HPV Vaccine should i consent for my 12 year old be given this?

[Rewy]

A little concerned regarding the decision on this as there does seem to be some worrying side effects .

"Only you can decide, different risks will be acceptable to different people. For me, the risk of the vaccine outweighs the risk of the disease."

In your specific case that might be true. But in the vast majority of cases, it's isn't. And most people in my experience haven't researched it at all. They just knee jerk "nasty chemicals/teenage sex omg", have a fit of the vapours and refuse to sign the form.

it can protect against certain strains which may cause cervical cancer

It's not which may cause cervical cancer, it's which DO cause cervical cancer.

"boys are only vaccinated to prevent transmission to girls" was stated a few posts up.

This is erroneous. It might be why the govt is considering a population strategy of vaccinating boys too but it's not the whole story.

The other HPV associated cancers are on he rise hugely- yes penile and anal cancers (not only in gay men) but oral and pharyngeal malignancies may have HPV associated. Yes it's small print statistics against cervical cancer but when you look at the " protecting my son" aspect there is no question I would have it done were it available.

sideofoot

funnily enough people are very unlikely to tell you if they've had anal cancer or penis cancer and you can hide it well.... So you are unlikely to know anyone unless it's close family who have.

Cervical cancer now has the " jade goody effect" and it's OK to talk about it ( especially as it's often younger women who are more vocal.

IamZombie - they don't always cause cancer. That was the point I was making. Most cases of HPV resolve themselves. It is not simply exposure to HPV that causes cervical cancer. There are a number of other underlying factors that influence its development.

Theas18, I don't buy the fact that lots of people have penile or anal cancer and are hiding it. Cancer is quite hard to hide, certainly you could lie about the type of cancer you have but are people doing that because they won't admit they have penile or anal cancer, I'm not convinced.

After watching my mum go through cervical cancer both my DDs will be having the HPV vaccination. I doubt any vaccine side effects could come close to what my mum went through.

I'm sorry to hear about your mum crazy. I'm sure you are aware that the HPV vaccine does not completely remove the risk of developing cervical cancer so I hope that you encourage the girls to have regular screening - particularly with your family history.

I'm almost positive I've read that the vaccine can prevent some oral and throat cancers and that there are plans to extend the vaccine to boys. If they do then my boys will both be having it as well.

IMO being protected against HPV isn't going to make teens become sexually active earlier. There's still the possibility of a dozen other STIs and STDs not to mention pregnancy even if birth control is used.

Also, teaching about safe sex won't stop HPV transmission. While condoms protect against most STIs and STDs, they don't protect against HPV as it is transmitted by skin to skin contact not just sex.

MrsWhiskerson, infection with HPV is by far the primary cause of cervical cancer. Two of the thirteen high risk HPV strains account for 70% of cervical cancer cases. Also, no one is suggesting that if one has been vaccinated that one shouldn't also have regular smear tests. Prevention and early detection go hand in hand to save lives.

Last year I had to undergo a Large Loop Excision of the Transformation Zone. The doctor who performed the procedure told me that well in excess of 90% of sexually active adults in the UK are infected with at least one strain of HPV. I have one of the low risk strains but still had CIN2.

My late husband had penile cancer. It required surgery and 6 weeks of radiotherapy. I can think of few things more unpleasant for a man.

Here is a link to what the World Health Organisation have to say about HPV and cervical cancer.

I also have Stage 4 breast cancer. In addition I need to have regular colonoscopies as I have adenomatous polyps.

Believe me when I say that over the past several years I have had to learn more about cancer in several of its forms than any one person should ever have to do.

IAm, I know quite a bit about cancer myself and have also previously had a Lletz procedure. I also know that there are underlying factors involved in the development of cervical cancer, it is just simply the presence of HPV. As your doctor pointed out, a high percentage of people will come into contact with HPV and only a small percentage of them will go on to develop cervical cancer. The majority of HPV cases will resolve themselves and will have no long term effects.

It is not just the presence of HPV

I understand that BUT vaccination has the potential to prevent 70% of cervical cancer cases. To my mind not vaccinating (unless there is a very good reason such as Absinthe's DD) is akin to playing Russian Roulette.

It is incredibly selfish to stop your child having a vaccine. Yes you should do it.

DD came home with the leaflet and consent form last week. She read the leaflet and more or less came to the same conclusion as someone else's daughter - one jab versus risk of cancer = no brainer.

How is it that pre-teen girls are making sensible decisions regarding their future health while some grown women are being ridiculous and precious about their DDs having sex in the future?

It's the MMR silliness all over again. I did my reading then, I've done it now. I would rather run the (tiny possibility) of side effects than put my DD at risk of cervical cancer - and I also speak as someone who is having smears every six months due to HPV scares. I never want my DD to go through this - and that's just a scare.

"vaccination has the potential to prevent 70% of cervical cancer cases"

No, it does not. Firstly, no vaccine is 100% effective. Secondly, other strains may become more dominant. People who are genetically predisposed to cervical cancer may still develop it if exposed to one of these other strains.

I am not saying 'don't get the vaccine' but I do think it is ridiculous to try to guilt trip someone who has made a different decision to you. She has by no means given her daughter a death sentence by not authorising this vaccination. TBH there are quite a few concerns that the vaccine may actually lead to an increased rate of cervical cancer due to complacency e.g. people thinking they are 'protected from cervical cancer' and not going for regular screening.

