HPV vaccine

[boppaid]

Goth, out of curiosity, why are sexual matters the “magic issue” that you would give your child control to make their own decisions? Seriously, how are sexual matters different than other ones? Every vax carries risk. As parents we assess risks and benefits for our children every day. What makes sexual matters any different?

Where is the cut off? Do you allow toddlers to make decisions for themselves, or just third graders?

 

[Goth_Catholic]

Goth, out of curiosity, why are sexual matters the “magic issue” that you would give your child control to make their own decisions? Seriously, how are sexual matters different than other ones? Every vax carries risk. As parents we assess risks and benefits for our children every day. What makes sexual matters any different?

Because Sex is the one thing of one’s body that one can have almost total control over. If that’s taken away, there is no longer control.
Where is the cut off? Do you allow toddlers to make decisions for themselves, or just third graders?

Toddlers make decisions for themselves. They deside what food they like or don’t like. What toy to play with. What color looks better.

 

[valient_Lucy]

Unfortunately, there is not test for HPV for men, so that wouldn’t solve this particular delima.

Then we better get the vaccine.

 

[Goth_Catholic]

Okay, I think we’re getting somewhere, although I think we’ll still have to agree to disagree.

Okay, again agree to disagree. I would NOT allow my 9 year old to raise a baby should she become pregnant, God forbid.

So you would force her to give her baby up. Even though it could result in extreme emotional problems for her.

Would you back that up with just one published Christian opinion? I honestly have never even heard anyone suggest that 9 year olds must be taught about STDs and every other sexual detail. How about oral sex? Should I approach my 9 year old son, who is buy still playing with cars, and tell him what oral sex is? She I walk into the room where my8 year old neice is playing with her barbies, and ask if she’s ever heard of herpes?

http://www.talkingwithkids.org/sex.html

Please check CDC…both are considered diseases which are spread sexually, and it explicitly says that neither HPV nor Hep are spread by casual contact. Sure, hep can be spread in ways other than sex, but so can HPV. Both instances are extremely rare. Remember the lady I just told you about who had Hep for years without knowing, cutting herself here and there around the house with little children, never sanitizing things behind her, and no one in her household contacted the virus.

Regardless, either a minor child is able to make medical decisions or not. You say that if it involves sex, the decision should be the child’s. (Why sex is the magic issue with you, I still have no idea). I say that if it is a life and death issue, it’s a no-brainer…the parent makes the call. Always.

 

[Lady_D_I]

I really liked the information that Lady D I has given.

I am happy to share what I learn. There is much to be learned about genital HPV.

For those interested…

The medical literature suggests that high-risk strains of HPV may be transmitted non-sexually such as by prolonged exposure to shared contaminated clothing . Roden, R. B., D. R. Lowy, and J. T. Schiller. 1997. Papillomavirus is resistant to dessication. J. Infect. Dis. 176:1076-1079.

“…Unexplained cases of HPV lesions do occur and one should never rule out the possibility that an HPV infection may have been caught in a non-sexual event”. Source

I will add these unexplained cases are rare; however, identifying the source of infection is difficult since it is usually diagnosed in sexually active women who may have been asymptomatic for years.

 

[boppaid]

Toddlers make decisions for themselves. They deside what food they like or don’t like. What toy to play with. What color looks better.

I just saw your profile, and honestly, talk to me in about 20 years when you have a couple of 9 & 10 year old kids. I wish I could save this conversation for you to review then. You will be astonished at how much your perspective has changed. ’

So you would force her to give her baby up. Even though it could result in extreme emotional problems for her.

If a little girl has been raped, she will have extreme emotional problems anyway, regardless of whether or not she raises the baby. If she raises the baby at 9 years old, she will have significantly MORE emotional problems, imo. And, equally important, is the baby of the child. Where do you think he or she would have a shot at a better life? With a loving mother and father who can offer him or her a loving home in a stable environment? Or with a 9 year old raising him? Isn’t that a no-brainer?

Not to be condescending, but I honestly think the problem here is that you are still a child yourself. Please, take it from me…your view of allowing children…little children at that… control over their medical decisions will change.

And, thank you for providing that link. However, there are two problems i have with it as it relates to our discussion. First, I asked for a Christian source, and this is not one. But that’s okay, because secondly, I don’t see anything on there that supports your view that you should tell second and third graders about STDs and other various details about sexual intimacy. I do see this, however. It is a paragraph which describes the type of “age appropriate” information for an 8 year old.

