Would you give your adolescent girls an STD vaccine?

[Asella]

If I had a daughter, I would give her this vaccine. I knew a girl who had a very active sex life as a teenager. As a result, she got cervical cancer, and died after many months of suffering. She was in her early twenties. Her parents had to watch their daughter suffer through this. It was so very sad.

 

[Leeta]

From what cell culture is this vaccine mnufactured?

The chickenpox vaccine was grown in cells from aborted babies. It is also not very effective. My son had chickenpox when he was 6 months old. He had one little pock on his bottom and a very mild case. The worst age for the pocks seem to be around 3 and 4. The disease was very mild. the danger seems to be bacteria entering the pocks ( through scratching) and growing under the skin in the body. But if you are vigilant about the bathing (oatmeal bath is the best and anti-itch cream application and hand-washing, it is no problem.

But the bottom line is that I’m not going to use a vaccine derived in an immoral way so that I might be healthier. I am not going to be partake of Nazi medicine. Others are free feel differently, but I want to be in solidarity with the little girl and boy who were aborted in 1965 out of fear of a rubella infection. their tissues were then used to culture the virus for the vaccine.

Their is a Japanese rubella vaccine which was cultured in animal cells, but it is not available in the U.S.

Hepatitis B has a lot of mercury. Also, Hepeatitis B can only be sexually transmitted or through needle transmission. So why be vaccinated with HB if you are chaste and not a nurse or drug addict? (As if a drug addict cares that his health might be threatened!!).

 

[Jocelyn]

My college roommate got HPV after having sex in the elevator with a guy who lived on our floor.

I am a good little Catholic girl who was brought up in the country. I surely have my sins, but the things that went on in college scandalized me.

Would I have my daughter immunized against HPV. Probably. I will teach her about chastity. I pray that she will wait for marriage to have sex. I hope she will listen to what God wants of her. However, if she falls off the path at least I know she has had the vaccine that will help prevent her from HPV and cervical cancer.

 

[Karen10]

I don’t understand why this is an issue. This is totally unlike condom usage, as you’ve already noted. This is protection against a disease that can be gotten through:

1.) Rape - someone downplayed this as an “excuse” but I’m sorry to say, it happens OFTEN. You just can’t look the other way and pretend it can’t happen. It’s a very common crime.
2.) A gynecologist’s office making a mistake and not cleaning the instruments correctly or switching tissue paper on the examination chair. People have gotten STDs from this.
3.) A future spouse who is not a virgin (hopefully a repentant and good Catholic by the time he’s ready to marry.) The overwhelming odds are, your daughter will marry a non-virgin, sorry to say, even if the guy’s mature and chaste and an upright guy you’d be proud for her to marry, by the time they meet. You could save a lot of heartache later; you’ll never know. I know someone who married a very nice man who had an STD from a stupid thing he did in his youth. I bet she wishes there’d been a vaccine for it.
4.) Other possible non-sexual means. Some STDs (don’t know specifically about this HPV) are actually transmitted through public toilets, and that is a fact.

This is more than enough to tell a daughter why she could get the vaccine **without her getting any suggestion whatsoever that fornication is any less dangerous these days, and without her interpreting this as permission to fornicate.

**I’d just be sure the vaccine was safe. That’s up to personal discretion.

 

[astegallrnc]

Karen10:

4.) Other possible non-sexual means. Some STDs (don’t know specifically about this HPV) are actually transmitted through public toilets, and that is a fact.

HPV is a bit of a mystery, but what STDs are you aware of that can be transmitted through public toilets? I can’t find any evidence to support this, so please share. Most information states STDs can’t be transmitted through public toilets.
thebody.com/siecus/truth_stds.html?m43h

Hepatitis B has a lot of mercury. Also, Hepeatitis B can only be sexually transmitted or through needle transmission. So why be vaccinated with HB if you are chaste and not a nurse or drug addict? (As if a drug addict cares that his health might be threatened!!).

