New HPV vaccine for cervical cancer (Gardasil)
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Nancy L. Brown, PhD
In June, the FDA licensed a new vaccine (Gardasil) for the prevention of cervical cancer and other diseases in females caused by Human Papillomavirus (HPV). HPV is the leading cause of cervical cancer in women and the CDC recommends that (three doses of) the vaccine be given to girls when they are 11 – 12 years old (but can be given between 9 and 26 years old).
The idea is to vaccinate girls before they become sexually active, but all sexually active women should receive the vaccination, too. HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States and is the most common in people in their teens and 20s.
How can parents tell their daughters about the new vaccine?
If you are a parent who has already starting talking with your preteen or teen about their changing body and sexual issues, this will not be difficult. You can explain that this vaccine protects her from a sexually transmitted disease that is linked to cervical cancer, and that professionals recommend every young girl get vaccinated (with three doses) before she is sexually active.
If you have not started these conversations, this is your opportunity. One could say, “it prevents cancer” and leave it at that, but that is not really accurate. If you are going to protect your child, start the talk. Begin with stating your values clearly – I expect that you will not have sex until [insert age or context]. Then talk about the importance of knowing how to prevent unwanted pregnancy, birth control, sexually transmitted infection, and the importance of using condoms.
If you think that your daughter, at age 11 is too young to hear about sexual intercourse, sexually transmitted infections, and condoms, think again. National surveys have found that about 7% of children have had sexual intercourse before age 13, and about 25% have done so by age 15. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that there are 6 million new cases of HPV each year – many of them in teens and young adults.
The vaccine has been tested with thousands of women and is considered effective without serious side effects and will be given in three injections over a six-month period. Talk to your parents and doctor about getting vaccinated. Most insurance companies cover vaccinations.
For more information, check this site: HPV Vaccine - CDC
Tags:
Labels: HIV, HPV, Sexuality Education
14 Comments:
At Tue Sep 12, 01:23:00 AM 2006,
Anonymous said…
Is the vaccine protective for girls/women already infected with HPV? Is the vaccine designed to prevent conversion to cervical cancer?
What about girls/women with previously identified HPV that subsequently clear and return normal results. Would the vaccine be considered preventive as for those never testing positive?
At Tue Sep 12, 03:10:00 PM 2006,
Nancy L. Brown, PhD said…
I am sorry to say that the vaccine will only protect you if you haven't already been infected with HPV. However, I think it is still a good idea to get the vaccine - it may protect you from other strains.
At Sun May 13, 11:18:00 PM 2007,
Anonymous said…
i have a question... and i need it answered asap... because i get the vaccine on Wednesday... can you have sex and do sexual things between each vaccination?
At Mon May 14, 01:36:00 PM 2007,
Nancy L. Brown, PhD said…
Yes, you can have sex between each vaccination, assuming you are using condoms, but you are not fully protected, so there is a risk of contracting HPV during the 3-shot series.
At Fri May 25, 10:59:00 PM 2007,
Anonymous said…
What happens if you are sexually active and would like to do this vaccination however, dont want your parents to find out?? will this be confidental if parents are the ones who would have to pay for these shots?
also how much will it cost? and are there any benefits that are able to cover this ie. great west life, ohip...etc
At Wed Aug 01, 05:08:00 PM 2007,
Anonymous said…
where do u get the shot at anyway?
At Wed Aug 08, 07:08:00 PM 2007,
Nancy L. Brown, PhD said…
You can call your doctor or a Planned Parenthood Clinic. The three shots are expensive, but insurance should cover it.
At Sun Sep 28, 09:40:00 PM 2008,
Anonymous said…
so im getting the shot like next month, and i wanted to know how many months do u have between all of the 3 shots? can i still get cancer if i have sex during them?...my friend told me she got the shot in her butt and its less painful, is this true?
At Mon Sep 29, 09:38:00 AM 2008,
Nancy L. Brown, PhD said…
Ideally, your get your first dose and then 2 months later the second, and 6 months later, the third dose. So, you get all three over six months, and then you are protected from four kinds of HPV but still at risk for other sexually transmitted infections, so keep using condoms and getting PAP tests each year.
Ask the person who gives the shot about where to get it. Good luck!
At Mon Mar 23, 09:57:00 AM 2009,
Anonymous said…
I received the vaccination an year ago. However, the man I am currently seriously involved with has "low-risk" hpv (genital warts.) My question is are we allowed to have sex, and will I be protected?
At Tue Mar 24, 09:07:00 AM 2009,
Nancy L. Brown, PhD said…
Sorry, but this is a conversation for you to have with your partner and doctor. There are many strains of HPV and the vaccine only protects against 4 of them - those causing most of the cervical cancer.
Condoms can help protect you, but HPV can be spread through skin-to-skin contact, so you may be running a risk. Please go talk with your doctor. Good luck!
At Sun Jul 12, 12:50:00 PM 2009,
Syeda H said…
hi, i got the first shot but i recently read about side effects such as death
http://www.nvic.org/Vaccines-and-Diseases/hpv.aspx
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090413094356AADb7UV
I'm scared and I am not sexually active and not planning on it. I took the shot to be safe. I want to not continue with the shots. What would the side effects be?
At Tue Jul 14, 04:06:00 PM 2009,
Nancy L. Brown, PhD said…
Oh gracious, there is a lot of misinformation out there.
Please check out this fact sheet from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/hpv/downloads/vac-faqs-vacsafe-efficacy.pdf
In fact, out of more than five million vaccines, there have been three deaths - none proven to be related to the vaccine.
At Tue Jul 14, 05:11:00 PM 2009,
Syeda H said…
So you are 100% that it is safe?
Also can you get cervical cancer from virgins?
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