Gardasil - To vaccinate or not

Stifler's - posted on 07/29/2012

I've had Gardasil and my kids will too. I had no adverse reactions neither did anyone I know and most people I know have had it.

Lacieann - posted on 07/29/2012

This is a very informative thread indeed.

I do believe I will have my daughters vaccinated and encourage it for my step daughter and step son (though that will be up to their parents).

Kristi - posted on 07/29/2012

MeMe--

Glad you were ok! And dialating isn't all it's cracked up to be! ; )

Little Miss--

Another reaon, added to my list! lol

~♥Little Miss - posted on 07/27/2012

That is awful and scary MeMe. You were lucky though. I know chlamydia can cause sterility. That sounds so painful!

MeMe - posted on 07/27/2012

You're right Little Miss, STD's are very hard to talk about.



I have not had a positive HPV test BUT when I was 16, I did contract Chlamydia. I had it for a good 2-3 months and did not know, until it brought me to my knees one day. It was sooo painful, I truly thought I was dying. I had moved out of my Moms house and was living with a friend and her Mom, when it hit me. I had to call my Mom, to bring me to ER. When she arrived at the house, I could not walk. I had to crawl to her car. My stomach was in the worst pain I have ever felt. Way worse than contractions!



I was lucky and after some strong antibiotics it cleared up and I had no lasting problems (unless, this is why I cannot dillute past 3cm and need c-sections but I doubt it). It truly was a terrible experience but it was a valuable lesson. This STD is also one, that many men and women that have it do not know, as symptoms often do not display, in men or women. They simply carry it and pass it along.

Kristi - posted on 07/27/2012

Little Miss--

This thread has been very educational in content but its content does make me want to hurl, when thinking about ALL the "stuff" that you can get, the warts, the blisters, the "paper cuts," BLECK! who needs it?! After the mental pictures fade and I stop dry-heaving (and get over my 2nd husband and get a new boyfriend) maybe I'll revisit the subject! LOL

~♥Little Miss - posted on 07/27/2012

Stella, you are welcome. STD's are a tough thing to talk about. I have lived with it so long, it doesn't bother me anymore. I have not had an outbreak in over 10 years, and chances are I never will again. Just gotta watch for those abnormal cells during paps, and I will tell every gyno that I have it so they are looking for it.

~♥Little Miss - posted on 07/27/2012

LOL Krista, that is when you become part owner of a dildo company! BAHAHAHA!

No but for real, don't feel like you can never have sex again. This is such a common disease, that chances are your new sex partner may already have it and not know. Just go get yourself checked out, and if you are clear....hump away!

Kristi - posted on 07/27/2012

MeMe, you and Little Miss should be CoM's resident WebMD! You guys totally rock! I will never have sex again in my life, but hey, knowledge is power! XD lol

Lakota - posted on 07/27/2012

Thank you for the valuable information, Little Miss and MeMe. Thank you also for your opinions. Little Miss, I appreciate your honesty about your experience and how you have suffered. The best educated opinion is from someone who has lived it.

MeMe - posted on 07/27/2012

Shit, yes, that is right Little Miss. HPV is genital warts and HSV is genital herpes.

Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) causes genital herpes and cold sores around the mouth. Oral herpes can cause genital herpes or can be caused by genital herpes because the virus may be transmitted from the mouth to the genital area or vice versa during oral sex. Basically, outbreaks occur where the virus entered the body. HSV-1 typically causes cold sores and HSV-2 typically causes genital herpes.

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) causes genital warts in some individuals (low-risk strains) or cancer in some individuals (high-risk strains). High-risk strains of this virus may cause cervical, vulvar, vaginal, penile, anal, and throat cancer. There are 100 strains of HPV, but the HPV vaccine only protects against 4 types of HPV; 2 types that cause 75% of cervical cancer cases, and 2 types that cause 90% of genital warts cases. The vaccine does not protect against the other 96 strains of HPV.

http://www.stlouishclub.com/HSV_HPV_fact...

~♥Little Miss - posted on 07/27/2012

Kristi, I just don't know the answer to your question about telling your old partners. I would get checked out first by your obgyn, and ask her if you should. You just never know when you contracted it. I showed signs of having it about 3-6 months into my relationship. He was the source. I have told people since then that I have it, and gave them the choice if they wanted to have sex. I did not need to call past partners though.

