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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to change my mind and tell the school I don't want dd to have cervical cancer jab?

304 replies

lowfatiscrap12 · 09/07/2012 12:49

Yes, I know there's another (very long) thread about vaccines.
I was going to post my question there, but thought it would be lost under twenty odd pages of replies.
Last week I gave dd1 (aged 12) a consent form to have all 3 of her vaccinations for cervical cancer.
Now I should point out that I am very pro-vaccination. All three of my dc's have had, after plenty of research and reading by me, all of their childhood vaccinations. I've read and researched and looked at all the pros and cons and am generally pro vax.
But I've been umming and ahhing over this one.
I've checked and it's Gardasil she'd be having.
I've looked at the reasons for and against it.
I decided last week that the benefits outweighed the negatives, but now I'm wavering slightly.
I'm 39. I didn't have cervical cancer vaccinations at school.
I had safe sex and smear tests.
I've read about some of the side effects of Gardasil and I'm now quite tempted to phone the school and ask them to destroy my consent letter. Or send another letter in. Or just keep dd at home the day they do the HPV jabs.
AIBU?
What does everyone on Mumsnet think about the new HPV vaccine?

OP posts:
Ariel24 · 14/07/2012 08:39

With regards to not offering smears to under 25s, I can understand that there is a far higher chance of abnormalities and false positives. But Im pretty sure it really is just due to cost that they upped the screening age to 25. I'm sorry but I thought the point of smear tests was to pick up potentially cancerous cells in women who have no symptoms anyway (which is wh I is called a 'screening' programme)? So to say that they would only investigate and give treatment to women under 25 who present symptoms is wrong! When I was about 19 or 20 I went to the dr requesting a smear; I had no symptoms, but I had been sexually active for 5 years at that point, and as I was an IDIOT, hadn't always used condoms. She refused the smear due to my age. I'm now 24 and still haven't had a smear and I am actually now terrified about what could have been changing and happening in my body in the past 9 years since becoming sexually active. I'm currently pregnant so I can't even pay privately for a test right now.

It was only recently reported that the boost in numbers of women going for smear tests following Jade Goody's death has started to really fall back again. When a huge number of women over 25 are choosing not to go for smears, what is wrong with allowing the under 25s who have requested smears to take their places? The cost would surely balance out.

SecretPlace · 14/07/2012 08:57

I was refused a smear and was so upset and angry.

Both my mum and grandma had cervical cancer. I went to the doctors because I was getting unexplained bleeding and the doctor wanted me to have a smear but the nurse refused Confused I had loads of tests but each time they were careful to point out 'we are not going to do a smear' as if they'd get into trouble if GOD FORBID they gave me one.

Still have the bleeding and chronic pain. Have been told to 'deal with it' because they can't find what it is (because they're not looking in the right place which I've told them but get ignored, so I'm going private) I don't think it is cervical cancer AT ALL but you'd think with it being the area and unable to diagnose it they'd give me a smear.

Ariel24 · 14/07/2012 09:05

Secret that's awful. I didn't think a nurse would be able to override a dr like that for one thing! As others have mentioned, surely when someone is presenting symptoms, it isn't even about a screening test like a smear anymore but an actual medical investigation? Its so so WRONG!

I hope you get treated and all is ok.

SecretPlace · 14/07/2012 09:11

I thought the same thing, but she just abruptly refused an he accepted it!

It makes me so angry, there could be women out there who have been refused again and again like I have, who are actually in the stages of cancer. One small test could save their lives, how dare they refuse.

Thankyou, me too. X

bumbleymummy · 14/07/2012 09:32

Secret that is really awful :(

I totally agree with cote here. It seems ridiculous not to test because you may get a false positive. I would much rather have a false positive and go back six months later to be checked again than to not have a test at all and find out that I have CIN3 changes at age 25.

In order for there to be unnecessary treatment there would have to be a lot of human error. Your first smear would have to pick up changes, the second smear 6 months later would have to pick up changes and the colposcopy would have to pick up changes before any treatment is carried out. Let's face it, it's all down to the money!

SecretPlace · 14/07/2012 09:35

Defo all down to money.

Yet we spend millions on the overweight for gastric bands, rehabilitation for addictions.... These things are needed and I don't begrudge anyone but people get cervical cancer through no fault of their own and shouldn't be treated like a lesser person just because we're under 25.

It's really sad :(

edam · 14/07/2012 10:20

Please look at my link to the Eve appeal a few posts back. If you are worried, talk to them - they may be able to help you negotiate the system. Or talk to Cancer Research UK - anyone who will be able to arm you with the information you need to push your doctors.

SecretPlace · 14/07/2012 10:24

Thankyou it's much appreciated.

My mums friend is a nurse and has agreed to give me a smear at home, later on today so quite nervous! (not sure why as I've had all sorts of people having a fiddle lately)

It's really sad that women who could potentially have cancer have to go through agro to get diagnostic tests. X

ArthurPewty · 14/07/2012 10:27

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

edam · 14/07/2012 10:29

secret, that's good news - will she be able to get the smear analysed?

