HPV Vaccination

[BuzzCat]

Has anyone gotten this? I heard it's for females 16-25 so I'm on the end of that spectrum. I'm wondering if my OBGYN is going to mention it when I go in for my annual next month.

[Funshine]

I was really considering getting it...

But I think I'd like to see a little more research, first.

[BuzzCat]

Of course, I'm married, so there's really no reason for me to get it I guess.

[Funshine]

Why wouldn't you get it?

[BuzzCat]

I'm only sleeping with Ben. Where would I be picking up this virus?

[BuzzCat]

Ok, weird. Where did Method's post go?

Freakin' me out man.

[method]

heh

i saw you had already posted the same thing so i was like 'erm...nm' and flexed my mod powers to literally 'type and delete' :)

[Funshine]

I'm only sleeping with Ben. Where would I be picking up this virus?
I mean............


Just incase? Not having cancer is a good enough incentive for me to get it done.

[method]

the good news is that it's a very treatable form of cancer - esp. if you're getting your annual paps like you're supposed to and catch it before it metastasizes into a proper cancer growth.

[madeofwires]

my gyn really recommended it, and since i am almost 26 i said why not. they said my insurance would cover it if they ordered it from a particular provider. i've gotten one of the shots so far....

[AmandaHuie]

i am not getting it.

cervical cancer is curable as long as it is caught early. getting paps, having safe sex, and having your partner tested has no side effects.

this vaccine scares me a bit.

[Funshine]

My insurance isn't covering it for another 8 months... and the shots are $100 each. So I'm holding off on some more research in the interum *sp*

[BuzzCat]

I worry about stuff like that. I have enough auto immune stuff going on, most likely caused by the hep B vaccine I got when I was 15.

There are a lot of If's too.

If Ben and I got divorced, or got real crazy I guess.
If the vaccine even prevents it. Right now it's more like "it may prevent some of the strains that may cause the cancer".
If I even pick it up.
If it chooses to cause cancer.

vefy iffy.

[BuzzCat]

i am not getting it.

cervical cancer is curable as long as it is caught early. getting paps, having safe sex, and having your partner tested has no side effects.

this vaccine scares me a bit.

Exactly.

My annual is the end of this month. ugggggggggh.

[AmandaHuie]

i hope the fisting goes well. ;)

[BuzzCat]

I hope they don't try and do the butt thing.

I'll kick them.

[Precious12]

Isnt it more difficult to test men for HPV because it's so hard to detect, unless they have the strain that causes genital warts? Even if the skin around his man junx in infected with HPV and touches your skin, you will have it too.

[AmandaHuie]

what the fuck - http://www.thehpvtest.com/HPV-for-men-FAQ.html#testformen


Is there an HPV test for men?

There is currently no FDA-approved test to detect HPV in men. That is because an effective, reliable way to collect a sample of male genital skin cells, which would allow detection of HPV, has yet to be developed. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises men that they don’t need to be worried about the lack of an HPV test for them. The agency states that "there is no clear health benefit to knowing if men have this virus, since HPV is unlikely to affect their health and cannot be treated. For most men, there would be no need to treat HPV, even if treatment were available, since it usually goes away on its own."



if you can scrape me, you can scrape him. speculum in the pee-hole FTW.

[Precious12]

reason #7615120 as to why they are the bane of my existance.

But I still love 'em.

[method]

they say approximately 50% of all non-celibate people have some form sexually transmitted of HPV.

your chances can be estimated as:

1 - (.5)^(number of people you've slept with)

[AmandaHuie]

there are 120 known HPV types, 37 are known to be spread sexually.

i wonder how you get the rest...

[Shawn_E]

i hope the fisting goes well. ;)


so hardcore :badkitty:

[AmandaHuie]

heh.


Should you stop having sex with your partner if she finds out she has HPV?