~♥Little Miss - posted on 07/27/2012

NO, herpes and hpv are 2 different sexually transmitted diseases that are both viral.



Here is an explination from the cdc about Herpes "What is genital herpes?



Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by the herpes simplex viruses type 1 (HSV-1) or type 2 (HSV-2). Most genital herpes is caused by HSV-2. Most individuals have no or only minimal signs or symptoms from HSV-1 or HSV-2 infection. When signs do occur, they typically appear as one or more blisters on or around the genitals or rectum. The blisters break, leaving tender ulcers (sores) that may take two to four weeks to heal the first time they occur. Typically, another outbreak can appear weeks or months after the first, but it almost always is less severe and shorter than the first outbreak. Although the infection can stay in the body indefinitely, the number of outbreaks tends to decrease over a period of years."



http://www.cdc.gov/std/Herpes/STDFact-He...



Here is info on HPV



What is genital HPV infection?



Genital human papillomavirus (also called HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI). There are more than 40 HPV types that can infect the genital areas of males and females. These HPV types can also infect the mouth and throat. Most people who become infected with HPV do not even know they have it.



HPV is not the same as herpes or HIV (the virus that causes AIDS). These are all viruses that can be passed on during sex, but they cause different symptoms and health problems.



http://www.cdc.gov/std/HPV/STDFact-HPV.h...

MeMe - posted on 07/27/2012

Kristi--- I do have another question though and it probably sounds ignorant, but are the genital warts herpes or strictly HPV



They are herpes, which is a form of HPV.



I don't believe you can get it from sitting on a toilet. I have not come across anything stating this is possible. You can get it from using an infected persons towel.



Here, I found an answer for ya:



Question: HPV and Toilet Seats

A friend of mine told me that you can catch HPV from a toilet seat. Is this true?

Answer: Fortunately, this is a myth, but still remains a common belief among many people. The human pappillomavirus (HPV) cannot be transmitted through sitting on a toilet seat. Because viruses cannot survive long outside of the body, HPV cannot be transmitted this way.

How Can You Get HPV?



HPV is transmitted through sexual skin-to-skin contact from an infected partner. No penetration is required to contract HPV. HPV can be transmitted through:

vaginal intercourse

anal intercourse

oral sex

touching your infected partner's genitals and then your own

sharing sex toys with an infected person without disinfecting first

genital-to-genital contact (same or opposite sex)



Kristi---Also, do they test for HPV before a girl/woman gets the vaccine?



This would all depend but typically, I would say no. My daughter had her vaccine through school. So, this was the year for all of her vaccines and she got them all at school, from a health nurse. There was no testing done, prior. Which I would say is a good thing. Since not many 9-16 year old's (or their parents) are going to agree to a doctor looking or touching their privates. ;)

Kristi - posted on 07/26/2012

MeMe--THAT WAS THE MOST CLEAR AND CONCISE INFORMATIONAL POST EVER!!!

That was in a language I could understand. I'm scared as hell now but at least I get it. I do have another question though and it probably sounds ignorant, but are the genital warts herpes or strictly HPV and if they are different, how do you know which kind you have? Also, do they test for HPV before a girl/woman gets the vaccine?

Little Miss--fortunately (or unfortunately? ; )) I don't have a signifcant other, haven't had sex in like, 2-3 years(gasp!) and no one nighters for me. But as was pointed out, if I have HPV and I've had it since my mid-20's, at least, I'm sure I passed it on, as well. So do you go back and call every guy you've ever been involved with and say "Hey, just wanted to give you a head's up...?"

Ok, I've been gone for about 2 hours, while I was gone I thought of yet, another dumb question...but what do they tell you in school, "there is no such thing as a dumb question, not asking the question is dumb?" So, here she goes....can you conceivably contract this disease by sitting on the toilet of a restroom? A lot of places don't have the paper seat covers.

Alright, that's about enough outta me, for now. Thank you again, so much MeMe and Little Miss!!

~♥Little Miss - posted on 07/26/2012

Here is another important part of that peice you just posted MeMe

"What Does My Future Hold?
Once you are infected with HPV, you will probably carry the virus for life. Remember you can spread the virus when you have visible warts and you may be able to spread the virus when no warts are visible. Women should have yearly PAP tests. Early detection is the key to a good prognosis. The presence of HPV or cellular changes of the cervix should not interfere with a woman's ability to bear children."

