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 ?

I intend to discuss this with my DDs when they reach the age (they are 8 and 10 so it's not far off) but my take on it is that I would prefer them to be vaccinated. It isn't that I don't trust them not to sleep around at a young age, but I do not so trust any sexual partners they may meet later on, who may very well be carriers of this virus.

This shouldn't be a zero-sum game of vaccination on the one hand or good education/self esteem/morals on the other, the one can and should reinforce the other.

Consent is a difficult one at this age - a child may well be capable of consent in the legal sense for one medical procedure but not for another. A medical professional with good ethics will however always take the opinion of a child this age into consideration unless there are clear indications that the child is not capable of giving valid informed consent (I work in health research).

AnneWiddecombesArse I totally understand where you're coming from - for me this is the first vaccine I had a wobbly moment with, it seemed mad to give DD1 it when she's not even started her periods and is IMO years way from becoming sexually active.

The studies I read said that they can get a peak of immune "protection" at about 5 years so that reassured me that she would hopefully be protected at the time when most girls become sexually active, ie about 18. But it's always hard making these decisions

I hoped that my DD would be protected by morals and good sense; despite her mother.
I'm going to speak to her about it. She's at an age where she can make a decision.

DD had hers last year. If you can give your DD any way to prevent cervical cancer - why wouldn't you take it? One of my friends DIED from cervical cancer when she was just 17yo. Her DS was 1yo at the time. .

Having said that - I am livid that boys can't have it on the NHS, and am saving up to get my DS's done privately when they are older, so that they can't PASS ON the HPV virus in case any of their future partners haven't had the HPV jab.

Responsible parenting IMO.

Although a large percentage of cervical cancer cases are caused by HPV only a very small percentage of cases of hpv will develop into cervical cancer. Most hpv infections will clear up completely by themselves, a small percentage may go on to cause pre-cancerous cells which can be treated. Only a very very small percentage will ever get to the cancer causing stage.

Personally I would be more concerned about how long you wait for your first smear test in the UK and how long you have between them. Even with a vaccine you will need regular smear tests. The vaccine only provides temporary protection against certain strains and is not 100% effective. I personally don't see the point. I'm concerned about the false reassurance it gives and the idea that so many people have that it is a vaccine against cancer. I would not give it to my daughters if I had any.

Huntycat, that's why I think it is so shocking that you don't get offered smear tests until you are in your 20s over there!

I'm going to talk to her about having the jab and it has to be her decision.
Yet again Women/Young Girls are left with the weight of choices.

I hoped that my DD would be protected by morals and good sense

I hope that for my DD too - but that may not be enough. Don't even want to think about such things but all sorts of things could happen.

I'm going to speak to her about it. She's at an age where she can make a decision.

Good - yes, a sensible 12 year old can. Perhaps more rationally at this age than a girl on the cusp of becoming sexually active, even.

Bit worried now about the possibility of ' mass girl anti-needle hysteria ' - that'd be the last thing my DD needs! Don't remember any such thing many moons ago when we queued for rubella jabs...

DD has been offered this through the school too. DH and I discussed it and decided that it would be better for her if she was vaccinated. We then asked her what she thought. She'd read the leaflet, had a look on the internet, and decided she would have it.

I do think it should be given to boys too, but you've got to start somewhere and I'd rather dd had the vaccine than relied on someone else having had it.

I had HPV at aged 17 and have had to be treated differently all my life (I am 42) because of it. I have to have smears every 6 months and have colposcopies once a year. It was all due to a mis-judged liaison at 17 years old. I also had to decare it when I was pregnant with my children.

Anything you can do to prevent the nuisance I have had would be great, I would go for it.

My DD is sensible.
I'm sensible.
I "think" we'll come down in the positive; for vaccination.
However we'll both hate the "choice".
It's not actually a "choice".
If it was a choice; boys would be vaccinated at the same time. This is very wrong.

Ann - hopefully boys will be vacc'd too in time.

It was right that the vac should be developed for girls first, and rolled out to them first - it would have been entirely wrong if they'd had to wait for everything to be ready for boys too, wouldn't it? I see this as an interim phase with the girls being the more fortunate ones at this stage. (for once!)

This is why I bloody love MN. It never occurred to me I should get my 16yo DS vaccinated against HPV but of course it makes perfect sense to do so. I've consented for my DD but will now discuss it with my DS as well, and will encourage my mates to do the same.

Thanks for raising my consciousness on this one!

Wasn't there some concern about that vaccine not having been tested for safety on under 15s?

Out of curiosity - will those of you getting the vaccine also discourage your daughters from using oral contraceptives? They increase the risk of cervical cancer too.

