HPV vaccine

  • Thread starter Thread starter littleflower_24
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
L

littleflower_24

Guest
So, being Catholic, and waiting until marriage before sex, I know I would not need the HPV vaccine, as it is an STD.
When I went to a physical the other day, I agreed to the vaccine (1st dose) without thinking about it. (They conveniently didn’t say it was a HPV vaccine, but rather a Cervical Cancer vaccine-still I should have known better).
I am planning to not go through with the other doses, as I didn’t really want the first dose, and you only need to keep up the vaccines for preventive reasons.

Spiritually, was this the wrong thing to do (take the vaccine)? When I don’t need it, it’s bad to be putting it into my body when I don’t know everything it contains (is it a sin)?
 
First of all - you do not intend to have sex at the moment, which is not to say you might not be raped.

It is also not to say that you will never have sex in the future, even the near future. We are all human, all capable of being tempted to sexual sin and succumbing to that temptation. To say otherwise is to sadly underestimate the devil’s capabilities.

Secondly - HPV (the virus which causes cervical cancer) can, if memory serves, be transferred by some non-sexual means as well.

Thirdly - we don’t immunise ourselves from polio or rubella or whooping cough ONLY when we are at direct and imminent risk of those diseases, do we? So why take the risk of leaving HPV vaccination till the latest possible moment?

We don’t know everything it contains? Of course we do - we know everything that all vaccines, and all other medications, contain.

Does it sometimes produce adverse reactions? Yes, but then so do all vaccinations - for that matter so do all medications.

You’re just as likely to be at risk from unknowingly having an allergy to some antibiotic and being given that as from any vaccination. The very slight risks all these things have of adverse effects are no reason not to take them, absent known allergies or previous bad reactions to other medications. Which I’m sure you’ve informed your doctor about if you have any!

As you’ve already had the first dose with no ill effect, you know there are no allergy problems. And having started it’s not a good idea not to complete the vaccinations.
 
littleflower_24 said:
(They conveniently didn’t say it was a HPV vaccine, but rather a Cervical Cancer vaccine-still I should have known better).
Click to expand...
I don’t know much about this, but my impression was that it is a cervical cancer vaccine and not an HPV vaccine. There are hundreds of strains of HPV, but only 4 of them cause the DNA mutation that increases the risk of cervical cancer, and the vaccine only acts against those 4 strains. Sexually active women who take the vaccine are still likely to get HPV, just not the 4 strains that put them at risk of cervical cancer.
 
From a purely medical perspective, I am adamantly opposed to the HPV vaccine due to the number of women suffering from severe side effects. It is my opinion that the maker of the vaccine ‘influenced’ politicians and medical professionals in order to boost lagging sales.

Since I am not a physician, I cannot give medical advice. But there are many doctors out there who oppose this, and other vaccines, due to the potential harm.

From a moral perspective (and lay at that), it is my understanding that vaccines are not necessarily bad and can offer great hope for disease control. However, we must look to the next step and investigate ‘is this really good for me?’ Many of the titans of the eugenics movement in the early part of the last century fund vaccine development and deployment. This necessitates careful and prayerful scrutiny.

In your personal case, I would be very hard pressed to see how you possibly did anything wrong; I am very confident your priest would agree. You did not take it with the intention of ‘getting around’ the dangers of promiscuity. Hope this helps! 👍
 
Just_Lurking said:
I don’t know much about this, but my impression was that it is a cervical cancer vaccine and not an HPV vaccine. There are hundreds of strains of HPV, but only 4 of them cause the DNA mutation that increases the risk of cervical cancer, and the vaccine only acts against those 4 strains
Click to expand...
While it is true that Gardasil only affects the four stains which most commonly cause cervical cancer, other strains of HPV do cause cervical cancer.
Centers for Disease Control:
The vaccine does not protect against all types of HPV— so it will not prevent all cases of cervical cancer. About 30% of cervical cancers will not be prevented by the vaccine, so it will be important for women to continue getting screened for cervical cancer (regular Pap tests).
Click to expand...
cdc.gov/std/hpv/STDFact-HPV-vaccine-young-women.htm#why
 
If I were you, I would take it. At some point in your life you will have sex and as much as you want to believe in someone, they could lie to you about their sexual past. Cervical cancer is not something you want to get, nor the other nasty effects that can come from HPV. For the shots to be effective, they have to be done in a certain way. I think it’s like first shot, wait 6 months, second shot, wait 3 months, then last shot. Since you started, it is best to just finish them. Protect yourself!👍
 
I’m honestly not sure why this is a moral issue. If you and your doctor agree that this vaccine is necessary for you, that’s up to the two of you. Having this vaccine is not a license to have random sex, nor is it a guarantee of random sex. It’s simply a protection against a virus you may come into contact with through no fault of your own. This is a medical decision, not a moral one.
 
Thanks for the help in showing me I did nothing wrong. I just didn’t think it would be good to be injecting chemicals and viruses (yes it was a HPV vaccine) in me if I don’t need it.