This is the scary part....no warts, active HPV and it will spread to anyone you have sex with.

MeMe - posted on 07/26/2012

Some more info on HPV...

Human Papilloma Virus (HPV)

Human Papilloma Virus, otherwise known as HPV, is the most common STD in the world. Currently, There are more than 100 different types of HPV, and over 40 of those can affect the genital areas, including the inside and outside of the vagina, the cervix, the penis, and the rectum, as well as the pubic area, the buttocks and the inner thighs.

FACT:

- HPV is VERY contagious. It only takes one touch to contract it.

- Because HPV is so contagious, and because people often do not know they have the disease, it is very possible to contract it, even if you have only had one sexual partner.

- 1 in 4 people in the United States currently has a form of HPV. 50%-75% of all sexually active men and women in the U.S. will come in contact with at least 1 form of HPV in their lifetime.

- HPV cannot be seen. Even if a person has genital warts, the warts are not always visible to the naked eye.

- Condoms DO NOT protect against HPV. Because the HPV infection can lay somewhere outside of what a condom covers, there is no guarantee that a condom will protect you.

- HPV often has no symptoms, and most people that have HPV do not know it.

- HPV can lay dormant (inactive, undetectable, 'Hide Out") in the body for years. Even if you have had only one sexual partner for many years, it is still possible that you have HPV.

- It is possible to contract more than 1 type of HPV at a time.

- Most types of HPV do not cause health problems, and the immune system can usually fight it off naturally within 2 years, however, certain types of HPV cause serious problems:
- HPV can cause Genital Warts
- HPV can cause Cervical Cancer
- HPV can cause Vulvar (the outer skin - labia - of the vagina), and Penile (the penis) cancer
- HPV can cause Anal cancer

- HPV has no cure, and the serious health problems it can cause, such as genital warts and cancer, also do not have a cure. There are treatments available that can deal with the symptoms of genital warts, but most who have these types of HPV will be stuck with the unpleasant symptoms for the rest of their life. There are treatments for cervical and outer genital cancers, however, they can cause serious health problems and even death.

How Do You Get HPV?

HPV can be spread through any kind of sexual activity, which includes any skin-to-skin or mouth-to-skin genital contact. This includes all forms of intercourse, oral sex, petting, and any skin to skin contact.

HPV can be passed through the sharing of "sex toys"

Certain types of HPV can be passed by sharing towels, washclothes, underwear, razors or any other linen or object that may come in contact with the infected persons genitals.

Women who are pregnant can pass HPV to their child during childbirth. In these case the child may develop RRP, a respiratory HPV infection.

How Can You Tell If You Have HPV?

Other than physical signs, such as warts, or abnormal cells detected by a PAP Smear, there is no way to tell whether or not you have HPV.

If you have a type of HPV that causes Genital Warts, you may experience dryness, itchiness of the genital skin, genital skin changes, genital skin sensitivity, genital skin "tears" or small cuts or lacerations (the "paper cut" effect, and/or visible warts that may be white, pale, or flesh colored bumps. they may be flat or raised, and will feel slightly rough. Some grow separately and others grow in cluster, giving a "cauliflower"-like appearance.

If you have a type of HPV that causes cervical or genital cancer, you may notice changes in the amount of discharge, or secretions, or the feel or look of the skin, or you may notice no change or symptoms at all. Physically, your cells will begin to form abnormally, but this is not something you will be able to see or feel.

How and Where To Get Tested

WOMEN: The current test that is available for HPV is only available as part of an abnormal PAP screening, and cannot be done independently of an abnormal PAP test. The reason for this, is that, most HPV is harmless and will clear up on its own, so it is not a necessary need to test for an infection that will clear up by itself. Efforts are being made to change this, and to use the test as an early diagnosis tool for cervical cancers, but so far, it is not available.
All women under 18 who are sexually active, as well as ALL women OVER the age of 18 should have a yearly PAP exam at their gynecologist or family physician, in order to screen for abnormal cells. If abnormal cells are found, your gynecologist will run an HPV test.
If you are experiencing any of the external genital skin symptoms mentioned above, or you have found warts, go see your gynecologist. They will be able to diagnose genital warts either by looking at the area or running a few simple skin cultures.