There is no need to stop having sexual contact with your partner if she is tested for the virus and finds out she has HPV. The virus is commonly exchanged between sexual partners, and by the time HPV is detected, it most likely already has been shared between the two of you. And, once a particular type of the virus has been exchanged, there is little risk of a 'ping-pong' effect - in which you and your partner keep re-infecting each other with the same type. (In other words, you don't need to worry about passing the same type of HPV back and forth.) However, if you become sexually involved with a different partner, you may pass any types of HPV that are "active" in your body to her, and vice versa.

Remember: HPV is not a sign that you or your partner has been unfaithful. HPV can be "silent" for many years before it is detected by a test. Your partner may have had the HPV virus for a long time, and there is no way to know when or from whom she got it.

[method]

there are 120 known HPV types, 37 are known to be spread sexually.

i wonder how you get the rest...

huh. :tmyk:

any info about the relative prevalence of the various strains?

[AmandaHuie]

Approximately 20 million people are currently infected with HPV. At least 50 percent of sexually active men and women acquire genital HPV infection at some point in their lives. By age 50, at least 80 percent of women will have acquired genital HPV infection. About 6.2 million Americans get a new genital HPV infection each year.

[method]

oh ok. i guess my formula was pretty accurate afterall then.

[madeofwires]

hpv is actually very common, goes away on its own, and rarely causes cancer. however it is still not good to go passing around, and especially if you are a male and have no idea you even have it... that's why i think it's good to be safe , and even thou the vaccine does not cover all strains, better some than none, imo....

[Funshine]

Remember: HPV is not a sign that you or your partner has been unfaithful. HPV can be "silent" for many years before it is detected by a test. Your partner may have had the HPV virus for a long time, and there is no way to know when or from whom she got it.
See, this right here is what scares me.

Does anyone know how hard it is to detect in the blood? Cause when I was pregnant, they did all sorts of blood tests to find out if I had any stds that would affect the baby, etc... all of them came back clean.

Is it possible to have it and still not know?

[AmandaHuie]

huh. :tmyk:

any info about the relative prevalence of the various strains?

i cant find any info on the percentages of each strain.

but this is what give you what -

DISEASE
STRAIN
Common warts
2, 7

Plantar warts
1, 2, 4

Flat cutaneous warts
3, 10

Anogenital warts (Condyloma acuminatum)
6, 11, 42,43,44, 55 and more

Genital malignancies
16, 18, 31,33,35, 39, 45, 51

Epidermodysplasia verruciformis
>15 strains

Focal epithjelial hyperplasia (oral)
13, 32

Oral Papillomas
6, 7, 11, 16, 32

[BuzzCat]

there are 120 known HPV types, 37 are known to be spread sexually.

i wonder how you get the rest...

I believe there are a few that can be passed genetically.

- I mean if the mom had it before the child was born, the child can be born with it. Dunno where I heard that.

[AmandaHuie]

How is HPV speculated to cause cancer?

HPV DNA integrates into the host genome.

The proteins E6 and E7 are produced from the resultant DNA.

E6 binds and degrades p53 (a tumor suppressor gene).

So what? Normally, if the cell DNA is damaged, p53 is in charge of stopping the cell cycle so the DNA can be repaired. Now, if the DNA is altered, the cell keeps replicating. The mutation rate of the cell increases!

E7 binds and degrades retinoblastoma (another tumor suppressor gene).

Hm, sounds familiar. Retinoblastoma normally keeps the cell from growing too fast or responding to growth stimulators. This inhibitory factor is now lost!

And so, without these two mechanisms to slow down cell growth and prevent mutation. . .

Malignant Transformation Occurs!

[AmandaHuie]

See, this right here is what scares me.

Does anyone know how hard it is to detect in the blood? Cause when I was pregnant, they did all sorts of blood tests to find out if I had any stds that would affect the baby, etc... all of them came back clean.

Is it possible to have it and still not know?

if you have active genital warts at the time you are giving birth, you can pass it to your baby. they say that is the only way.

[method]

many retroviruses cause cancer actually.