Give accurate, age-appropriate information

Talk about sex in a way that fits the age and stage of your child. If your 8-year-old asks why boys and girls change so much physically as they grow, you can say something like, “The body has special chemicals called hormones that tell it whether to become a boy or a girl. A boy has a penis and testicles, and when he grows older his voice gets lower and he gets more hair on his body. A girl has a vulva and vagina, and when she gets older she grows breasts and her hips grow rounder.”

I don’t see anything about STDs or oral sex.

 

[Goth_Catholic]

Not to be condescending, but I honestly think the problem here is that you are still a child yourself. Please, take it from me…your view of allowing children…little children at that… control over their medical decisions will change.

This is why I refused to answer wether or not I had children. Since I’m nearly 17 you assume I am not a mother and that I am still a child. Honestly, I refuse to continue this conversion with you now that you belive i’m a so called child. My opinion no longer carries the weight it did before you discovered my age and thus you can no longer discuss objectively with me.

 

[boppaid]

This is why I refused to answer wether or not I had children. Since I’m nearly 17 you assume I am not a mother and that I am still a child. Honestly, I refuse to continue this conversion with you now that you belive i’m a so called child. My opinion no longer carries the weight it did before you discovered my age and thus you can no longer discuss objectively with me.

I’m sorry I offended you, truly. Rather than call you a child, I should have worded it to say you are not yet an adult. That is very true. But, truly, if you do not have children, then you cannot know how you will feel about relinquishing decision-making to little kids (yes, a 9 year old is a “little kid”). Whether the subject is vaccines for STDs, or vaccines for measles, or giving them medications for strep throat…you will always have to access benefits vs risk. A 9 year old simply does not have the capacity to do this.

Again, I’m sorry you are upset, and I’m sorry I used the word child. You are a young woman, clearly, but still a minor who has yet to reach adulthood. And even then, your entire perspective on child rearing does change when you have children of your own. And if you do have a baby now, wait. When she is 9, you will think of this conversation and say, " I was willing to let this little girl make her own medical decisions??"

I’m sorry you don’t want to continue this conversation. Now that I see a little more where you are coming from, I feel the debate would be more productive. Additionally, I was genuinely interested in your response to my feelings on adoption in the scenario you painted about a third grader raped and pregnant. I was also interested in your response about the website link you provided that demonstrated age appropriateness for 8 year olds did not include the type of information you think they should have. However, I understand you don’t wish to continue. Again, please accept my apology for hurting your feelings.

 

[hasikelee]

If a little girl has been raped, she will have extreme emotional problems anyway, regardless of whether or not she raises the baby.

If she raises the baby at 9 years old, she will have significantly MORE emotional problems, imo. And, equally important, is the baby of the child. Where do you think he or she would have a shot at a better life? With a loving mother and father who can offer him or her a loving home in a stable environment? Or with a 9 year old raising him? Isn’t that a no-brainer?

Hmm, I guess I don’t see a point in these questions. Are you trying to make a values judgment that it is better to kill one person than allow both to live?

And, thank you for providing that link. However, there are two problems i have with it as it relates to our discussion. First, I asked for a Christian source, and this is not one.

Granted, drawing from many different resources can help us to gain perspective and to weigh our conclusions against other facts and ideas, but a source location in and of itself should not rule out the information included within.

 

[boppaid]

Hmm, I guess I don’t see a point in these questions. Are you trying to make a values judgment that it is better to kill one person than allow both to live?

I haven’t mentioned killing anyone. I’m talking about adoption.

 

[2shelbys]

This may have been said already, maybe even multiple times. To be honest I am to busy (or is it lazy?) to look through so many posts. This vaccine only protects you from some of the strains of HPV (if it protects you at all) and there is no proof that it will offer protection beyond a few years. And, contrary to what the ads tell you, there is no definite proof that HPV causes cancer. The belief that it may be involved is based only on the high percentage of cervical cancer patients that have some strain of HPV. The percentage of people who do not develop cancer but have HPV is nearly as high. Add to that the fact that reports of adverse reactions, including 11 deaths (8 in the U.S. and 3 in the U.K., so far) are starting to pour in about this vaccine and I know my wife and I are not even going to consider getting it for anyone in our family.

 

[lady58]

I believe,t hough, that these 3 strands are the ones most commonly associated with cervical cancer.

I, personally, would get it if I were a single young woman. I also plan to get it for my pre-teen daughter. She doesn’t need to know it is for an STD. But, it will protect her should she ever have sex at a too=young age or have sex as an adult woman with a man who is not a virgin.