MEN: There is no approved test that exists for men. Most men do not ever develop symptoms from HPV. The only way for a man to be sure he has HPV is if he has visible warts and his Dr. confirms them as genital warts. Dr.'s can diagnose genital warts by looking at the area, or with a few simple skin cultures.

A note:

There are many cases of monogamously married individuals spontaneously developing HPV. This is not a reason to suspect infidelity. Because there is no definative test for HPV in men (and no public test for women), and because HPV is very contagious, very common, and it can lay dormant in the body for many many years (anywhere from 1-30+), you can never be sure who you contracted it from if you are diagnosed. If you or your spouse had any form of sexual contact (does not have to be intercourse) with anyone prior to your marriage, it is possible that you had HPV before you were even together, and simply did not know it.

What Do I Do If I Have HPV?

In most cases HPV will clear up on its own without causing any symptoms, side effects, or problems.

In some cases, HPV causes Genital Warts. If you find a wart, or are experiencing any of the genital skin symptoms listed above, see your Dr. or gynecologist and they can treat the warts. Warts can be treated in multiple different ways, including take home creams, Acid treatments, freezing, burning, laser surgery, or cutting them off. Some people choose to let them go, to see if they clear up on their own. Sometimes the warts will clear up and sometimes they will need treatment. Some are small and some can get rather large and annoying/painful. No treatment is better than the other, and treatment does not necessarily mean that the warts will not come back. often warts will need treated several times before they stop recurring. Some people will have recurrances all their life, despite treatment.

In some cases, HPV causes Cervical cancer. If you recieve an abnormal cell report from your yearly PAP exam, and it is confirmed by testing that you have HPV, your Dr. will direct you in courses of treatment of precancerous or cancerous cells.

GARDASIL

Gardasil is a vaccine, recently developed for girls between the ages of 9 and 26, that protects against the types of HPV that cause cervical cancer and other HPV diseases.

http://www.champion.org/cpc/hpv.htm

~♥Little Miss - posted on 07/26/2012

Man, I am glad I still remember the basics. I studied this shit for years once I found out I had it. I even studied natural remedies so I did not have to keep having them burned off, and they worked. So if anyone has them, I can e mail you the "recipe" lol. It is gross, but dammit...that shit works.

MeMe - posted on 07/26/2012

You are correct, Little Miss.

Another thing to keep in mind is that HPV can lay dormant for years. Even in long-term monogamous relationships, genital warts or cervical changes can occur without an obvious infectious event. Because of this, in the presence of warts or cervical changes men and women should be screened for HPV even when no recent transmission risk can be identified.

http://aids.about.com/cs/conditions/a/hp...

~♥Little Miss - posted on 07/26/2012

Stella, usually this conversation concerning this specific vaccination turns sour really quickly. I am really glad this was informational for you and Krista. It is really unfortunate how many people suffer with this, even those that don't get cancer or have abnormal biopsies. The warts (if that is the kind you contract) are very painful. And VERY painful to have burned off. I use to be so upset and embarrassed by HPV, but now that I have learned how many people have it and don't really even know it, really it makes me want to talk about it to spread the word. SOOO many people have it. Men just usually pass it around. They don't usually have issues with it, even if it is the wart kind of HPV. Apparently, their urine is so acidic that it actually burns the warts naturally, so they rarely even get them, but non the less they can still pass it on. It is good that their bodies have a natural defense, but our bodies naturally create a perfect home for them.

~♥Little Miss - posted on 07/26/2012

Kristi, it sounds like you had/have it for sure. The next time you go to your obgyn, let them know about your experience, and see if they can check you specifically for it. The next time you have abnormal cells, they may want another biopsy to double check. I hate the biopsies, but I will continue to get them if necessary to check for those scary cells. It makes me so mad to this day that he gave it to me. He was a fuck twat much like your guy. But notphysically abusive, but had many MANY big issues in our relationship. Fuck....the sex was not even that good to warrant this shit. I am really glad that we were all able to help you realize that maybe you contracted it also. The worst part, is just accepting it....then working through it. Now that you don't really have symptoms anymore, it may be easier to deal with. But man. It can hit you like a ton of bricks. I would talk to your doctor, get checked out, and let your current partner know about your concerns of having it (if the doctor confirms it). If I understand HPV correctly, it can lie dormant for many years, but you can still pass it along if you start to have symptoms.

