Has anyone chosen not to allow their daughter to have the hpv vaccine?

[namechanger70]

I am not madly keen on vaccinations per se but if they are necessary then my children will have them. My daughter is due to have the hpv vaccine soon. When I last looked into this several years ago there was a lot of bad news about this vaccine, its use was suspended, albeit temporarily, in some countries and you do not need to look very far to find accounts of tragic consequences for some. How much of this is true and what proportion of people it affects is a moot point.
Is there anyone on here that is knowledgeable on this subject and decided not to vaccinate their children with this vaccine? It is extremely difficult to make an informed decision; many articles may be scaremongering and I don’t think reading official sources is necessarily any better as they are only going to be pro vaccination. Happy to receive any constructive thoughts. Thanks very much.

I paid to have the HPV vaccine privately, as an adult (twenties but not yet sexually active). I'd definitely encourage anyone who can have it done via the NHS to do so! I'd agree with the previous poster who said that at this age it's more your daughter's decision, though.

My aunt died of cervical cancer leaving three small children. The results were devastating. My daughter was vaccinated.

Christ the level of ignorance on this particular vaccine is astonishing.

Have you ever had an abnormal smear, OP? If you have, you know the worry and anxiety it can cause, even if it amounts to nothing more than more frequent screening.

Imagine being able to gift your daughter the freedom of not having that worry.

Getting the HPV vaccine does not mean you won't get cancer or that you won't have an abnormal smear.

HPV is incredibly common. There are also a lot of different strains. The vaccine protects against the strain that they think causes cancer. However, it does not protect against all strains.

I actually have HPV. I've had a few abnormal smears. The important part is that I'm regularly screened and if something turned more sinister it would be picked up promptly. The danger with this level of ignorance is thinking that if you've had this vaccine, you're safe and don't need to worry about smear tests etc.

Personally I'm prochoice. Happy with some vaccines. Not happy with others.

This one - no chance in a million years is either of my children having it. You don't have to do much research at all to see how dangerous it can be.

Thank you Fleabag. Im hoping the surgery massively improves my life, I can't explain to people how horrid all this is. Really don't understand those who don't vaccinate.

No one has said that the HPV vaccine protects against all forms of cervical cancer, or that having it means you don't have to go for smears. It does, however, massively reduce your risk of cervical cancer.

(I don't think the people on here with an understanding of epidemiology are the ones being stupid here.)

I can't see any credible evidence that HPV jab is unsafe.

Me, the current one wasn't available (it was the old one that didn't cover as much) she is considering having it this year as university are offering it but I'm not sure, it's not like mmr or Tetanus

@LEMtheoriginal no but he was clean and there was no protracted period of sleeping with various people etc so no risk. If I found myself single am having casual sex/sex with someone who hadn’t recently been tested I would probably get it because I think it is safe despite being one of the less pleasant ones out there. But I do think that most people really don’t need it at thirteen but I suppose it’s hetter to offer it early and get everyone rather than offering it too late for some.

I'm intrigued by all the actual doctors advising against this vaccine since actual doctors are the ones advising to give it. Perplexing really.

I have 2 teenage girls and they have had it. I did wait a couple of years (it is offered at 12 here and they were definitely not sexually active - they got it before they were). I am really sorry that their older brother didn't get it. If we are dealing with anecdotes, pretty much every one of their friends/classmates got it and not one had any issues.

I did read an interesting article in (I think) The Atlantic recently about issues in Denmark around reporting of side effects during the trial phase. I think that is worth thinking about whether some populations might be more susceptible to side effects. I'm sure someone somewhere is doing a study.

@StarUtopia my understanding was that a person of average intellect had to at least complete postgraduate study and then conduct a very well designed study spanning years in order to be able to say that it is or isn’t unsafe. I’m not sure how you’ve managed to come to a conclusion without doing much research.

I had CIN3 before I was 30, I’ve never had a one night stand, not had many partners, it’s just down to sleeping with one wrong person. I’ve had to have precancerous cells removed twice. I have a shortened cervix because of this, there was talk about needing a surgical stitch to carry pregnancies, thankfully I didn’t need to but had more monitoring. I’ve had smears yearly for about 10 years. I live in total fear of it coming back and being worse.
Bloody have the vaccine. Bloody hell, save this absolute shit that I’ve gone through. 2 of my 4 children have had it, no side effects at all. The next 2 will and that includes my boy, even if I have to pay privately for him.

" If I found myself single am having casual sex/sex with someone who hadn’t recently been tested"

Men don't get tested for HPV at the usual NHS STD tests.

You don't have to do much research at all to see how dangerous it can be.

