HPV Vaccination Programme

[AnneWiddecomesArse]

I'm a bit side swiped by this.
I've read some stuff in papers etc. but now my DD has been offered the vaccine in this school year (she's 12 years old); and it's time for a decision.
What are your thoughts/research on this ?

My dd's are grown-up now but if this had been available for them I would have gone for it. My best friend has had awful treatment for HPV related problems.

Mine are too young at the moment (and most of them are boys!) but I will encourage them all to have it.

Almost 100% of cervical cancer is caused by the HPV virus. A large amount of people have the HPV virus, it's not something you get by being "dirty" or "promiscuous"
So being vaccinated against HPV could almost entirely eliminate this awful cancer that often kills quite young women within a generation if everyone got vaccinated.
Seems like a no brainer to me really.

We've signed the consent form; this includes DDs consent even though she's quite phobic about needles. She's sensible enough not to refuse protection against a common cancer.

But nuns don't get it; it's sexual contact with HPV virus isn't it ?
I'm a great believer in prevention; but what are the side effects (for Women) that this vaccine is associated with ?
I always remember meeting a world renowned fertility scientist. He told me that the "pill" would never have passed FDA criteria if it was directed at men.
So why is this vaccine (again) targeted at Young Women ?

Men/Boys also carry the HPV virus and have a much simpler chemistry. Why is the HPV vaccination directed at women. Where's the sense; what's the reason ?

Yes but the average girl is not going to become a nun. If I had never had unprotected sex I would have found it jolly tricky to get pregnant for example. It is not unreasonable to expect young women to have sexual contact. That doesn't equate to being promiscuous.

I guess they give it to girls because girls have a cervix. I am not sure about the statement that men have simpler chemistry but I am sure that they are at no risk of developing cervical cancer!

I am not a medical expert so I don't know enough to comment about the side effects. I may look that up out of interest.

Perhaps in time boys might be vaccinated too. Once upon a time only young women were vaccinated against Rubella and now it is everyone. I guess they are looking at protecting the people who might actually die from it.

My son has his last HPV jab tomorrow. My dds have had it. It's an essential as far as I can see.
It hacks me off that the HPA aren't giving it to boys too. It's cost a fair bit to innoculate ds. but with the incidence of HPV related conditions in young men, we considered it an essential too.

What are your concerns about it?

Women are being vaccinated as women get cervical cancer.

What conditions are they? I didn't know it could cause other conditions. In that case it is even more important to get the jab.
At least if they give it to girls, boys are less likely to contract it as mostly it will be girls that they will have sexual contact with.
However, hopefully they will expand the scheme to cover all teenagers.

I have some concerns about this vaccine, not just because there have been some nasty reactions, but because of its name "the cervical cancer vaccine". Most people are intelligent enough to know that it doesn't protect against cervical cancer, but against the human papilloma virus which causes genital warts and is linked to cancerous cervical cells. However, there are probably a large proportion of women out there who will go away thinking they are protected against cervical cancer and not bother with getting a smear test.

So I would rather it wasn't calledd the "cervical cancer vaccine" in comon parlance, but the "HPV vaccine" - so I do like this thread's title. I don't think the name change would affect take up, I'm sure most parents don't know what DTP, Hib, or PCV stand for either, but it doesn't stop them having those jabs.

I hadn't thought about extending the vaccination programme to include males, if it prevents them being carriers of the virus then surely it would be a good thing?

My DD won't be getting the vaccination though, if it's still around when she's older. I'd rather teach her about safe sex, self respect and the importance of regular smears once she is sexually active. When she's old enough she can make her own decision if she wants the jab or not.

I'm certainly hoping that they expand the vaccination scheme to include boys, but I'm prepared to pay for the course of injections for my DSs if they don't.

From a personal protection point of view, I'd put a higher priority on them having the HPV than the MMR for example (not that I'm suggesting that there'd ever be a one or the other situation).

No matter how much care my sons/daughters take, it they have sex with someone who carries the virus, they are at risk. The vaccination lessens the risk of developing something unpleasant (in both males and females).

