or even died. Also true, many get sick and die from food born illnesses as well.
The fact that they are not sure if the shot was responsible for the 5 girls who died tells me that more studies and time is needed for this vaccine. The tetanus, MMR and Polio shots have all been around for many many years. I've had them, you've had them. I would not hestitate for a minute to not give my children those vaccines, even with the known risks. The difference is: HPV is geared mainly for sexual activity. Something contacted through sex. It can be prevented if this does not occur until marriage. I know in this time we live in it seems nieve of me to say that, but the values I place within my children day to day are those of morals. Even after marriage, making sure the one you marry has not had sex as well. These are ways of being cautious for ourselves, our bodies.
I never did think anything about the shot allowing kids to go ahead and have sex at an early age since they now are vaccinated. I was not even sure how HPV was contracted until after I did the research. Again, putting trust in the dr's. This is a minstream thought, I know, toward this vaccine. My thoughts are more along the effects - long term. There are no known effects since it's too new of a drug.
This vaccine is VERY painful. Look it up, ask a pediatrician - they'll tell you it's one the most painful shots for kids today. Before it was the MMR, which would sting. Gardasil hurts going in and continues to hurt for a couple days.
"You don't want to ever have to think that she got sick because you'd be embarrassed by which part of her body could need attention." I am and would never be embarrassed by the female body parts. I'm not sure why it would be thought this, never was this mentioned in my comment. I am very open with BOTH my children as are they in return. This has nothing to do with the vaccine whatsoever.
This vaccine is voluntary, whereas the others are not if you want your child to attend school. It all comes down to: it's a choice.
Life is more important to me than a vaccine that MAY or MAY NOT (too many mays - nothing confirmed) hurt my child rather than do any good. I realize that my daughter already has the first two and her third is in August - it just makes me mad that you are not informed at the dr's office of the risks. All they mention is that she needed to stay after the shot for 20 minutes to make sure of any reactions. Well, 1st time none (except redness & tenderness at shot site) but the 2nd time she got the same redness and tenderness along with dizziness. That IS a side effect that you should be concerned about. Seeing that MY daughter did have side effects is what promted me to research it more instead of trusting the dr.
Again, it's a choice and you are ultimately responsible for that choice made. If I would have known these things before the series of shots, I would have waited until my daughter was 18 and allowed her to make the decision if she wanted the vaccine. It's her body and she should be the one to decide ultimately when it comes to this vaccine (seeing how it's conracted) when she is mature enough to make this decision.
An Arizona Mom of 2,
Lisa Marie
"My mother's menu consisted of two choices:
take it or leave it."
You're the Mom. You
You're the Mom. You absolutely know best. I'd never want anybody to think that I think differently. It's just such a different world our teens are living in, and I get scared that one poor judgement call can result in much bigger consequences than we ever faced.
I'm a little surprised that the shots were so tough for your daughter; my niece did the course at the student clinic where she's in college, and she said it was no big deal. I haven't asked her point blank, but I think she's waiting for her Prince Charming. At least, no poor young man has been drug around to be vetted by the family, and, as she goes home most weekends, she'd have to be pretty creative if she were hooking up in the (Catholic) dorm room she shares with a her blabber-mouthed best friend.