[LilLemur416]

Ok - haven't followed this too closely - but at one point, I thought they were saying they would only vaccinate women who had not become sexually active yet? Any one else heard this? It sounds like that's not the case from this thread.... :shrug:


Also - I've had doctors tell me that they won't even test for HPV in women unless a pap comes back abnormal because 75-80% of women under 30 have some strain of it at some point. So unless you start showing symptoms, they won't test for it.

[AmandaHuie]

no one in this thread is sexually active.

[Funshine]

I'm a virgin.

[Jill]

I love that I am way too old to get this vaccine.

[BuzzCat]

:no:

I am sexually inactive.

[LilLemur416]

I didn't mean to imply anyone in this thread *was* sexually active... Just that it seemed such an obvious limitation on who could be vaccinated either would have been mentioned or it wasn't true


:ontome:
:wink:

[AmandaHuie]

Why is the HPV vaccine recommended for such young girls?
Ideally, females should get the vaccine before they are sexually active. This is because the vaccine is most effective in girls/women who have not yet acquired any of the four HPV types covered by the vaccine. Girls/women who have not been infected with any of those four HPV types will get the full benefits of the vaccine.

Will sexually active females benefit from the vaccine?
Females who are sexually active may also benefit from the vaccine. But they may get less benefit from the vaccine since they may have already acquired one or more HPV type(s) covered by the vaccine. Few young women are infected with all four of these HPV types. So they would still get protection from those types they have not acquired. Currently, there is no test available to tell if a girl/woman has had any or all of these four HPV types.

[lupitanahsee]

im too old for it, but was seriously considering having the kiddo vaccinated at her next check up.

[sassypance]

vaccines usually take time to work out the kinks, i would like to wait to see what transpires after a few years of giving it and see what the numbers look like then.

[LilLemur416]

FDA (http://www.fda.gov/womens/getthefacts/hpv.html):

What is the HPV vaccine and how does it work?
The vaccine, called Gardasil, mimics the disease and creates resistance. It is NOT a live or a dead virus. It prevents infection with HPV types 6, 11, 16 and 18.

Is it safe?
Tests of the vaccine showed only minor problems. Some people had a slight fever. Others had redness or irritation on their skin where they got the shot.

Is it effective?
Gardasil is between 95-100% effective against HPV types 6, 11, 16, 18.

Who should get the HPV vaccine?
The FDA has approved Gardasil for girls and women ages 9-26. It is best to get the shot before the start of sexual activity.

How many shots do you need?
There are three shots. Once you get the first shot, you need a second shot two months later. You need to get a third shot six months after you get the first shot.

How long are you protected?
Since the vaccine is new, more studies need to be done. For example, the FDA does not know if you will need to have a booster after a couple of years.

Should I get the vaccine if I already have HPV?
The vaccine will not treat or cure HPV. It may help people who have one type of HPV from being infected with the other types. For example, if you have type 6, it may protect you from getting type 16.


Can I catch HPV from getting the vaccine?
No. The vaccine does not contain the HPV virus.




Link to the approval letter, which includes the post-marketing studies Merck has agreed to do as a condition of the approval: http://www.fda.gov/cber/approvltr/hpvmer060806L.htm

[BuzzCat]

Yes, that's the propaganda for it. And you know, I do think it's a wonderful idea invention.

But, 10ish years ago (or so) they introduced a new generation of Hep B Vaccines, followed by an unexplainable increase in auto immune disorders in teenagers who received the vaccination ranging from 1-5 years later.

Forgive me, I don't have all the research with me. It's something my mother and I have been looking into for years, and there are a few groups researching it.

But, 1 year after I received the vaccine, I turned diabetic & ovarian failure by ovarian antibodies. My best friend developed Chrone's disease two years after the injection.

Just makes me vary wary.

[spatulagirl]

I won't be getting it nor will my daughter (unless she chooses to get it later in life). Truth is she has already had HPV. She has a wart on her finger we treated. That is the most common form of HPV.

I don't trust Merck and I don't trust their propaganda.