I don’t know about the HPV vaccine since it is still in trials. Some states have passed legislation addressing the use of vaccines and thimerosal (the mercury containing preservative). Also, vaccines are manufactured by competing companies and contain varying preservatives. More information for anyone who may be concerned (granted 2 are from the fda):
fda.gov/cber/vaccine/thimfaq.htm
fda.gov/cber/vaccine/thimerosal.htm
cdc.gov/nip/vacsafe/concerns/thimerosal/#facts

Autumn

PS the second fda link isn’t working now, but hopefully it will start working again. It lists the various vaccines and thimerosal info.

 

[starlucid]

I would absolutely give my daughter the vaccine it is almost 100% effective against the virus.
I don’t believe it would encourage promiscuity. HPV is a precursor to cervical cancer. This vaccine would hopefully prevent women from dying from this illness.
I think males should be vaccinated as well since they obviously carry the virus.
If it is the stigma of being an std then what about cases of rape? Or cases of marital infidelity where the woman is a victim? Why not protect her health against such a devasting illness?

 

[Nance]

:nope: ABSOLUTELY NOT…

abstinence is the answer… :yup:

the vaccines sends the wrong message to ours kids.

 

[turboEDvo]

:nope: ABSOLUTELY NOT…

abstinence is the answer… :yup:

the vaccines sends the wrong message to ours kids.

Just a quickie FYI

astegallrnc:

The risk of STDs does not discourage sexual activity based on the statistics and my experience working in a clinic.

Eamon

 

[starlucid]

:nope: ABSOLUTELY NOT…

abstinence is the answer… :yup:

the vaccines sends the wrong message to ours kids.

See I can understand the concept of abstinence and indeed it is the answer. Unfortunately it is not realistic in our society adolecents do make mistakes and imho God would not want them to pay for their mistake with cancer if medicine could prevent that.
Imho it sends the message of love and protection to our child that should they make a mistake there is forgiveness and mercy. Also if they are a victim of God forbid a rape or an assault they will not have to fall victim to an avoidable illness.

 

[Karen10]

I don’t understand why people are equating it with condoms, saying “abstinence is the answer!” and “kids are going to make mistakes and have sex”, as if we’re talking about birth control, or as if we’re talking about a disease that you ONLY get through your own fault by fornicating.

It’s NOT the same as condoms. It’s not birth control. It’s a vaccine against a disease that you can get even if you do not fornicate.

Here are ways to get an STD:
Rape.
Marrying a non-virgin, or someone who got an STD by another means.
Having a spouse cheat on you.
Dirty gyn equipment.
Who knows how else, besides sex.

You can pretend those things don’t ever happen, but they do.

I think what we have here is a case of people thinking, “Whatever is the most forbidding answer must be the most proper and conservative answer.”

A vaccine against an STD can keep a lot of victims clean from the disease, who may contract it through NO fault of their own.

In no way would a kid interpret this as permissiveness. Give kids more credit than that. I worry about public toilet seats and you bet I wish there were vaccines for all of the germs you can catch in there, or from rape and other things.

** If they made these vaccines for 33-year-olds, and I got one, are you saying I just induced in myself a permissive attitude towards cheating on my husband and fornicating with someone else? That’s just insulting.**

 

[astegallrnc]

Eamon,
I don’t think people realize the statistics and that these teens are aware of STDs but continue taking the risks. Teens have sex with full knowledge and with full consent of the physical risks (pregnancy & STDs). Of course, reading statistics was not as enlightening as caring for real people. When I was in the clinic, I shared pictures of STDs and encouraged abstinence. I promoted abstinence more so than “safer sex practices”. Despite my efforts, the teens would return infected with HPV, Gonorrhea, Chlamydia, Trich, and/or HSV. I have seen the reality of teen risk behaviors and can’t deny that reality. Some of these teens come from “good (Christian) homes” (though I don’t know what goes on behind closed doors). I agree with you that the vaccine (if proven safe) is “a preventative measure to be taken along with other methods of educating people about the harms of pre-marital sex and having multiple partners”.

If only we could legislate morality!