 

[lady58]

I was 29 when I was diagnosed with the type of Cancer that the HPV virus causes. I am now in my late 50’s because they caught it in time. My cousins who are twins also had the same type at exactly 29 like I did. I told my Dr. and he said "maybe there is some kind of genetic thing going on. Anyway, I read an article the other day that any woman over thirty should be tested for the virus whether or not they have gotten the vaccine or not ; but to see if the virus is in their system could give an idea of the risks of having those kinds of cancers. When I got the call at the age of 29 and the Dr. had been trying to get in touch with me for weeks but had the wrong number; she told me on the phone, “We believe you have uterine cancer and need to see you tomorrow” I was in a daze but thank God that it was in the beginning stages and not as dire as she had said. I believe let the kids get the vaccine and all of you ladies get tested just to see if you have the virus in your blood, insist on it at your yearly if they don’t already test for it, the cancers that the vaccine can help cure is better than losing your child or you having it…
Lady58

 

[Lady_D_I]

I was 29 when I was diagnosed with the type of Cancer that the HPV virus causes. I am now in my late 50’s because they caught it in time. My cousins who are twins also had the same type at exactly 29 like I did. I told my Dr. and he said "maybe there is some kind of genetic thing going on. Anyway, I read an article the other day that any woman over thirty should be tested for the virus whether or not they have gotten the vaccine or not ; but to see if the virus is in their system could give an idea of the risks of having those kinds of cancers. When I got the call at the age of 29 and the Dr. had been trying to get in touch with me for weeks but had the wrong number; she told me on the phone, “We believe you have uterine cancer and need to see you tomorrow” I was in a daze but thank God that it was in the beginning stages and not as dire as she had said. I believe let the kids get the vaccine and all of you ladies get tested just to see if you have the virus in your blood, insist on it at your yearly if they don’t already test for it, the cancers that the vaccine can help cure is better than losing your child or you having it…
Lady58

Did you have uterine cancer or cervical cancer?

 

[lady58]

In today’s paper by the ap from Atlanta.
"The sexually transmitted virus that causes cervical cancer in women is poised to become one of the leading causes of --=cancer in men, according to a new study. HPV now causes as many cancers of the upper throat as tobacco and alcohol, probably due both to an increase in ----sex and the decline in smoking, researchers say. The only available vaccine against HPV made by Merck & Co. is currently given only to girls and young women but Merck plans this year to ask government permission to offer the shot to boys… Experts say a primary reason for male vacccinations would be to prevent men from spreading the virus and help reduce the nearly 12,000 cases of cervical cancer diagnosed in U.S. women each year. But the new study should add to the argument that there may be a direct benefit for men, too.
I will not go on anymore about what the article said but it was published Friday in the Journal of Clinical Onocology (Feb.1.)
I know that none of us like to think of our children having sex or if we are older that our spouse or partner is having sex with someone other than ourselves but why take the chance? How would we feel if one of our kids did get cancer? How would we feel, sure it can’t stop all but the study shows that is causes enough that lives will be saved.
lady58

 

[lady58]

Did you have uterine cancer or cervical cancer?

" Thankful to be here"
I am not sure if I hit the submit button before so I am going to write this again and I am sorry if there are two of these posts. I am new to this forum so I am still learning the lay of the land. I had pre-cancer dysplasia of the cervix I believe it was caused. I do know that it was caught early enough but I still had a cone biopsy where they cut the cancer cells out but I could still have had more children if I wanted to. I know I never had so many pap tests as I did after that was first discovered and then a biopsy of course which was not any fun but I had asked the Dr. if it was going to hurt because I could have gotten an anesthetic if I wanted but he said," Oh, it is like a menstrual cramp" well believe me men do not know what menstrual cramps feel like because thi s hurt so bad I started going into shock, now maybe something was clipped that shouldn’t have been but since that time I have always advised women to get the pain medication. I got tested a lot after the surgery for a few years and then I got lazy and quit going for my yearly which is stupid. I went a couple of years ago when my Dr. was yelling at me about I should know better, etc, etc, My Dr. and myself held our breath I think until the results came back that I was o.k. Years before, the obgyn who did the surgery told me that it wouldn’t come back but of course they have learned a lot since then, anyway without the surgery I would not have gotten to see my 7 year old daughter grow up and make me a grandmother. My Dr. has told me that what I had is the kind that comes from the HPV virus so don’t take any chances.
I still have the pathology report to remind me and it is scary just to read, “patient most likeley has cancer of the cervix and believed to be inside uterus” paraphrasing, but that was it. This was 1979
Thanks for writing
lady58

 

[Lady_D_I]

Before I comment, are we allowed to contiune this discussion or is this topic banned?