The Cervical Cancer Shot - Are you getting it?

quinnandjacob'smom wrote: I've been seeing commercials for this on tv, but I don't really know anything about it. Is anyone getting it?

siblingtooolivia replied: I thought and could be totally wrong that you had to not have been sexually active yet to get it - it is designed for 11-13 ish year olds??? Anyone else hear that??? I should ask my ob at my next prenantal appt.

mckayleesmom replied: I thought it was for everyone.....Maybe Im wrong. I thought the commercial says to tell a friend, daughter...etc. Im going to ask about it at my next doctors appointment because I already do the Leep Procedures to remove the cancer cells.

Nina J replied: Yep, it's for girls who are not sexually active. It's like this because girls who are not sexually active will not have human papilloma virus..human papilloma virus is what causes cervical cancer, and alot of sexually active people have it. You don't always get symptoms, and it doesn't always develop into cervical cancer..but if you do have it, the vaccine is useless.

So if you have daughter who are 10-14 (I think thats the age its designed for) you should get it for them, or remember to when your daughters are that age

boyohboyohboy replied: I dont have a teenage yet, and it has also been tested for use in boys now...but i keep thinking about it, if i did have a girl, i would be leary about it right now, as it is so new to the market. and lately alot of the new birth control IE the patch have come back with some serious side effects. I would want to see some more evidence of use first..
but yes, its definately a good idea if its safe.
I to have to have leep procedures, and pray all the time they work, and keep the cervical cancer from ever happening.

lisar replied: From what I have understood. You have to have the shot before you become sexually active. And you have to have a booster 6 months after you get it. Thats what I have understood. And yes both of my kids will get the shot when they are old enough.

MyLuvBugs replied: nope...not until it's proven safe IMO. So probably by the time the girls get to be sexually active.....in 30 years .....then we will talk about getting it done. But ultimately it's their bodies and their choice to get it done.

3_call_me_mama replied: not in a million years!

jcc64 replied:


Really? Why is that, if you don't mind elaborating...

quinnandjacob'smom replied: Thanks for clarifying. I didn't realize it was for young girls. Guess that lets me out!

3_call_me_mama replied:
I have a real isue with vaccinations and the crap they put in them. i havent' fully researched this particular shot but vaccinations in general we don't do. Also the fact that there are so man un clear things about this shot, like some are saying that it prevents the cancer- which it may not- others are saying it cures cancer- also not necesarily true. Also there is no guarantee that the shot will even do what it's supposed to. We've had bad experiences with vaccines adn after reading and researching I havedecide that they are not somethign I want injected into my or my children's bodies. I know others feel differently but IMo the stuffin the vaccine is far more deadly than the actual thing it is trying to prevent in most cases. ( dont' want to start a debate on this, just stating my opinion.) You, (not you specifically jeanne~ but you collectively) woulde amazed at the things that are in a vaccination adn the amount of adverse reactions that happen after a vaccine. including a alarmingly large amount of deaths.

coasterqueen replied: I really don't know how I feel about this. I've been avoiding the thought because I'm just not sure.

I had stage 2 dysplasia, and there is one more stage before cervical cancer. It was at a time in my life that it was pure luck that I saw a doctor and they caught it. I was in college at the time and couldn't afford to see the regular doc and I had to go to a Planned Parenthood to see one for a cheaper cost because I was having ovarian cyst problems again. I remember the day the lady from PP called me and said "hun, we got your results back and you have cervical cancer". I was at work at the time and dropped to the floor and cried. You hear the word "cancer" and you become numb. So I called my mother begging her to help me pay for a regular doc appt and she did and it turned out there was one more stage before cervical cancer. The whole tests, procedures, tests every 6 months, etc, etc was enough for me. The procedure I had also gave me problems during my pg's because of scar tissue and such. I still fear the possibility of CC every year when I get a pap.

lisar replied:
My 2 girls will get it mainly because I have had surgery done on my cervix due to having cancer cells. Everyone in my family has to have a hysterectomy before the age of 30 due to problems. Mine is in Janurary. And I am only 27. I just dont want my girls to have to go thru what everyone else in my family has gone thru. I know its everyone choice. And I completly agree with you. But its people like my sister who cant have any more kids who wants more kids and she cant have them because she has no baby making items in her body. I just dont want my kids to deal with it. If the shot can prevent the HPV virus the main #1 thing that causes cervical cancer then my kids will get the shot. And I will hope it works on them and they dont end up like everyone else in the family. And this is just my opinion. I do agree with you though on the shots. I have done some research and seen whats in some of them. So I do understand where you are comming from.

jcc64 replied: I think by the time I have to make the decision for my dd, there should be enough evidence for me to trust the efficacy and/or the safety of the vaccine. If I understand the information correctly- the vaccine prevents the virus that causes the vast majority of cervical cancer cases. Because it's a virus that is often undetectable and easily passed, I think the "herd" will benefit greatly from large numbers of people getting the shot and eradicating the virus. This is the same thing with other vaccines- the people who don't choose to vaccinate benefit from the rest of us doing so because the illnesses eventually disappear. I completely understand the fears about the safety of vaccinations in general- I have many concerns myself and I think we vaccinate our babies far too early and too frequently given the immaturity of their immune systems. However, I don't think the logical conclusion is to not vaccinate at all. I think a good first step would be more transparency in the testing processes, and less protection of the interests of big pharmaceutical companies. But I'm digressing, so I'll shut up now.

3_call_me_mama replied:
You've hit the nail on the head in a sense.... My main is is the timing and how many are doen so young, along with the aditives.. Also from researching I have seen that th "herd immunity": isn't what necessarily caused diseases to die out.. more so clean living conditions.. cause in countries that are still not living wiht running water.. disease rates that are vaccinated against are still very high. It's really nothing that can be set in stone or proved either way, since they both happened around the same time... and for those that do ge tthis shot, I truly hope that it works as well as it is supposed to for you/family members.... cancer is a truly devastating thing.... nothing that I woudl ever wish on anyone. But a shot can't convince me it's not gonna happen to me or my girl. But also as You pointed out jeanne.. It's along time before i have to dela with it and by then I may change my mind.. highly unlikely but you never know! LOL

Boo&BugsMom replied: After all this talk about this, I am surprised that nobody mentioned (from what I read at least) that HPV is an STD! You can't catch it in the air or anything, you only get it from having sex, like any other STD. So, having known this I think it's far more important to teach kids about abstinance. In a way I think these kinds of things just enable teenagers to have more sex. JMO.