I'm somewhat confused (apologies I buried my FIL today and have drunken much vodka).
Why are girls/Women yet again taking the shot for a male/female problem ?
And I ask again. What are the side effects of this vaccine ?

I think the point about it being the "cervical cancer vaccine" is a good one, they need to be a lot clearer in the information and continue to stress the importance of smear tests. However, for some people by the time they get a positive smear it may be too late.

I don't think safe sex has that much to do with it. I have self respect and I used to practise safe sex with newer partners and I did not sleep with masses of people. However, it is not reasonable to expect people to use condoms for ever. I had some long term relationships when I was younger and I don't think it showed a lack of self respect to not use condoms with a man I had been with for several years. Getting tested at the clinic didn't cover HPV I don't think. Without either of us lacking self respect we could easily have had the virus.
Also most people will realistically not have one partner for life. And eventually you will want to give up the safe sex when you are in a monogamous relationship and want to conceive.

I fully believe in the safe sex message but I don't think even the most reasonably self respecting behaviour is enough to protect you from this.

My dd had it - no-brainer as far as I'm concerned
Agree with worldgonecrazy about being aware it is NOT a vaccination for ALL cervical cancer and that smears are still essential
Only side effects I've seen are mass girl anti-needle hysteria , stiff arms (a bit like the effect of a tetanus jab), some girls went home feeling bit grotty after first jab but fine next day.
I think it's targeted at girls initially as they are teh ones most affected - but have an inkling that longer term it is supposed to be extened to boys. Done at age 12/13 as needs to be done before sexually active. Once sexually active it's too late.

Girls are not really "taking the shot". Girls can get a terminal illness from this whereas boys can't so the health service is directing funds at saving lives.
If all girls had the vaccine they wouldn't have the virus so would not transmit it to the boys and it would be massively reduced, if not quite eliminated, within 50 years or so.

Very sorry about your FIL

It's targeted at girls because the NHS won't pay out to vaccinate boys. Cervical cancer is a killer.

Genital warts, not so much. And male genital cancers are less common.

Women are most seriously affected by HPV, so the benefits of vaccinating girls are greater than the benefits of vaccinating boys.

I used to work with the school health team vaccinating and believe it is definately a wise decision to have it. Approximately 80% of cervical cancer stems from HPV so it drastically reduces the risk of getting it if your dd has the full course. I would have had it if it had been available when I was that age.
I hasten to add that I am not pro all vaccines and did not have the swine flu one. My rationale being that there are approximately 4000 types of flu so you will definately get one of them at some point and also influenza virus's mutate easily which can render the vaccination useless.

This is different.

LOL at 'hysterical girls' I think that was seen everywhere We had some fainters but most just wanted to stay with us longer to eat biscuits and skive out of a lesson

Both my DDs have had the vaccination, and both had no side effects. Not aware of any problems amongst their friends either. There will be some who have side-effects I'm sure, and typical side effects should be listed in the information they give out before the jab iirc.

Do the potential side effects stop at the arm then? or is there anything else known about side effects inside the body generally?

I'm generally very suspicious of vaccinations, inoculations or immunisations, so would like to know about this...got loads of time yet though as Dd is only 4.9 now.

Why are you so suspicious of vaccinations? They have eliminated many awful diseases. Once upon a time loads of people died from smallpox and tuberculosis and fortunately these are rare/eradicated now.

kat2504 Rita Morgan
Men too can die from this. The incidence in male cancers from the HPV virus is on the rise.
www.macmillan.org.uk/Cancerinformation/Causesriskfactors/Causes/Viruses/HPVandcancer.aspx
www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/70435/title/Half_of_adult_males_carry_HPV

Thanks for that. I hope this research does make them expand the vaccination programme in future.

My DD1 had her first dose of HPV yesterday.

I am pro-vaccination for my children but did deliberate as to postponing it until she was in Y9 or 10 (she is very far off being sexually active), but having done some research decided to let her have it yesterday if she wanted it.

We spent the weekend discussing the pros and cons, and the associated issues again (safe sex, regular cervical screening, self respect etc) and she decided - reluctantly - to have the vaccine. Reluctant because she gets very anxious about injections!