"This vaccine should not be mandated for 11-year-old girls.... It's not been tested in little girls for efficacy. At 11, these girls don't get cervical cancer—they won't know for 25 years if they will get cervical cancer. Giving it to 11-year-olds is a great big public health experiment."
Dr. Diane Harper, lead researcher, HPV vaccine development"

On a side note, BuzzCat, you are correct. I firmly believe in what you have written about Hep B and auto-immune disorders. My kids are not vaccinated for that either.

[lupitanahsee]

Yes, that's the propaganda for it. And you know, I do think it's a wonderful idea invention.

But, 10ish years ago (or so) they introduced a new generation of Hep B Vaccines, followed by an unexplainable increase in auto immune disorders in teenagers who received the vaccination ranging from 1-5 years later.

Forgive me, I don't have all the research with me. It's something my mother and I have been looking into for years, and there are a few groups researching it.

But, 1 year after I received the vaccine, I turned diabetic & ovarian failure by ovarian antibodies. My best friend developed Chrone's disease two years after the injection.

Just makes me vary wary.
....i just gotta say im fucking floored by this.

i was required to get the hep b vaccine for my job. i got the complete round of shots in 2000. all was fine. got my first job and tested negative for the antibodies during my occupational health physical. got another round of shots. still tested negative for the antibodies so they left it at that.

2-3 years later, my finger starts swelling. i let it go for about a year til its so bad i lost almost complete use of my right hand. so i went to see a rheumetologist. psoriatic arthritis. i have psoriasis (an autoimmune disprder surprise surprise) which had been completely controlled with no outbreaks since after i had my daughter in '97. the dr told me that about 60% of psoriasis patients wind up developing the arthritis associated with it. its very similar to rheumetoid arthritis, the only major differences being its onset and the fact that it randomly attacks joints unilaterally, whereas rhumetoid attacks bilaterally.

now i get to take chemo drugs to kill my immune system so it doesnt attack my body.

ive read a lot on the subject and there is a school of thought that centers around infection...mainly reminants of strep RNA floating around in your system from previous infections that settle in joints and activate when given the opportunity...its been a while since ive read up on that stuff, but never did i see the hep b vaccine connection...i did this morning though...

im totally fucking freaked out now.

[housecat]

Damn :( I was all for this vaccination before but this is some scary shit you guys. Seems like this was a while ago maybe it's safe now? I dunno but that is crazy.

[tinybinderclip]

I read the title as HPV vacation.

[method]

i think that's usually called spring break

[BuzzCat]

....i just gotta say im fucking floored by this.

i was required to get the hep b vaccine for my job. i got the complete round of shots in 2000. all was fine. got my first job and tested negative for the antibodies during my occupational health physical. got another round of shots. still tested negative for the antibodies so they left it at that.

2-3 years later, my finger starts swelling. i let it go for about a year til its so bad i lost almost complete use of my right hand. so i went to see a rheumetologist. psoriatic arthritis. i have psoriasis (an autoimmune disprder surprise surprise) which had been completely controlled with no outbreaks since after i had my daughter in '97. the dr told me that about 60% of psoriasis patients wind up developing the arthritis associated with it. its very similar to rheumetoid arthritis, the only major differences being its onset and the fact that it randomly attacks joints unilaterally, whereas rhumetoid attacks bilaterally.

now i get to take chemo drugs to kill my immune system so it doesnt attack my body.

ive read a lot on the subject and there is a school of thought that centers around infection...mainly reminants of strep RNA floating around in your system from previous infections that settle in joints and activate when given the opportunity...its been a while since ive read up on that stuff, but never did i see the hep b vaccine connection...i did this morning though...

im totally fucking freaked out now.

You would be amazed, by how many stories just like that I've heard. It makes you so very angry. So very, fucking angry.

If I hadn't had that shot, it's most likely my life would be 20 years longer and I'd be able to have my own kids. There are people with chrones who are fucking miserable. I don't know who to, or if I even can blame anyone or an entity. It never made any sense that all this would happen to me. Like a lot of people with sudden, weird illness', no history in my family, no childhood diseases, nothing. When we heard this - it made sense.