Kristi - posted on 07/26/2012

Thank you Meme and Little Miss--I really appreciate the helpful information and it was very kind of you to your personal experiences! Very helpful!

Little Miss--I had the same symptoms when I was in my mid-20's. I don't remember my ob/gyn saying it was HPV but he did tell me it was and STD, but my naieve, little head could not undestand how I could have gotten one because I was married and never committed adultry. I insisted that I could not have an std because I rarely even had sex with my husband, as he was/is a total f-ng bastard and when I did, it was because he forced me. The doctor said sometimes people just develop precancerous cells. Hearing your story, makes me wonder if he just said that because I was freaking out. So until just now, I never considered that I had an STD because of that and I never considered I would have gotten it though his nasty ass. What an idiot! I had to have a cone biopsy (?) and then had to have pieces cut off. My therapist came with me for surgery, as the f***head was gone on a drug binge. Oh my God, looking back I can't believe what a cracker jack I was! My paps have showed some abnormal cells but so far, nothing else. Thank you, Lord! I am very, very glad you are healthy now!!

Lakota - posted on 07/26/2012

Little Miss, this is why I started this conversation. I wanted to get opinions from people either from experience or knowledge. I am truly sorry to hear you have gone through what you did. You weren't stupid. You were young and trusting. We have all been there.

Make that appointment!

~♥Little Miss - posted on 07/26/2012

I have been clean of it for over 10 years. I have had 3 painful biopsies due to abnormal cell growth. I may still get precancerous cells. This all reminds me, I need to have an exam.

~♥Little Miss - posted on 07/26/2012

Stella, also, just to push you more in the right direction, I was in a committed relationship with the person who gave it to me. I was on birth control, and was young and stupid. I trusted him. He had bloodwork to confirm being negative for some std's (he kept up on that cause he had tattoos) but the way they check men for HPV is not to pleasant. They have to swab the inside of the penis. It apparently is uncomfortable to have that done, and I know other std testing needs to be done that way. But, my bf at the time never had that done. So lucky me. I kept showing signs of a yeast infection. After 3 months of not being able to get rid of it, I got check out and TADA! HPV. I could not look in the mirror for a very long time without thinking "that girl has an std". It is so simple to get the vaccination. It is so simple to transmit this std. It is so simple for this std to turn into something deadly for young ladies, and make them sterile. I would not want my son passing this along. I am glad that we are encouraging you to look further into this.

Rosie - posted on 07/26/2012

tracey i had precancerous cells when i was 20. and my sister had precancerous cells when she was late teens early twenties as well. i work with a 19 year old who has precancerous cells on her cervix as well.

Lakota - posted on 07/26/2012

Little Miss, I didn't think of it that way. I will.

~♥Little Miss - posted on 07/26/2012

Stella, more men show no symptoms than women. They can pass it on, and could be the cause of girls GETTING the cancer. Think of it like that.

Tracey - posted on 07/26/2012

Thanks for the info ladies, I am now thoroughly educated.

Lakota - posted on 07/26/2012

My Lord, so much information. Very interesting read, MeMe. I shouldn't have read it while I was eating something though. LOL It is good to hear from moms whose daughters have gotten the vaccine and had no adverse effects. Still not sure if I will get it for my son though.

MeMe - posted on 07/26/2012

Tracey---How can they have a study showing how well the vaccine is working when the girls who have had it are, unless they are very unlucky, too young to have the cancer? The average age to be diagnosed is 35 and only 7% of cases affect people under this age, 0.02% of cases are under the age of 20.



Simply because HPV does not only cause Cancer. There are over 40 types of HPV. It can cause many other issues, including genital warts. Also, they check for antibodies without waiting to see if someone gets the disease, thereafter. This is how they check if vaccines suceed or not. ;)



One thing they have found, is that those that have been diagnosed with an HPV type, they have become immune to the other HPV types, by getting the vaccine. Where someone that does not have it, are being found to have immunity to ALL types.



Also, the 88% I heard on the news, does not appear to be accurate. It appears, according the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) it is 99%! Perhaps I heard wrong, IDK but 99% is way better... ;)



Here is some info:

Background

Of the more than 40 HPV types that infect human mucosal surfaces, most infections are asymptomatic and transient. However, certain oncogenic types that persist can cause cervical cancer and other, less common cancers, including cancers of the anus, penis, vulva, vagina, and oropharynx (back of throat including base of tongue and tonsils). Other, non-oncogenic HPV types can cause genital warts and, rarely, respiratory tract warts in children which is a condition called juvenile-onset recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP).