Autumn

 

[ElizabethAnne]

leaner:

just came across as “well, if you’re not sleeping around before marriage, you shouldn’t get cervical cancer b/c 90% of it comes from HPV, " – the follow-up to that logic is…so if you get it, it’s because you slept around before you were married” – no, that’s not it, but I think that’s all been cleared up since it’s the HPVirus, not the HPBacteria

Yes, it is completely my mistake that HPV is viral, not treatable, and may or may not go away with time.
I disagree, however, with your “follow-up” to the facts that I stated about HPV and my concluding quote that said, “A woman has almost no chance of getting cervical cancer if she remains abstinent before marriage.”

I said “almost no chance” because there still is a chance that any woman could get cervical cancer. She could get cervical cancer without contracting HPV, she could get it from her husband because he contracted HPV before they were married and she could get it because her husband contracts HPV through an adulterous relationship.

I would maintain though that her chances of avoiding cervical cancer are much greater if she abstinent before marriage.

God bless.

 

[astegallrnc]

ElizabethAnne:

I said “almost no chance” because there still is a chance that any woman could get cervical cancer. She could get cervical cancer without contracting HPV, she could get it from her husband because he contracted HPV before they were married and she could get it because her husband contracts HPV through an adulterous relationship.

I would maintain though that her chances of avoiding cervical cancer are much greater if she abstinent before marriage.

God bless.

HPV causes 99% of cervical cancers, and I suspect this stat is closer to 100%. EVERY abnormal pap (except ASCUS) and cervical cancer I have ever managed has been positive for HPV. . Since HPV can be spread through sexual activity, it is obvious that a woman’s risk increases with her number of sexual partners and her partners number of partners. But, I disagree with the statement that “a woman has almost no chance of getting cervical cancer if she remains abstinent before marriage” as it completely ignores the importance of the sexual history of a woman’s partner. The woman’s sexual partner’s history is almost as important as her own. I have taken care of a NUMBER of women with HPV and one lifetime sexual partner. Yes, a NUMBER of women.

 

[Anglican77]

The example given was hpv/cervical cancer. I’m going to go on a limb here and say I’m assuming (dangerous I know!) that the vaccine wouldn’t protect against ALL std’s?

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Rape is always used as the feared possiblity. (it’s the last ditch case for abortions too.) I prefer to live my life knowing of these things, but not assuming they will happen to me or my dd. I know it happens, but I’m not going to make medical choice assuming it might happen, kwim?

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Many states require blood testing for std’s before granting a marriage license. The purpose is not to prevent marriage, but to make sure those getting married know what they are getting into and so both may plan (or not) accordingly. Not all std’s are untreatable or uncurable.

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I’m also interested in the concept of vaccines for viral diseases. It seems there should be concern about the virus mutating into a worse disease than it now is, rather than actual killing off of the entire desease.???

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I guess in a nutshell, my answer would still be no because there isn’t enough data to convince me of effectiveness and safety. I know I would NEVER vote for an across the board mandatory vaccine of all pre-puberty girls.

Yes, the example given is HPV/cervical cancer. I don’t understand your point about it not being a vaccination for all STDs. So we shouldn’t vaccinate until we have one that protects us from all of them? I think I missed your point. There are numerous other ways to contract HPV, and many unknown.

Let’s pretend there is a miraculous discovery of an AIDS vaccination. Would you want your children to have that?

 

[Rob_s_Wife]

Anglican77:

Yes, the example given is HPV/cervical cancer. I don’t understand your point about it not being a vaccination for all STDs. So we shouldn’t vaccinate until we have one that protects us from all of them? I think I missed your point. There are numerous other ways to contract HPV, and many unknown.

No, no,no that’s not what I meant. My point was that instead of being concerned about ALL std’s, the conversation should be restricted to the pros and cons of this vaccine for this particuliar disease.

Let’s pretend there is a miraculous discovery of an AIDS vaccination. Would you want your children to have that?