[lupitanahsee]

from what i read in medical journals this morning, it doesnt CAUSE any one disorder, rather exploits genetic predisposition to such disorders with over activation of the immune system.

[Jill]

from what i read in medical journals this morning, it doesnt CAUSE any one disorder, rather exploits genetic predisposition to such disorders with over activation of the immune system.

I'm so glad I read this thread. I can get a free Hep vaccine from my work since I have a chance of being exposed to bodily fluids, and I was going to take them up on it. Don't think I will now, especially considering I have psoriasis.

[lupitanahsee]

yeah its sooooo fucked up cause IM FUCKING REQUIRED TO HAVE IT FOR MY JOB.

[BuzzCat]

from what i read in medical journals this morning, it doesnt CAUSE any one disorder, rather exploits genetic predisposition to such disorders with over activation of the immune system.


Correct. That pretty much means "causes" to me though, since it's most likely the reason all these things were "activated".

I hear it's required for kids now. I'm sure the generations of vaccines have gotten better, but I hear SO many more cases of thyroid issues these days.

[Funshine]

I hear it's required for kids now. I'm sure the generations of vaccines have gotten better, but I hear SO many more cases of thyroid issues these days.
:sadblue:

[BuzzCat]

I don't think I agree with vaccinating kids for STD's. Healthcare professionals I can understand.

[lupitanahsee]

Correct. That pretty much means "causes" to me though, since it's most likely the reason all these things were "activated".

I hear it's required for kids now. I'm sure the generations of vaccines have gotten better, but I hear SO many more cases of thyroid issues these days.
yeah. i hear you.

i had some other factors that could have also played a part in activation of my issues...but its seriously fishy.

and another fucked up little anecdote...

the medication i take is stright up poison. if i were to ever want to have any more kids, id have to come off of it. the only other medication available out there would be one of several injectables...which have the lovely side effect of a 1/1000 chance of developing multiple sclerosis. sometimes when that occurs, its just a "symptom" until the medication is stopped, in other cases, the people have never recovered and have to deal with MS for the rest of their lives...

MS also happens to be one of the most commonly activated autoimmune disorders reported in association with the hep b vaccine.

thank god i already have a kid and feel no need to have any more, so this is not an issue for me...but others out there it is. :sadblue:

[BuzzCat]

I will say, I am thankful to have disorders that still allow me to function normally for the most part. I can go out and party (given, I don't drink beeer, I tend to have seizures when I do). I can be athletic or travel or do whatever.

[spatulagirl]

Correct. That pretty much means "causes" to me though, since it's most likely the reason all these things were "activated".

I hear it's required for kids now. I'm sure the generations of vaccines have gotten better, but I hear SO many more cases of thyroid issues these days.

Hep B vax is required by law in every state but Alabama and South Dakota. Some states you can get waivers (like religious or philosophical) or you can choose to not put your children in daycare or school.

The only thing that has gotten better about vaccines are the limited amount of Thimersol (mercury) they have in them. They still have it in them but not as much as a few years back. If children receive all recommended vaccines, they will receive 2,370 times the "allowable safe limit" for mercury in the first two years of life. As time goes on, more and more vaccinations are added to the child vaccine schedule. It overloads their system. They are being vaccinated almost 40 times by the time they are five!

I have a good friend whose son is severely vaccine injured. It was difficult to watch.

[BuzzCat]

We over vaccinate. It's ridiculous.

I don't even get flu shots anymore. Since I stopped getting them, I stopped getting so damn sick too.

[spatulagirl]

No flu shots here either. When my husband was in the military he had to get so many vaccinations it was even funny. When he got vax'd for anthrax none of us could touch him or sleep in the same bed as him. It can transfer through skin to skin contact.

I never received a vaccine in my life until I married a guy in the military and had to get some in order to become command sponsored. THey didn't know what to do with a person whose parents didn't have a shot record for her.