However, I think I will only have that first dose because the only reason I am finding to continue it is to KEEP me ‘protected’. There is no harm in not finishing them, and finding that the shot is $120 a dose, I will be glad to not take the remaining if it is not needed.
The reason I thought the vaccine would be wrong to take would be if it affected my cervix in any way that could harm me, or a child if I decide to get married some day. While rape is always an issue, there is what-a 5% chance I am going to be raped, and the chances are probably <1% that they would have this STD, and the shots still may not protect me from getting the disease(HPV), which COULD lead to cervical cancer. The chances (medically) are against reasoning to get the shot.

My doctor did not say I needed it, but said it would be good to have, without knowing my views. Secondly, I am not underestimating temptation here. Sure it will be very tempting to have sex, but honestly, I ONLY WANT to have sex once I am married, and would kick any guy who treats me otherwise-they wouldn’t be dating me with these intentions as I want to marry a guy who is also waiting for marriage (even if he messed up before, that he is waiting once he dates me). If need be, he can be checked before our wedding night to make sure he isn’t caring the virus, and if he is, I will get vaccinated then.

Oh, and why don’t women over 27 get the shots?
 
You might be being chaste, but how do you know your husband is?

If I had a daughter, I would take her–but would prefer to take her myself. I consider it one more layer of protection against disease and especially cancer, not an excuse for promiscuity.
 
littleflower_24 said:
Oh, and why don’t women over 27 get the shots?
Click to expand...
Cost effectiveness. Sexually active women over 27 who haven’t had the shots are likely to already have HPV, so the shots won’t help, and as you point out, they are somewhat expensive. Thus, the company did no research testing with women over 27.
 
Just_Lurking said:
Cost effectiveness. Sexually active women over 27 who haven’t had the shots are likely to already have HPV, so the shots won’t help, and as you point out, they are somewhat expensive. Thus, the company did no research testing with women over 27.
Click to expand...
They do - and those with HPV do too. Just not Gardasil. I am both over 30 and an HPV sufferer.

The vaccine I had (which I don’t think is available in the US - I’m Australian), or so I’ve reliably been informed or I wouldn’t have bothered, can be effective against the development of cervical cancer even in those already infected.
 
Hello again,
Thank you for responding, but once again, I am chaste and am not using this at all for promiscuity.
No I don’t know who my husband is, but I get to pick who I am with-don’t I?

Ok, the vaccine I got does not directly prevent against the cancer, just the HPv which causes cancer…
 
What concerns me most, is the fact that Gardasil was “fast tracked” through the FDA, which means Merck paid more money to get an expedited review process.

Also, the collusion between Merck and the Women In Government group, who lobbied for the mandate of this vaccine in Texas, causes me to be a bit suspicious.
 
Hello again,
Thank you for responding, but once again, I am chaste and am not using this at all for promiscuity.
No I don’t know who my husband is, but I get to pick who I am with-don’t I?
**1. I never said you were.
  1. That’s true. And everybody, especially men, always tells the absolute truth about previous sexual experiences.**
 
bpbasilphx said:
Hello again,
Thank you for responding, but once again, I am chaste and am not using this at all for promiscuity.
No I don’t know who my husband is, but I get to pick who I am with-don’t I?
1. I never said you were.

2. That’s true. And everybody, especially men, always tells the absolute truth about previous sexual experiences.
Click to expand...
:rotfl: :bigyikes: :ehh: :rotfl::tsktsk::amen: [SIGN]That’s a good one!! [/SIGN]
 
bpbasilphx said:
You might be being chaste, but how do you know your husband is?
Click to expand...
Yes, I know this is going to put things off track as far as the OP goes, but seriously? I’m not naive, but if you’re going to marry someone that you think is going to cheat on you, why on earth would you marry him? The OP is right in that regard…she does get to choose who she’s with, and casting suspicion on all single men isn’t very helpful.
 
kristie_m said:
Yes, I know this is going to put things off track as far as the OP goes, but seriously? I’m not naive, but if you’re going to marry someone that you think is going to cheat on you, why on earth would you marry him? The OP is right in that regard…she does get to choose who she’s with, and casting suspicion on all single men isn’t very helpful.
Click to expand...
I think the point is not that DH is going to cheat after marriage, but what is he doing now. Just because the OP is a virgin doesn’t mean that her husband will be a virgin when they marry. That’s the ideal, but today that doesn’t always happen.
 
littleflower_24 said:
Hello again,
Thank you for responding, but once again, I am chaste and am not using this at all for promiscuity.
No I don’t know who my husband is, but I get to pick who I am with-don’t I?

Ok, the vaccine I got does not directly prevent against the cancer, just the HPv which causes cancer…
Click to expand...
As I said, if you’re raped you don’t get to pick. And if whoever you are with chooses to be dishonest about being a virgin or cheating on you - and not all liars and deceivers get caught out - then again, you don’t get to pick.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top