Every year, about 12,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer, and about 4,000 women die from this disease in the U.S. About 1% of sexually active men and women in the U.S. have genital warts at any given time.



Two HPV vaccines are licensed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The bivalent HPV vaccine (Cervarix) prevents the two HPV types, 16 and 18, which cause 70% of cervical cancers. The quadrivalent HPV vaccine (Gardasil) prevents four HPV types: HPV 16 and 18, as well as HPV 6 and 11, which cause 90% of genital warts. Quadrivalent vaccine has also been shown to protect against cancers of the anus, vagina and vulva. Only quadrivalent vaccine is licensed in use for males.



HPV Vaccine Efficacy Studies and Antibody Response

The main efficacy study of the bivalent vaccine was conducted in young women aged 15 through 25 years. Among women who had not been previously exposed to a targeted HPV type, the clinical trials demonstrated 93% vaccine efficacy in preventing cervical precancers due to HPV 16 or 18. In all studies of the bivalent HPV vaccine, more than 99% of females developed an HPV 16 and 18 antibody response 1 month after completing the 3-dose series.



The main efficacy studies of the quadrivalent vaccine were conducted in young women and men (16 through 26 years of age). Among persons not previously exposed to a targeted HPV type, the trials demonstrated nearly 100% vaccine efficacy in preventing cervical precancers, vulvar and vaginal precancers, and genital warts in women caused by the vaccine types, as well as 90% vaccine efficacy in preventing genital warts and 75% vaccine efficacy in preventing anal precancers in men.



In women already infected with a targeted HPV type, the vaccines do not prevent disease from that HPV type but protect against other vaccine types. Immunogenicity studies of both vaccines have been conducted in girls, ages 9 to 15 years of age. Over 99% of vaccinated girls in these studies developed antibodies after vaccination.



HPV vaccines offer a promising new approach to the prevention of HPV and associated conditions. However, they do not replace other prevention strategies, such as regular cervical cancer screening using the Pap test, since the vaccines will not prevent all HPV types.



http://www.cdc.gov/std/hpv/stdfact-hpv-v...



BTW- My daughter had Gardisil which is the quadrivalent vaccine.



Here another link - if you would like even more info. It is also from CDC.



http://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/Vaccine...

~♥Little Miss - posted on 07/26/2012

Oh and Tracey, with this STD, I have known young girls in their early 20's being diagnosed with cervical cancer, and precanerous cells.

~♥Little Miss - posted on 07/26/2012

Tracey, my words simply mean the positives out weigh the negatives.

Tracey - posted on 07/26/2012

How can they have a study showing how well the vaccine is working when the girls who have had it are, unless they are very unlucky, too young to have the cancer? The average age to be diagnosed is 35 and only 7% of cases affect people under this age, 0.02% of cases are under the age of 20.

LMCBW - I obviously don't know your experience with HPV and I hope you are in good health but is "I don't need articles to tell me how good or bad it is, all the good information just confirms why I would" the best way to make any decision? If we all just read the good news and ignored the bad we could make a lot of decisions based on hugely biased information.

We gave our daughter the choice and she decided not to have it. We will wait a few more years until these is more information available and if she wants it when she is older that is also her choice.

~♥Little Miss - posted on 07/26/2012

Kristi, my personal experience dealing with HPV is what made me decide I would. Also the fear of cancer. I don't need articles to tell me how good or bad it is, all the good information just confirms why I would. The negative information comes with any vaccination out there and has not swayed me one bit. I do not want my children catching this std, the most common one. It is very easy to spread, and lie dormant.

Kristi - posted on 07/26/2012

Hello!! My head is reeling from reading the article and subsequent comments that Rosie supplied. I think I'm too uneducated to be reading things like that. I am so confused now, it's not even funny. Reading all those comments was as bad as listening to two politicians go at it. One website says it's great and the other says it is horrible. They both seem to have legitimate references. So, would someone please explain to this highly undereducated woman (me!) how to tell who is reporting the correct, true information? The very large majority of you have chosen the vaccine. Can you please dumb it down and tell me why you trusted the positive reports and not the negative reports? And I'm not saying WHY, like how could you be so ridiculous, I'm seriously asking, why, what is your logic because I'm not seeing anything but two sides declaring war on each other.