[Legba]

I was really considering getting it...

But I think I'd like to see a little more research, first.

What research are you waiting for? The vaccine has been demonstrated to be safe and entirely effective.

This thing is going to save a lot of lives. A friend of mine was just diagnosed with cervical cancer as a result of HPV and I wish it had been around for her. Unfortunately, HPV isn't entirely prevented by condom use. :-(

I'm pretty outraged though that they're dragging their feet on extending the age range. A friend of mine who is 28 tried to get it and had to fight for it--they basically talked to her like she was a slut for saying "yes, I am over 26 and single and I go out on dates occasionally and would like to not get HPV." They also have yet to authorize it for men, which is absolutely dipshit. All of the available research indicates that it is as safe and as effective for men. Given that some estimates of the number of infected persons in this country are as high as 70-80% of the sexually active population, we all need to be getting this ASAP.

[Funshine]

I think it's a great idea - I'm totally all for getting it myself.


I just wish I were younger... I'd like to see how the women are doing a few years after getting the vaccine :)

AND DAMN. I hadn't even thought about men getting something like this. Why exactly haven't they gotten around to doing it yet? They should at least start testing it out on guys so they can get some real research on the subject.

[Legba]

The Thimersol worries are way way way overplayed. That autism scare that's been running around is driving me nuts.

That said, they do need to better inform people of vaccination risks if you have a particular condition.

Hep B vax is required by law in every state but Alabama and South Dakota. Some states you can get waivers (like religious or philosophical) or you can choose to not put your children in daycare or school.

The only thing that has gotten better about vaccines are the limited amount of Thimersol (mercury) they have in them. They still have it in them but not as much as a few years back. If children receive all recommended vaccines, they will receive 2,370 times the "allowable safe limit" for mercury in the first two years of life. As time goes on, more and more vaccinations are added to the child vaccine schedule. It overloads their system. They are being vaccinated almost 40 times by the time they are five!

I have a good friend whose son is severely vaccine injured. It was difficult to watch.

[Legba]

A friend of mine who is 28 tried to get it and had to fight for it--they basically talked to her like she was a slut for saying "yes, I am over 26 and single and I go out on dates occasionally and would like to not get HPV." They also have yet to authorize it for men, which is absolutely dipshit.

On a related note, does anyone else get lectures from healthcare workers about their sex lives? I go in about once every six months and then every time I get a new partner for an STI check and I suddenly found myself getting a patronizing lecture about promiscuity. Shut the fuck up, stick that swab up my cock, and let me go.

For a TMI moment, when I was concerned about a partner of mine having been diagnosed with herpes and I wanted to know how I could minimize the risk of picking up the infection (STIs don't really faze me), instead of giving me proper counseling, I was told "Well, that's what happens when you aren't in a monogamous relationship" and then hung up on. I ended up calling Kaiser and having a screaming match with my doctor.

Which is annoying because I thought the ultimate goal was to de-tabooify STIs and convince people that with proper condom usage, most of them aren't a big deal, and to socialize people about STIs so that people with them feel comfortable telling people about possible infections and getting others to go get tested.

This is how we've entered a point in time when we're facing the prospect of drug-resistant Gonnorhea.

[Legba]

I hadn't even thought about men getting something like this. Why exactly haven't they gotten around to doing it yet? They should at least start testing it out on guys so they can get some real research on the subject.

They are. I almost signed up for a trial but it closed before I could get in. But it's slow going.

The main reason I want to get it is less because I'm worried about HPV infection--honestly, aside from the warts--which can be removed with ease or go away on their own--there's no significant health risk to men--and more because I'm worried about giving someone cancer.

[spatulagirl]

The Thimersol worries are way way way overplayed. That autism scare that's been running around is driving me nuts.

That said, they do need to better inform people of vaccination risks if you have a particular condition.

Do you know someone who is vaccine injured? Have you seen someone have a reaction to vaccinations?