Non anecdotal sources?

Racecardriver - he was clean?? What the hell does that mean?! If he had sex you are at risk, it’s a hugely common, absolutely no signs of having it, disease. The only women who never got HPV were nuns because they had no sex!!

I had HPV for 3 years or so. My understanding is that it is very very common and most people will have it at some point or other. I didn’t panic when I found out I had it. My gynaecologist told me that if we tested 100 women in their 20s quite a few (I can’t remember exactly how many he said) would have it at any given time.
I waited and a few years later it cleared itself- which is what it does in most people.

If I understand it right most HPV does not lead to any problem.
But all cervical cancer does trace back to HPV. So yes, if your body can’t shift it then it can be awful to devastating.

I will vaccinate my daughter. Anything to decrease her chances.

@lemanotheranon that sounds very shit. I hope you get good news and that the treatment helps. Fingers crossed for you,

So, I have to have smear tests every year as I have had issues. The gynae nurses and i are thus quite well acquainted and every single one of them says they wouldn't give it to their daughter. Plus my gynaecologist himself. That's enough anecdotal information for me. I have to presume he is well qualified enough to offer his opinion.

The awful potential side effects are well documented. It does not guarantee you won't get cancer. Whichever way you look at it, it's a lottery. And if you want to play russian roulette with your children, be my guest. But I certainly wouldn't risk damaging my child for life. I could post lots of links but frankly don't see the point on a thread such as this, as you are all so massively pro any vaccine, you don't want to open your eyes.

@StarUtopia That was my post that you used as an example of “ignorance”.

No one has said that this vaccine wipes out any chance of developing cervical cancer, but it does vastly reduce it. I’d gladly take the vaccine over the stress and worry caused by my abnormal smear (caused by hpv)

"I was sexually active but in a long term relationship at the time, I can count my partners on one hand and as I've settled down and had DD young it isn't a concern for me."

HPV is pretty prevalent in the population. You don't have to sleep with many men to be at risk of getting it. Unless your doctor has told you otherwise, you might carry it. I don't really get why you're saying it's not a concern for you and I hope you still go for smear tests.

But I certainly wouldn't risk damaging my child for life. I could post lots of links but frankly don't see the point on a thread such as this, as you are all so massively pro any vaccine, you don't want to open your eyes.

Oh Christ, you’re an antivaxxer- forget I said anything.

Am I right that HPV can pass on by any sexual contact? So wearing condoms
Won’t help etc?!

@haaris123 and @starutopia - can I ask what research made you decide that you wouldn’t vaccinate your child? I would love to see it so I can review. My child is still very young but I’d like to be as informed as possible

But I certainly wouldn't risk damaging my child for life

But you are taking that risk. You have just decided (somewhat arbitrarily since the research doesn't support you) that it is the lesser risk. telling those of us that chose to vaccinate that we are "risking damaging our children for life" is just silly - or maybe nasty.

"Am I right that HPV can pass on by any sexual contact? So wearing condoms
Won’t help etc?! "

I suppose they might help a bit, but not prevent, at least I think that's the case with warts.

This is a really interesting g
Thread. Dd14 didn't have the vaccine at school when she was offered it last year. Now I am wondering if she should have. I suggested she make her own decision but she wasn't sure . I was worried about some of the bad stories you read about girls ending up with ME and other side effects, and the fact that the vaccine hadn't been around long. I was swayed because another mother that I know who is very clued up about health decided not to get her daughter vaccinated. I also thought (maybe mistakenly) that if DD doesn't have the vaccine it will encourage her to use condoms when she does become sexually active. I need to go back and reread this thread tomorrow when I am not so tired. Maybe I made the wrong decision and should get her vaccinated?

I had HPV related cancer.

I had radiotherapy and chemo , it was fucking fucking grim.

I can no longer eat competently , every mouthful goes down with water, I have no saliva, so run the risk of losing the teeth I minded for 50 years, your saliva breaks down plaque.

I last had a steak three years ago, the day before the tonsillectomy that led to all of this.

I haven't had steak, chicken, pork any protein at all for three years, my Christmas dinner will consist of roast potatoes, gravy, over cooked veg.

GET YOUR CHILDREN VACCINATED, PEOPLE DIE FROM OTHER PEOPLES IGNORANCE.

I lost five and a half stone, my blood pressure yesterday was 84/50 for the medically unsure that is LOW.

I am permanently cold, July and August are normally OK, but the rest of the time I am cold.

I could post so much more.

I had it in the first year it came out, and other than a slightly numb arm, I don't know anyone in my school who suffered adverse results (600 vaccinated at the same time as me)