DD had the option to have the vaccination 2 years ago (yr 8), we, and she, decided against it. Our reasons being that it was still new and side-effects may emerge, and that she was not sexually active , nor likely to be, in the near future.
I have since spoken to my GP about it, and have been reassured that as soon as dd is ready we simply have to contact the practice nurse and she can have the course there (no charge).
We discussed the subject again very recently, dd thinks she would like to have the vaccinations before she is 16, and that's fine by me.
Just wanted to let people know that if you or your dd are unsure now, find out what your health centre offer, and perhaps it's fine to delay a while. I'm also sure schools could add unvaccinated yr9s or yr10s to their lists if asked

To answer your question Bumbleymummy.
I personally am very anti oral contraception. A Woman should not "organise" her sexuality around 24/7 sex, and stuffing a pill down your neck. It changes body chemistry .

I've had the vaccine (young enough to be in the catch up program). Basically I decided to get it because at some point in my life I will have unprotected sex and I would rather be protected against the HPV virus if at all possible. It seems daft to me to deliberately go unprotected against something when you don't have to. As for side effects, my arm hurt quite a bit afterwards (achy feeling for about a day) and a few people felt sick. Nothing out of the ordinary. bumbleymummy I don't take oral contraceptives because I have yet to find one which doesn't make me feel very depressed. It doesn't really bother me now (it did a bit at the time) and avoiding unnaturally changing my hormone levels all the time can only be a good thing!

^^sorry that isn't in paragraphs. My computer is playing up.

Okay you don't want your daughter to go around having unprotected sex. Even if you don't want her ever to have sex, are you going to try to force her down that road? Because if she ever has sex with somone who has ever had sex with anyone except her, then there is a risk of HPV infection, or if her husband ever has sex with anyone except her (just read the relationship board).

If she doesn't get vaccinated you are taking an extra risk with her life, and with the life of the mother of your Grandchildren.

I looked carefully at this vaccination and the alternative, and it seems to be relatively risk free (less than the other vaccine). It only has a 5 year life because that's as long as they have been able to test it enough, it will almost certainly increase.

If you haven't discussed sex, sexually transmitted dieseases and cervical cancer (at least at some level) by the time she is 12 you are leaving it late. My kids are not sexually active at 12, but they certainly know kids who are or are close at 12, 13, 14, 15. Mine are protected to some extent because we discuss such things, and they know they can ask me anything.

My DD is 12 and I have made the decision to put it off for a year. It is still relatively new and I am worried about the long term effects,being that the first lot of girls who have had it are now only 18/19.
I don't actually believe we can know yet if there are any long term side effects, or indeed if it actually works.
I also don't feel at aged 12 that I can have a real conversation about safe sex with DD, and this is the point that really needs drilling home. There is no vaccination against HIV, AIDS or chlamidia (sp) hence the reason I will try to educate DD to never have un-protected sex until she is ready to make babies (perish the thought) at the moment I don't actually believe DD knows enough about the real "ins and outs" of what sex actually is and other things that go on. I have talked about it though.
Next year when it comes around again I will review DD's maturity and any new evidence and think again about it.

As much as education about safe sex is HUGELY important. The virus transmission can still take place even with a condom.
It can take place without penetrative sex.
As I mentioned previously ANY skin to skin contact will transmit it.
Please don't give your daughter the wrong idea that a condom will protect her from this. It won't

Ps on terms of safety and efficacy I have put some solid research paper references that support both. You should read them of you are genuinely worried about safety and effectiveness

As this thread is getting quite long, I'll re iterate my point.
My friend died of cervical cancer leaving behind a 5 year old child.
She had the same sex education I did at school. The more aggressive forms of the virus can take a very short period of time to mutate to cancer.
I wish the vaccine had Been available for her

"The more aggressive forms of the virus can take a very short period of time to mutate to cancer."

Where did you get that information from? From everything I've read it takes years to develop from hpv.

Only some of the Hpv types can cause CIN (changes to cells on the cervix.) CIN is not cancer but it can develop into cancer over a few years if left untreated. Most cases can be successfully treated if caught early. That is why I think earlier screening is so important. The hpv vaccine does not guarantee protection and early estimates are that it only lasts for about 4/5 years. People could still contract hpv and not be aware of it until their first smear test (currently offered when they are 25.) Sadly, that could be too late for many women if the changes have been there long enough to develop into cervical cancer.

IMO there should be a campaign to lower the age at which screening is offered. A 16 yo having their first sexual encounter could contract one of the higher risk forms of hpv (one of the ones that could cause CIN) and wouldn't be aware of it until 9 years later. That is much too long.

I'd also like to reiterate that a very small percentage of people who contract hpv will actually go on to develop cervical cancer. Hpv is a very common virus and it will disappear by itself without causing any problems in the vast majority of cases.