Be aware that HPV can be spread through non-penetrative acts, so the usual “safer-sex” strategies are less effective.
In terms of getting vaccinated, IMO, this is really a no-brainer as it’s a shot that can literally prevent some types of cancer. 1 in 4 people in the US, nearly 80 million, is currently infected with HPV according to the CDC, with 14 million new cases every year. https://www.cdc.gov/hpv/index.html
From your other threads, I see you also have a son who’s a HS junior and another daughter who’s in the 8th grade. HPV does not discriminate based upon sex, and it can lead to cancer in both sexes. Talk to your healthcare provider, but IMO, they should all get vaccinated.
There are some indications that HPV is sturdier than we think and can survive for some time on hard surfaces… the data is “hearsay” as it is not published, but a vaccine that can potentially prevent a deadly disease is a no-brainer IMO.
Another discussion for the healthcare provider. The challenge is that some insurers will not cover the cost past the recommended age (26). Additionally, the vaccine is considered most effective before the user becomes sexually active, and, per the American Cancer Society, the vaccine post-26 “will not provide much, if any, benefit.” So it’s not unsafe to be vaccinated post-26, but the benefit is questionable, at least according to some. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-causes/infectious-agents/hpv/hpv-vaccines.html
That said, other countries do vaccinate people older than 26, so certainly have the discussion with the doctor.
Would the lesser benefit for an older person be due to sexual activity habits already being “baked in” by that time, resulting in either being HPV-infected already, or having consistently followed habits that minimize risk (i.e. abstention until entering a mutually monogamous relationship with a similarly conservative partner)?
My D is now 26. When the vaccine first came out, she was about 14 or 15. Our pediatrician, of blessed memory, had 3 girls of his own. He said to wait until he said to get it. A year later, he gave the go ahead and she began the 3 shot series. A year after that, he told me to vaccinate my sons. They were then 18 down to 9 at the time. The 2 older boys played catch up but the younger got on a regular schedule. The doctor told me that it would protect my sons’ future partners. My oldest son’s gf of 9 years is 25 now and never got the shots. She grew up in a messed up, neglectfuly environment. I tried to approach her grandma about getting it once, but she thought I was calling the girl a slut! So I got my son vaccinated instead.
It’s not that the vaccine won’t elicit an immune response once your turn 26, It’s that it will provide little benefit at that age because most people who are going to be exposed to HPV will have been exposed already. The window of greatest risk is the first several years of sexual activity.
Two of my three children got it. My middle child (son) won’t get it. He’s my conspiracy theorist who read lots of crazy things online about it. There is no way I could ever convince him to get it. To me it’s a no brainer to get a vaccine that prevents cancer. There are probably even more cancers that it prevents that they may not even know about at this time.
When the HPV vaccine came out, my oldest was probably in elementary school. Because the vaccine was so new, I did not want her getting it right away as I wanted to wait to see if there were any side effects, etc. She was not at all close to even dating in early h.s. or I would have done it in middle school. I think she got her first shot at age 14, possibly even 15. 2nd kid (son) got his I think around age 14 also. My younger two have not had it yet (hmm, I think, but maybe #3 got it this summer?). All of my kids are a bit late bloomers with the opposite sex but at the first sign they were even remotely interested, I would have gotten the shot for them if they hadn’t already gotten it. Since it’s been out a while now, I don’t think I would wait any longer than age 14.
I believe so, but I’m not attuned to all the details. It is presumed, I’ve read, that by age 26, that one would would have already been exposed, so the benefits of the vaccine would be less.
Still, wouldn’t someone who is 26 and already exposed to some types of HPV benefit from the vaccine to protect against those which s/he is not yet exposed to (there are nine types that the vaccine is for)?
Let me start by saying I am a fan of vaccines and my daughter is up to code (even got the chicken pox one when it first came out). She got the first of the HPV shots (probably her first year in college - she was over 18 - the first time the shot was recommended by her doctor as the shot was fairly new at the time.) She had a bad reaction (hard to describe she just felt off) so she never continued the rest of the series. My hope is that she has enough immunity from the one shot and the community being mostly vaccinated to protect her.
Agreed, but then I’m not a doctor. I’m just relaying what I have read, which is why I said at the outset that one should consult a healthcare professional. Additionally, as I also said, whether it is effective or not after 26, many insurances won’t cover at that age.
Unfortunately, it is one of the side effects that some people have.
I’m not so optimistic that your D has acquired immunity from HPV by virtue of having had only 1 of the shots in the 3 shot series.
As for herd immunity, we are not doing so well on a national level. Here is a map of HPV vaccine compliance. You can see how well your state is doing. My state looks pretty weak.
It was still new when my DD turned 12 and we chose to wait until she was 16 because we weren’t concerned about her having sex at age 12 and wanted to wait until more studies were done as there were reports of people having severe side effects. I’m glad we did because the vaccine has changed over the years. But at age 18, I would definitely have your child vaccinated now. While she may not be promiscuous now, it only takes one partner, and college students are not exactly known for their puritan ways.