**Depends on the vaccine. I’m not against all vaccines and if you read my posts you will see that reflected in those posts. My children have had some vaccines and not others. Some of my children have had vaccines that some of my other children have not. It should be a case by case decision. **

 

[starlucid]

Rob's Wife:
I have noticed this whole thread only addresses women that is somehow disturbing to me since it take 2 to tango it somehow demonizes women as being the only ones responsible for this std. I believe I read the vaccine is effective in males as well I did work in an std clinic as a medical assistant quite a few years ago and I saw a female 16 year old with hpv it was heartbreaking it was a strain of of giant human papilloma her external genitalia was disfigured and at that time the only treatment was to laser off the growths. She was in so much pain she could barely stand being touched by the physician. My heart broke for this young woman. Whatever she did couldnt have made her deserve that imho.
At the time my thought was some man did this to her. So this is a disease that is dangerous and awful to women and also men. If this vaccine could avoid such an awful disease why not? Mind you I don’t know if this vaccine protects against that particular strain but I do know that 16 year old girl was so infected with the warts i’m sure she lost much of her external genitalia in laser in order to just treat it.
I think education is the key. Yes we are all aware abstinence would prevent many ugly things such as this, however if we have the opportunity to eradicate such nasty illness with an effective safe vaccine why not?

 

[turboEDvo]

starlucid:

I have noticed this whole thread only addresses women that is somehow disturbing to me since it take 2 to tango it somehow demonizes women as being the only ones responsible for this std. I believe I read the vaccine is effective in males as well

It is. The reason that thread was targeted at females was (as far as I could tell) because of the following:

CatholicSam:

For those who don’t feel like reading an ugly research paper by the CDC, it basically said that when they ran their simulations and estimating 70% of girls would get vaccinated, the number of cervical cancer cases dropped from 9,147 to 422. If boys AND girls got vaccinated, it would drop from 9,147 to 113. So not too many more cases would be prevented. The paper also said that the vaccine costs $300 at puberty, and the booster that’s due in the early 20’s costs $100. I stopped reading it there.

Cost-benefit analysis says that it makes more money sense to just vaccinate the girls. But then again, that only addresses cervical cancer, not contraction of HPV. So, I dunno. None of my posts assumed girls only.

Eamon

 

[astegallrnc]

I have noticed this whole thread only addresses women that is somehow disturbing to me since it take 2 to tango it somehow demonizes women as being the only ones responsible for this std.

This is because the vaccine is for the HPV strain that causes cervical cancer. Cost-effectiveness studies have not found it beneficial to vaccinate men. That is why my discussions have focused on women. I also think it has been stressed that the woman’s sexual history is not in of itself the only consideration. As I stated, her partner’s history is almost or maybe as important as her own.

Mind you I don’t know if this vaccine protects against that particular strain but I do know that 16 year old girl was so infected with the warts i’m sure she lost much of her external genitalia in laser in order to just treat it.

The vaccines I have read about are for strains 16 & 18. The strains that cause condyloma acuminata (genital warts) are usually 6 & 11. But, 16 or 18 can cause condyloma.

I would hope the provider who lasered the condyloma was skilled and she kept her external genitalia.

Starlucid, I understand your perspective. Statistics and facts are faceless. When you have faces to go with a disease, it changes things (for most).

Autumn

 

[starlucid]

Absolutely I think every parent should work an std clinic and see how many beautiful kids are sick with something awful the girl had to be refered out for treatment our clinic did not have the equipment to handle her case this was in the mid 1980s. I was told all the tissue would have to be removed by laser to treat it the strain was if i remember correctly now i haven’t worked in gyn for awhile so i maybe wrong giant condylomas I had never seen anything like it and it broke my heart.
The girl was absolutely beautiful average teen she came in alone and her parents were unaware of her condition. Later to boot her gonnorea culture came back positve I live in FL which by law we must report to the state positive gc’s so between her severe condylomas and her positive gc she paid a big price imho for what ever her sin was
My thought at the time…no other teen gave her this i thought a statutory rape or consensual with some nasty adult.
But back to my comment every parent should see the faces these odd diseases affect its not the same as seeing them in an article or a book. It hits home and you say to yourself this could just as easily be my child.

 

[jess7396]

Was the vaccine made in a moral way?

Is it safe?

Those would be my only 2 concerns.