HPV vax

[Anonymous]

My son had his 12 year check up a few weeks ago and they wanted to give him Gardisil the HPV vax for boys. When they first came out with the one for girls a few years ago I was relieved I didn't have to worry about researching and making a decision. Of course now they offer boys the vax too.
I told the doctor I was undecided and he was fine with that but he did recommend it and said he gave it to his own kids.

I'm on the fence and need to do some more research.

Some of my concerns:
Is Gardisil actually safe? Are they going to pull it off the market like they do so many drugs that are rushed on us. It's too new and they dont know the long term effects, general effectiveness and risks.

Some things I have found out through my own research:
not all HPV is sexually transmitted it can be spread through skin to skin contact so there is risk even with condom use. Or teens who would not risk actual intercourse but perhaps still "expose" themselves.

Gardasil (which is the one that can be given to boys) protects against HPV types 6, 11, 16 and 18. HPV types 16 and 18 cause an estimated 70% of cervical cancers, and are responsible for most HPV-induced anal, vulvar, vaginal, and penile cancer cases. HPV types 6 and 11 cause an estimated 90% of genital warts cases.

Love to hear others thoughts on this vax.

[Anonymous]

We will be giving our son the vaccine. We know someone who will not survive throat cancer, which has also been linked to HPV.

[Anonymous]

HPV is super common, and I believe than men cannot be tested for it. It's not just about teenagers "experimenting," this could have real consequences for your kid later on. He could contract it and pass it to his wife or something- possibly making her infertile. I had the vaccine with no side effects.

[Anonymous]

We plan on doing it when the time comes.

[Anonymous]

I am planning on doing it for my daughter. Yes they have retracted on some drugs and vaccines, but a fairly small number in the scale of things so I an not too worried about that issue. The bigger issue is that it might make someone more reckless.

I personally think the general record of vaccines is quite good in terms of general health of the country.

[Anonymous]

I'm on the fence with you... have a 9 year old girl, so still have some time.

About 8 years ago I spoke with my GYN about it... he was furious, felt that all if all the $$ spent on the development and marketing of the vaccine were spent to ensure every woman had regular pap smears it would do much more to prevent cervical cancer. Ironically, we were talking about it while treating me for HPV, found as a result of an abnormal pap smear and biopsy of cervical cells.

HPV is surprisingly common - the most common STI ,and exists in over 40 strains. The vaccine only protects against 4 of them, although they are the 4 most commonly associated with cancers.

I will be waiting and watching the research on this one too...

The downsides I see are possible side effects/long term effects we don't know about, possible complacency and belief that there is no need to have to worry about HPV or having routine pap smears.

For those who choose to do it, why did you? Those who choose not to, why?

[Anonymous]

I think we learn more and more about squamous cell carcinomas, (anal, throat, and most cervical) we learn more and more about the link between HPV and the cancers. You GYN would have a better point if there weren't a link to other cancers.

My child is male and he will be getting the vaccine.

[Anonymous]

Given that contraction of HPV is virtually a certainty, why would you NOT vax against it? What's WRONG with you, OP?

[Anonymous]

Not going to do it for my boys until it is required. What is wrong with you 15:39?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not going to do it for my boys until it is required. What is wrong with you 15:39?

Nothing is wrong with me at all. I love my children and will do what's best for them. Why won't you do the same for your children? Get the vax.

[Anonymous]

OB Gyn here, absolutely would vaccinate boys and girls (and did so with my own).

First, Pap smears, while an important component of screening and routine health care for women, are very far from sensitive and specific for cervical cancer, very subjective in interpretation and detect a problem already present, requiring actual surgical treatment. Actually preventing the viral infection that leads to inflammation and then cancer in the first place seems a lot more desirable.

This vaccine has been in testing for over a decade, thus far has a great safety record, and efficacy in preventing infection. Vaccine side effects that are real and reproducible ( as opposed to fabricated in the autism/vaccine papers) tend to be quite short-term and should be easily picked up in over ten years of testing.

Finally, do you really think that having had or not had the HPV vaccine is going to change the behavior of your son? There are more direct and easily understandable risks to unprotected intercourse (pregnancy, HIV for instance, or even the classic STDs like gonorrhea), so a kid having been vaccinated or not for HPV really really doesn't seem like it would make someone more reckless

[Anonymous]

Thanks pp!!

[Anonymous]

Is it okay to wait until my daughter is 13 to get the HPV vac? DC scrisings ant the vac for rising 6th grade girls. I think 11 may be a bit young.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not going to do it for my boys until it is required. What is wrong with you 15:39?

Nothing is wrong with me at all. I love my children and will do what's best for them. Why won't you do the same for your children? Get the vax.

OP'er here. We all love our children and want to do what's best for them. You are rude and narrow minded. Before I had children I spent many hours researching vaxs, researching circumcision, researching breastfeeding, researching why a newborn still in the hospital needs a Hep B vax just to name a few. Did you do the same? If so I dont begrudge you for your decisions even if they are not the same ones I would make, why should you begrudge mine (and at this point mine is to research Gardisil before blindly giving it to my son)? How does that equate to me not wanting to do the best for my child or having a problem. I want to make the best most informed choice for my child so I ask questions, look for unbiased research and seek the facts. How can one do the best for their child without the knowledge? Your comment is ignorant.

[Anonymous]

And thank you to everyone that has posted their thoughts, I appreciate it. I am still undecided but continuing to do my research. I still have some time before my son's next doctors appointment where they will offer us the vax again.