"I never want my DD to go through this - and that's just a scare." CIN III (Cancer in situ) at the age of 26, cone biopsy and further laser treatment, and resulting problems with fertility and risks to my births (and possible cause of late miscarriage) due to the resulting incompetent cervix. I have since gone on to be diagnosed with stage 3 Breast Cancer with one lymph node involved (hormonal cancers are related) but nothing since compares to the terror and shame of that diagnosis and treatment (sat on a treatment bed with an unfeeling gynae staring up my fanny through binoculars and aiming a lazer at it, it felt like rape and I passed out). And of course it was treatable, just a scare too.

So of course both my DDs had it and none of their 300 + peers had side effects. I just cannot believe what I am reading above.

All Cancers have a host of underlying factors but NOONE UNDERSTANDS EVEN A FRACTION OF WHAT THEY ARE YET All the risk factors they bombard you with in relation to Breast Cancer account for just 5% of risk, and that includes the known familial genes. 95% of your risk they do not yet understand. Nobody can give anyone any guarantees it won't be them, however much you may assume you are immune, lead a charmed life, have a healthy diet, are careful who you sleep with and how etc. etc. This is one of the few choices guaranteed to remove an area of risk, why an earth would you not want that for your daughter.......

TBH there are quite a few concerns that the vaccine may actually lead to an increased rate of cervical cancer due to complacency e.g. people thinking they are 'protected from cervical cancer' and not going for regular screening.

Do you have any evidence to back that statement up< MrsWhisker?

""vaccination has the potential to prevent 70% of cervical cancer cases"

No, it does not. Firstly, no vaccine is 100% effective. Secondly, other strains may become more dominant. People who are genetically predisposed to cervical cancer may still develop it if exposed to one of these other strains."

What do you think "the potential to prevent 70% of cervical cancer cases" means?

I've been raped and had treatment for CIN. There is no comparison between a HCP doing his/her job to save your life and a man pinning you down, threatening to kill you and forcing sex on you.

I'm actually stunned anyone would thing there is.

I wish this vaccine was around when I was 12.
I had my first sexual relationship age 17 and got pregnant at 19. Age 21 I had an early smear which found CIN3 pre cancer cells. I'd had one sexual partner. After several years of laser treatment and biopsies I'm now clear. Although on yearly smears. I'm now pg with ds2 and the laser treatment I received has made my cervix week with a risk to early delivery. Also the scar tissue caused by treatment may mean I won't dilate as normal and will need an emergency c section.
I'd definitely opt to having the vaccine even if it lowered the risk.

My local health authority made it clear that they were willing to go to the mats with vaccine denialists. The roll out when HPV vaccination started about five years ago (initially Cervirix, more recently Gardasil) was also to Y9 and Y10, and the authority made it perfectly clear that if your parents were shouting about teh vacinez then the authority were willing to give it to you anyway on the basis of Gillick/Axon competence. Indeed, I think they put on the consent letter "if you refuse consent, your daughter can seek the vaccination herself and it would be our general policy to provide it" or words to that effect. Certainly, nurses were saying that.

I know of at least one girl at my children's school who did just that, and I believe/suspect there were others.

That would be harder in the case of a Y8 pupil, I suspect, at least if a doctor didn't want to be on first name terms with their defence union rep. But if a 14 year old rocked up to their GP's surgery and simply said "I want the HPV vaccination, even though my mother Has Views" then the doctor would be on pretty safe ground to take a judgement on her ability to appraise risk and benefit and provide it over her parents' head. And if a doctor were approached over contraceptive advice by a child claiming Gillick/Axon competence, they would arguably be remiss in their duty of care to not also ask about, and offer, HPV vaccination.

After the comprehensive legal beatdown delivered in the wonderfully titled "The Queen On The Application Of Sue Axon v The Secretary Of State For Health (The Family Planning Association: intervening) [2006] EWCA 37 (Admin)" it's unimaginable that a complaint about such a policy by a parent would get anywhere.

"This is one of the few choices guaranteed to remove an area of risk.."

It's not a guarantee.

Pacific:

It was mainly through discussions with public health officials. They're really trying to push the importance of screening. Here's one Australian article about it.

Link

Hakluyt, the 70% she is referring to are the proportion of cervical cancer that are caused by the two strains that are currently vaccinated against. That 70% will not just disappear for the reasons I mentioned above.

Left, right I chose my words carefully, I do not need telling how rape feels thank you very much. However at the age of 26 having only had that part of my body treated with respect and love by one person in the privacy of an intimate relationship, and already in a state of terror that I had Cancer, being treated like a piece of meat on a conveyor line, my legs hoisted coldly into stirrups, and everything put on display in a cold clinical environment, not just to a rude patronising and insensitive Senior Registrar (who had not taken the bother to communicate with me what was going to happen) but a room full of students and a lazer directed at it, then my obvious discomfort ridiculed did feel like a violation akin to rape to the extent I did pass out. Rationally of course the unpleasant man was saving my life but would a woman have ever allowed another woman to experience the treatment in that way. I don't think so. Would he have behaved in that way to am more assertive woman who having had children did not experience the same shock and shame in that situation. I don't think so either. If you think there has never been a problem with male medical professionals using their position to exercise their patriarchal power over a vulnerable woman then you are very naïve (and don't read the newspapers) I have no idea if his motivation was sexual, just like the old doctor who gave me a rectal examination five years earlier when I clearly had German Measles, but power was certainly exercised.