<p>Thanks to all for this great source of info. For boys, the issue is genital warts, not cervical cancer like girls, but genital warts can have a huge psychological and physical impact. (Also I read there is some reduction in penile and anal cancer for boys/men.) And HPV can be transmitted with oral sex, too. I am worried this sounds like an endorsement of sex, but that is something we have to discuss. I know some posters reported dangers of the vaccine. I don’t mean to discredit this but all of us have to weigh the pros and cons. </p>
<p>BunsenBurner, by your comment above are you supporting the shot? </p>
<p>Did you guys know of this vaccine for boys? I feel like I missed one, although I think it just became recommended for boys this year. By the way, my insurance company has it on their “medically necessary” list so I hope they will cover it.</p>
<p>Since when is this shot particularly painful?</p>
<p>My daughter, who is not the sort to remain silent about something uncomfortable, didn’t complain at all about the shots – and she had the whole set of three.</p>
<p>I too ddn’t observe any unusual levels of pain from THIS particlar shot that would make it stand out among all of the otehr shots that we require children to take.</p>
<p>My daughter just had this shot on Monday. It was obviously painful for her as it was being administered, she was wincing. She said it felt like the needle was being pushed deeper and deeper into her arm. She had some soreness and swelling for a day or so, but nothing serious.</p>
<p>Gardasil is a more painful injection because of some of the components of the vaccine. Some of them are more irritating. For most, the pain quickly goes away.
Anyone can make a report on the VARES system. What they do is to look for trends to try and determine if there is a new side effect. The new side effects would normally have a frequency of <1%. The common side effects where discovered during the original trials. The vaccine has been out >2 years and so most of the side effects are considered to be found by this point.</p>
<p>“vaccination with Gardasil of the women who are already sero-positive and PCR-positive for vaccine-relevant genotypes of HPV has been found to increase the risk of developing high-grade precancerous lesions by 44.6%, according to an FDA VRBPAC Background Document: Gardasil HPV Quadrivalent Vaccine”</p>
<p>For those that got this vaccine for your children, what did your doctor do to screen your child to make sure they weren’t already infected? Anything?</p>
<p>
About 3000 people per year, almost all middle-aged or older. If detected early through regular Pap exams, the cure rate is close to 100%. The death rate from cervical cancer has dropped by 75% in the last 50 years due to improved screening. </p>
<p>The vaccine theoretically protects against two forms of HPV that cause only 70% of cancer, leaving you unprotected against the other 30%. So it is still critical to get yearly exams.</p>
<p>^Sure, the cure rate is pretty good when it’s caught early, but I sure don’t want to go through chemotherapy for over a year when I could have a vaccine that could prevent it.</p>
<p>Most babies are vaccinated against Hepatitis B, which is spread through sexual contact and body fluids. Is that a “ticket for having sex” as well?</p>
<p>-Is this vaccine intent to prevent diseases or cancer caused for having engaged in sexual conduct?</p>
<p>-Is this vaccine received at early age would prevent cancer at later time middle age?</p>
<p>-Is the vaccine main purpose is to avoid “HPV? HPV=a very common sexually transmitted disease that has about 100 different types or strains. Some HPV strains can cause genital warts; and others, if persistent, may lead to cervical cancer. While there is no cure for HPV, the vast majority of HPV infections clear on their own.”</p>
<p>-Why the advertisements are showing so young people in the pictures: Is that because it takes a long time to take effect? </p>
<p>-Why are they targeting certain young age and showing teenagers pictures?-- Never see advertisement of Hepatitis -showing babies.</p>
<p>Conclusion: How fast the protection or effect takes effect that they have to administer it so early—teenager age? Tell me 3 good reasons for getting the Gardasil and 3 bad reasons for not getting the Gardasil.</p>
No, it’s intended to protect against HPV. The most common transmission method is sexual activity, but it is not the only method.</p>
<p>
Nobody knows yet, it has only been around for 5 years or so.</p>
<p>
I don’t know what you mean by “avoid”, but the vaccine is meant to provide immunity from 4 strains of HPV - 2 that are associated with cancer, 2 with genital warts. </p>
<p>
It’s manipulative advertising, nothing more. “Do it for the children!”</p>
<p>It should definitely not be considered a ticket for having sex. Patient education should include the fact that this vaccine does not protect against any STD’s other than the targeted HPV viruses. It does not prevent pregnancy.</p>
<p>Getting this vaccine does not provide one with the opportunity to have consequence-free sex. It has not been shown to trump an individual’s values system or upbringing. From THAT perspective, it is nothing to fear. If your kids don’t want to have sex before marriage, this vaccine is not going to give them an urge to go out and be promiscuous. Likewise, all the preaching and warnings in the world from parents, teachers, churches, or other entities are not going to stop an individual from becoming sexually active if that is what they decide to do.</p>
<p>Other serious reactions registered through VAERS to date include:
34 cases of thrombosis
27 reports of lupus
23 incidents of blood clots
16 strokes
11 incidents of vasculitis
544 reports of seizures
467 reports of symptoms getting worse after repeating the vaccine</p>
<p>2- According to the National Cancer Institute: It is important to note, however, that the great majority of high-risk HPV infections go away on their own and do not cause cancer.</p>
<p>3 -There are 18 different strains of HPV; Gardasil only claims to protect against four of them.</p>
<p>4- Moreover, because the vaccine doesn’t protect against all HPV infections, it won’t prevent about 30 percent of cervical cancers and 10 percent of genital warts. That’s why Pap smears are still essential for early detection of cervical cancer, which has no symptoms until it’s advanced. Protection from the vaccine is expected to be long-lasting, but the duration of immunity is not yet known.</p>
<p>Two reasons in favor of Gardasil</p>
<p>1- Gardasil protects against cervical cancer.</p>
<p>2-The CDC and Merck say many of these adverse reports are coincidental and maintain Gardasil is safe and effective.</p>
<p>Conclusion:
In an article in the Washington Post asked “ Should you expose your young daughter to potential risks from a vaccine that protects against cervical cancer, a disease that she may get 20 to 40 years from now?
After reading more about Gardasil, my answer is the same as the swine flu: No thanks.</p>
<p>In common with others here, my daughter also did not complain about unusual pain from the Gardasil vaccine. This board is the first time I’ve heard of this claim.</p>
<p>My D had the shot last week and was sore for several days. Said it was worse than other shots, but not life-alteringly so. I’ve heard often that it is a more painful shot than some others. But, again, not the end of the world.</p>
<p>Compared to the flu shot (which is the only thing I can remember having recently), it is a bit more painful. The best way I can describe it is that the medication sort of burns and you can feel it going into your muscle. Not really a big deal, but sometimes it can make patients feel a little woozy for a few minutes.</p>
<p>My son said it did not hurt more than the tetanus shot he had yesterday, but it must hurt others as the nurse cautioned it would sting more.</p>
<p>Greenery, the other pro in my opinion is to avoid getting these four strains of HPV and the resulting non-cancerous consequences i.e., genital warts. We should all be informed consumers of medical care. My bias is towards preventative medicine.</p>
<p>My son, at 20, is not yet sexually active (although I’m sure he’d like to be!), and I’m thinking that perhaps I should suggest this to him. (He’s too old for me to “have him” get anything like this.) One reason I’m particularly thinking of it is that although I don’t mean to sound remotely homophobic, I do wonder if the risks of things like genital warts are greater for gay men than for straight men.</p>