Gardasil: has your daughter had this vaccine?

Nurses General Nursing

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My daughters' pediatrician is encouraging all female patients to receive this vaccine. I have mixed feelings about this. I do not want my girls to get cervical cancer from HPV, but in 15 yrs from now, what if we find out that there are long-term problems associated with the vaccine? Why are males not targeted for this vaccine? I am interested in hearing from nurse/mothers who have or have not gotten their daughters vaccinated and why.

I have encouraged both of my daughters to be vaccinated against this group of diseases.

I personally think that people need every tool possible to prevent acquisition of STDs. This includes honest sex ed beyond "just say no." including all types of contraceptives including barrier methods.

I don't condone premarital sex but I do condone teaching people how to take responsibility for their behaviors and to protect themselves from unwanted pregnancy and disease.

I have told each of my DD's boyfriends to their faces, "If I ever find out you had sex with my daughter without a condom, I will staple one to your weinie."

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Exactly. I have a homosexual friend who contracted HPV-gone-ascending rectal cancer from his lover.

I'd like to get it as soon as I'm not so poor.

It costs $10 at our local health dept. If you are under 19 years of age.

steph

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I have told each of my DD's boyfriends to their faces, "If I ever find out you had sex with my daughter without a condom, I will staple one to your weinie."

I've threatened my own sons but not with what you said - I'll have to borrow it.

We are very open with our dd's friends who are boys (fortunately she has sworn off boys for awhile since her last fiasco) . .. .especially my husband. Blunt. To the point.

Scare the crap out of them, I always say.

steph;)

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Specializes in EC, IMU, LTAC.
I have told each of my DD's boyfriends to their faces, "If I ever find out you had sex with my daughter without a condom, I will staple one to your weinie."

ROFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!! Death to coitus stupidus!

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

I got the first two dose of the vaccine-no adverse effects so far. If I had a daughter, I would definitely encourage her to get it. I wish the vaccine had been available when I was younger. I already have been exposed to one of the less risky strains of HPV and hope the vaccine will protect me from others. HPV can sometimes be transmitted even if using condoms. Its scary.

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Specializes in EC, IMU, LTAC.

I don't condone premarital sex but I do condone teaching people how to take responsibility for their behaviors and to protect themselves from unwanted pregnancy and disease.

Don't forget that your kids can get raped. It's horrible, but it's true.

I have a friend whose stepfather started molesting her when she was young. At the tender age of 14, she had to get a partial hysterectomy. This is why I advocate the vaccine. I'm against it being federally mandated (it gives drug companies room to dance around, buy laws that favor them, and not have to take responsibility for anything that goes wrong), but I do think that everyone should get them.

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Specializes in CVICU, PACU, OR.
Don't forget that your kids can get raped. It's horrible, but it's true.

Good point. I hadn't thought of it from that angle.

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
isnt it true that you can't get the vaccine if you already have the strain that causes cancer. my best friend was just diagnosed and she is very worried and she asked me and i haven't got any real answers for her and i haven't been able to find any. she is very depressed and now she thinks that she is def. going to get cancer and die. it is very hard for me to console her. any help would be great.

i had hpv about 22 years ago -- caught it from my then-husband. and i've had cervical cancer twice -- first time was 27 years ago -- before i had hpv. and the second time was 20 years ago. we knew about the connection between hpv and cervical cancer then. i'm living proof that cervical cancer is not a death sentence and doesn't even mean you automatically get a hysterectomy.

as far as the gardasil: i think the drug company is doing a bang-up job of creating a need (scaring everyone about hpv) and then filling it. my step-daughter hasn't had it and won't be unless she decides on her own to get it when she's 18. i too am concerned about the long term effects.

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i had hpv about 22 years ago -- caught it from my then-husband. and i've had cervical cancer twice -- first time was 27 years ago -- before i had hpv. and the second time was 20 years ago. we knew about the connection between hpv and cervical cancer then. i'm living proof that cervical cancer is not a death sentence and doesn't even mean you automatically get a hysterectomy.

as far as the gardasil: i think the drug company is doing a bang-up job of creating a need (scaring everyone about hpv) and then filling it. my step-daughter hasn't had it and won't be unless she decides on her own to get it when she's 18. i too am concerned about the long term effects.

i'm right there with you ruby vee. i contracted hpv when i was 18...one of the first things i did as an "adult." when i was 29, i had cervical displasia, cin ii, and iii. it scared me! i had been to the doc's office the year before on schedule, and all was well. message here: don't miss an exam!!

i just worry that young girls will perceive gardasil as a reason not to get their annual paps. :nono:

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Specializes in Family NP, OB Nursing.

One thing to remember: Gardasil only protects against 4 of the 10 strains of HPV that cause cancer, and it does not protect at all against the other 20 strains of sexually transmitted HPV.

Many of the HPV infections I've seen in girls/women are horrible. We had one girl 17 yrs old with lady partsl cancer from a strain not covered by this vaccine. I've seen babies born with HPV lesions and we had one die due to HPV infection of the larynx.

My daughter is only 8, and I'd like to see more research before getting this vaccine for her. I hear alot of teens/young adults talking about this like it's going to keep them from ever getting HPV/cancer, and I'm not sure that they are really getting the point that they can still get very sick, or pass this along to their baby EVEN IF THEY GET THIS VACCINE.

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Specializes in Pediatric/Adolescent, Med-Surg.

I was very excited when they came out with this vaccine because of its implications to help prevent cancer. That said, I have not gotten the vaccine, and I'm a 19 year old female who has not been exposed to HPV. Why haven't i gotten vaccinated? Two reasons. One, I'm would like to see what long term side effects and risks there are, two I'm currently not sexually active (and though someone did bring up rape, I could also get HIV, herpes, etc from rape and I can't protect myself from those).

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Specializes in Nursing Ed, Ob/GYN, AD, LTC, Rehab.

I had an abnormal pap, pre cancerous from HPV and was the most careful teen I knew. I wish they had it when I was young to prevent all the heart ache I went through all the tears and all the fear. Happy to say have had normal paps since treatment.

To answer one question I thought you couldnt get it either after having HPV so i asked my doctor who said of course you can get it if you want it, it protects against 4 kinds of HPV and since your body can fight off the virus its good to get protected against ones you might have already have.

8 years later I have tested negative for HPV, I would have gotten the vaccine had it not been a budget buster for me, 200 dollars! Im a poor student right now, cant swing that but will as soon as I can.

I think a lot of people are worried about giving it to their daughters because they think it gives them a green light to have sex. I think this is a silly line of thought along with that giving teens condoms promotes sex or teaching them about sex promotes sex. *sigh* Does giving someone a gun make them go shoot people? NO

Anyways thats my two cents

If i had daughters they would be vaccinated at 10 yrs old, lets face reality teens and young women WILL have sex, lets protect them as best we can.

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