I have to go lie down now, really I do, it's almost 6am here and I have been up since yesterday at 9am. I will be anxiously awaiting your feedback. Thank you for helping the ignorant!

Jen - posted on 07/26/2012

I had my son get it as soon as our insurance would pay for it. I have HPV and truly wish the vax wasround when i was a teen.

Amy - posted on 07/25/2012

My kids are 6 and 2 so I have some time but I will also be vaccinating. I had HPV and had the precancerous cells a couple of times and had to have part of my cervix removed. My doctor warned me that it may be difficult to carry to term and I could have complicated pregnancies because of it. Thankfully I did not have any lasting effects but it's really scary to go through and have the treatments and not know what the future holds.

MeMe - posted on 07/25/2012

Oh and just remember, ALL vaccines, medications and the alike, have potential side affects. They are just so rare, that I would never refuse my children to be protected. People get ran over by cars more often than having a severe reaction to a vaccine.



ETA:

I was watching the news a couple nights ago and they have completed their first study of how well the HPV vaccine has worked. Their results have come back with an 88% positive response in girls being protected against HPV. That for me, is a gigantic positive outcome. I feel good about the vaccine and believe my daughter will be much better protected, now. ;)

MeMe - posted on 07/25/2012

My daughter is vaccinated. All of her friends and all of the other 450+ girls at her school were too, very few parents rejected the vaccine. All of them are perfectly fine and I know my daughter will now have a better chance of staying alive and not getting severally ill from a disease!

~♥Little Miss - posted on 07/25/2012

I have not had precancerous cells thankfully, but every time I have a pap, the cells come back abnormal. I have had about 3 different biopsies to ensure that I am free of cancerous cells. I reckon I will have more. They are painful, and uncomfortable for a couple of days. I also would have preferred a vaccination. HPV is the most common STD, and most people don't even know that they have it.

Rosie - posted on 07/25/2012

i need to find more info on the effects on boys, but i most likely will. i have HPV and have had precancerous cells on my cervix. if i could've been vaccinated against it, i would've wanted to be.

as for these "concerns"...the media likes to portray things as being causal when there is no evidence to support the reactions are a cause of the vaccine. the deaths are no more than statistically average-meaning no increase in death from the general population occured after vaccination. there has been found no coorelation for guillen barre syndrome (i know an unvaccinated teen who had this recently), and while blood clots were increased, the patients also were in a higher risk category for blood clots, by taking birthcontrol pills, smoking, obescity, etc. more people die after the measles vaccine than gardasil.
read this article:http://www.forbes.com/sites/matthewherpe...

~♥Little Miss - posted on 07/25/2012

Shyla, I think Johnny answered your question for me.

Johnny - posted on 07/25/2012

Probably because of situations like this:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/stevensalzbe...

I feel sorry for those who can not vaccinate for REAL health reasons and need to rely on the rest of us who can to maintain herd immunity. It places them at the greatest risk.

Proud - posted on 07/25/2012

And why is that unfortunate "little miss can be wrong"

Dove - posted on 07/25/2012

I won't do it. I'm fairly pro-vaccinations, but we don't do flu shots and I won't do this one. Doesn't sit right with me.

Lakota - posted on 07/25/2012

I am pro-vaccine too. I had no idea that so many young girls had died from this until I did the research on line. Very scary. I don't have girls, I have a son. Maybe I would feel different if I did have a daughter. The only thing it says that it will protect boys from is from genital warts (yuck).

Johnny - posted on 07/25/2012

I am not yet certain. I am leaning towards it, but I will wait until closer to the time before making the decision. I support vaccinations, but given that it will be another 8 or so years until it's time for my daughter, so if there are serious problems, I think we will know by then. All vaccines have risks, but in every case the risks of the vaccine are far outweighed by the risks of those diseases returning in prevalence. As long as Gardasil shows the same risk-benefit analysis as the other vaccines we have done, I will do it. It would be great to see HPV eliminated.

~♥Little Miss - posted on 07/25/2012

That is unfortunate Shyla.

Proud - posted on 07/25/2012

My child will not receive any vacciantions