My friend's some is severely vaccine injured. It isn't a joke. He was a normal little boy, got the MMR and is NOT the same. He will never be the same again. It made me research vaccinations instead of just trusting the vaccine industry (who really are just out to make money). We chose what we thought was right for our family. Doesn't make it right for everyone but it is right for ours.

You can get vaccines without Thimersol. If you are pro-vaccine you can ask your doctor to order vaccines with no mercury. No one can convince me that any amount of mercury is ok to inject in my body or my child's. Same goes with formaldehyde and many other ingredients. As a vegan, I will not inject animal derived ingredients into my body as well.

I think it is up to each person to really research what they are injecting into their bodies. And I think we should all be able to choose. I am 100% against forced or mandatory vaccinations.

The HPV vaccination does have side effects. Every vaccination does. Nothing is 100% safe. I have studies but the kids call to go to the garden so maybe in the next post.

[BuzzCat]

Vaccine injuries are no jokes, and part of the problem is they are not taking steps to track / research the people who are. Who really wants to prove that all these vaccinations are making people sick?

Cervical cancer is extremly treatable. The last death rate I remember seeing for women under 65 was 2.2 out of 100,000. I don't consider that a "lot" of lives.

[EurotrashEve]

Has anyone gotten this? I heard it's for females 16-25 so I'm on the end of that spectrum. I'm wondering if my OBGYN is going to mention it when I go in for my annual next month.

I got it, when I came in for my annual because I was already getting bloodwork done...it's given to you in your upper arm and you don't get all three at once. You take the other doses with you and put them in the fridge and bring them with you to your next shot, they are spaced out and you have to get more over time.
It is not covered by Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance so you have to check that because my 3 shots are $800...if my insurance covered it it would only be $400

I thought of it this way ovarian cancer or get the shot and not have to deal with the cost of MRI's and chemotherapy medication etc...later in life since it's in my family and also chance of HPV...no thanks, I'd rather pay the $800, it's my health it's more important

I really didn't feel the side effects although I was slightly dizzy
I'd highly reccomend it though and if you are preg you can't take the shot..but that's a given

Hopefully for my future shots BCBS will decide to cover it

[madeofwires]

Hopefully for my future shots BCBS will decide to cover it

BCBS is covering mins :shrug:

[Legba]

I don't consider that a "lot" of lives.

I know two people who have cervical cancer, one who had to have a hysterectomy because of it and another one who is undergoing treatment for pre-cancerous growths as a result of HPV. These are people who are lucky enough to have health insurance. If you do not have health insurance, you are screwed in terms of treatment. A statistic I just looked up indicated that in 2006, some 10,000 women were diagnosed with cervical cancer and 4,000 women died from it. That's a fuckload of preventable deaths.

If you don't feel comfortable with getting the vaccine, don't get it. But there are a fuckload of people who do want to get it and should have that option easily available to them and for as cheaply as possible or for free.

[EurotrashEve]

BCBS is covering mins :shrug:

I think it's also where I go..it depends on your doctor and their policies

Reguardless, it still had to get done

[spatulagirl]

http://judicialwatch.org/6299.shtml

For those interested in waiting for more research before getting the vaccine.

[EmmaK]

I love that I am way too old to get this vaccine.
My gyno is recommending all of her patients, up to age 30, get it.

[LizE]

I'm pretty sure I'm too old to get this as well. If not, I'm getting there.

[EmmaK]

Yikes, somehow missed these and the string of follow-up posts, the first time around.

Yes, that's the propaganda for it. And you know, I do think it's a wonderful idea invention.

But, 10ish years ago (or so) they introduced a new generation of Hep B Vaccines, followed by an unexplainable increase in auto immune disorders in teenagers who received the vaccination ranging from 1-5 years later.

Forgive me, I don't have all the research with me. It's something my mother and I have been looking into for years, and there are a few groups researching it.

But, 1 year after I received the vaccine, I turned diabetic & ovarian failure by ovarian antibodies. My best friend developed Chrone's disease two years after the injection.