Leonie, how will you feel if your daughter gets cervical cancer? By the age when HPV vaccine is given, she'll be old enough for her views to count towards any decision. Will you allow her to choose?

bumbleymummy · 14/07/2012 10:30

I hope it goes well today Secret! Keep us posted (only if you want to!)

SecretPlace · 14/07/2012 10:32

Thankyou!

Yeah Edam I'm not sure how it works but she's done it for her own daughter too x

saggarmakersbottomknocker · 14/07/2012 10:35

lowfat - long thread, not sure of your final decision without reading the whole way through. But just to say you can refuse consent at this point and have it done later if you prefer; they may chase you up throughout your dd's time at school and if not you can approach school health to get it done next year or the year after. Mine had hers late, at 16 via the GP with no issues.

ArthurPewty · 14/07/2012 10:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

hettiebull · 14/07/2012 11:15

Good job most of the rest of us vaccinate, so you can rely on the herd immunity that they provide those who choose to object...

saggarmakersbottomknocker · 14/07/2012 11:55

Good for you hettie. Looking after the greater good Hmm

That's very judgmental particularly if you don't have a clue why a person hasn't vaccinated. Or chosen not to do it to the government timetable.

Perhaps you'd like to consider why I may not have vax'd my dd against HPV until later?

Aside from the fact that she was an immature 12 year-old and not likely to be having sex in the immediate future, dd has issues with clotting and a significant heart problem. These two things combined are problematic to say the least. HPV vax had (at the time) been linked to clotting issues. I preferred to have the input of dd's cardiologist and get her jab done in a safer environment at a time when she was clinically well. That happened to be a good 3 years later.

What would you have done differently? Sent her off to have it without medical supervision, at school, for the benefit of the wider population?

And actually can someone explain to me how herd immunity works with HPV as young males aren't vaccinated?

edam · 14/07/2012 12:08

OK, high functioning autism is of course relevant to your decision about vaccination.

Ariel24 · 14/07/2012 12:29

Secret just seen your post, good luck and I'm sure all will be fine. What I nice lady, hope she can help to put your mind at rest.

Leonie I totally get your own personal decision for your daughters not to have the vaccine, sometimes there are definite valid reasons not to. But I think the school vaccination programme is a great thing, it means that a lot more children get vaccinated than otherwise would. So in my view it definitely has a place in schools.

DilysPrice · 14/07/2012 12:44

Herd immunity should eventually have a big impact on HPV rates amongst heterosexuals (and lesbians) because if a high percentage of teenage girls are vaccinated then they'll act as a "firewall" and stop it spreading amongst males, leaving it as one of those infection mostly restricted to gay men. But it would take a very long time, because HPV infection is near total amongst sexually active adults, and obviously lots of people have sex outside their age group. Presumably someone's got a computer model of how long it should take, but I'd guess at a few decades.

dottyspotty2 · 14/07/2012 15:41

Didn't realise smears weren't available in England to under 25's Scotland its 20, I was younger very high risk so was also yearly until 22.

Sidge · 14/07/2012 16:54

Maybe the nurse refused to do a smear because she knew the lab would just return it?

They won't process them unless the woman has been invited and the form has been generated.

SecretPlace I have no idea how your nurse friend plans to process your smear that she may take, without the relevant paperwork I doubt it will be processed by the lab.

SecretPlace · 14/07/2012 19:54

So Sidge what are you saying. That all smears have to be pre planned? I know this isn't the case. She could have done it. But she refused.

I'm not sure how she's getting it done but she is.

The same nurse did my mums, at random (she was flabberghasted that my mum hadn't gone to previous smear appointments)and that's the one that diagnosed her.

So obviously they don't all go by this 'invite' system you speak of.

Sidge · 15/07/2012 15:56

Secret Yes, you have to be 'invited' by the Cervical Screening Programme, in the UK at least.

In some areas GPs can request smears as part of investigations, in some areas apparently only gynae can do this, but random nurses can't just send samples to labs without the appropriate forms and paperwork.

Unless the smear taker has the proper form the lab won't process the smear. I don't know what happened in your mum's case, it could be that the nurse had access to the form because your mum was due a smear or had been due one and not attended and so the paperwork was still in existence.

SecretPlace · 15/07/2012 17:29

She isn't a random nurse, she's an RGN who specialises in sexual health. She goes round to 'parlours' in the area and tests the girls who work there for STI's AND gives them smears.
That get processed.

I don't know how it works for her and I'm not going to pretend to, I just know she'd an experienced nurse, she isn't some weirdo doing things on the side.

Mines been done now. We'll see the results :)

Saying that, I know someone who was given a smear there and then :s how did this work then if they can only be given one by invite? Genuine question.

edam · 15/07/2012 18:22

Sidge said 'In some areas GPs can request smears as part of investigations', Secretplace. Glad you've had yours done, hope it puts your mind at rest.