Just makes me vary wary.
....i just gotta say im fucking floored by this.

i was required to get the hep b vaccine for my job. i got the complete round of shots in 2000. all was fine. got my first job and tested negative for the antibodies during my occupational health physical. got another round of shots. still tested negative for the antibodies so they left it at that.

2-3 years later, my finger starts swelling. i let it go for about a year til its so bad i lost almost complete use of my right hand. so i went to see a rheumetologist. psoriatic arthritis. i have psoriasis (an autoimmune disprder surprise surprise) which had been completely controlled with no outbreaks since after i had my daughter in '97. the dr told me that about 60% of psoriasis patients wind up developing the arthritis associated with it. its very similar to rheumetoid arthritis, the only major differences being its onset and the fact that it randomly attacks joints unilaterally, whereas rhumetoid attacks bilaterally.

now i get to take chemo drugs to kill my immune system so it doesnt attack my body.

ive read a lot on the subject and there is a school of thought that centers around infection...mainly reminants of strep RNA floating around in your system from previous infections that settle in joints and activate when given the opportunity...its been a while since ive read up on that stuff, but never did i see the hep b vaccine connection...i did this morning though...

im totally fucking freaked out now.

[bboyneko]

Given that some estimates of the number of infected persons in this country are as high as 70-80% of the sexually active population, we all need to be getting this ASAP.

That also means the vaccine is useless for over 80% of us.

[EmmaK]

That also means the vaccine is useless for over 80% of us.
Wrong. The vaccine is (supposed to be) effective/beneficial for those already infected.

[GiveMeFunkyBeats]

Wrong. The vaccine is (supposed to be) effective/beneficial for those already infected.


no its not...if you already have one of the strains that the vaccine protects you from, it doesnt do anything for you...

the vaccine protects against the most common strains that lead to cervical cancer and most strains that manifests itself as warts...if you already have these you are shit out of luck



but again, i believe the vaccine only guards you against like 6 strains of hpv...there are like 100+ strains


which i mean, ok then it is still beneficial :D...nm

[EmmaK]

no its not...if you already have one of the strains that the vaccine protects you from, it doesnt do anything for you...

the vaccine protects against the most common strains that lead to cervical cancer and most strains that manifests itself as warts...if you already have these you are shit out of luck



but again, i believe the vaccine only guards you against like 6 strains of hpv...there are like 100+ strains


which i mean, ok then it is still beneficial :D...nm
My gynocologist specifically said it is still beneficial to get the vaccine, and it also says that directly in the literature that she provided to me so I could start reading up ahead of time and be informed.

[GiveMeFunkyBeats]

My gynocologist specifically said it is still beneficial to get the vaccine, and it also says that directly in the literature that she provided to me so I could start reading up ahead of time and be informed.


i think most doctors are trigger happy when it comes to telling you things you need when you might not necessarily need them, to include vaccinations/medications/procedures...so i take things they say with a grain of salt and usually try to do research on my own regarding what they are trying to get me to do/take etc...

i mean, im all for the hpv vaccination and plan on getting my first shot before the end of this year...but in the same respect i am also completely dumbfounded by the disparity between how many strains the vaccination actually protects you against v. how many strains there are

[EmmaK]

i think most doctors are trigger happy when it comes to telling you things you need when you might not necessarily need them, to include vaccinations/medications/procedures...so i take things they say with a grain of salt and usually try to do research on my own regarding what they are trying to get me to do/take etc...

i mean, im all for the hpv vaccination and plan on getting my first shot before the end of this year...but in the same respect i am also completely dumbfounded by the disparity between how many strains the vaccination actually protects you against v. how many strains there are
Totally agreed, and I'm doing my own research, as well. My father is a doctor and definitely NOT the trigger-happy type, so I think I partially inherited my need-to-find-out-for-myself from him.

The initial HIV drugs (particularly the method of dispensing them) also weren't as effective as the newer treatments. Things like that are worth noting.

So yeah, I don't know. It seems like a really good idea, and on the flip side, it still needs more work. Oh hey, like most new discoveries.