Guardasil Vax For 12 Year Old Boy?

[disneychrista]

It's my understanding that there is no testing for HPV for males, only females. So the doctor would not give the vaccination based on his age and the likelihood of already being exposed. I could probably have him check with a different doctor. Has your DD checked with other doctors on possibly getting vaccinated? If it is an insurance issue maybe you could look into paying OOP for it? Possibly insurance won't cover it due to her age but I know that the manufacturer has discounts available.

Unfortunately, it is true there is no way to test a male for HPV, which is unfortunate.

I am not sure if she has pursued it after her initial phone calls. I haven't been able to talk to her about it since then.

 

[momtosam]

Thank you everyone for your thoughtful responses. I appreciate everyone's input!

 

[ronandannette]

I guess it can be a parents choice to get a child vaccinated or not at the recommended age. However I am glad that in NY state a minor can request the vaccine on their own. They do not need parental consent to get the vaccine. I don't know if other states are the same or not. It is nice to know that teens here are able to make that choice for them self and not need a parent to approve or even know they are getting the vaccine. Considering it is the most common std, I feel that a teen should be able to make that choice on their own, especially considering it will affect them the rest of their life. Facts are teens are having sex whether parents approve or not and they should have the right to protect themselves.

Do you know if the child also has the right to refuse the vaccine if the parent has approved it? (Thinking of a school setting here.)

I had a good talk with my DS yesterday about HPV and the implications - especially for a future partner. I know countless women who have contracted it and suffered consequences. I may have felt differently when he was a young adolescent, but I've asked him to have his doctor give her recommendations. He is 20. I honestly don't know whether or not he has been sexually active, nor did I press him to confirm or deny it. I imagine the doctor will use that information to decide if he is a suitable candidate for the vaccine. I also hope that within a generation there will be a herd-immunity effect which arrests the spread of this rampant affliction.

 

[AustinMommyofThree]

If they are older (15+), they still need 3 doses. We waited with dd16 because she was really small, but had a huge growth spurt at 16 (5'2", 107 pounds!), but needs 3 doses.

Good to know, and another good incentive for the boys to get them early.

 

[Happyinwonerland]

I'll wait until my 5 year old is old enough to decide. There is a 100% natural way to prevent HPV, and I'm hoping she will choose that, but if she doesn't, then I will let her decide if she wants a vaccine. By then it will have better research behind it.

 

[Skippy918]

Do you know if the child also has the right to refuse the vaccine if the parent has approved it? (Thinking of a school setting here.)

My kids school gave out flu shots last year. I signed the permission form for them to have it. My son refused the shot. He was scared of the needle.

Back when I was learning about sex Ed and health class, we learned about all the other stds (AIDS, gonorrhea, syphillis, etc) but not HPV. Really curious as to why it's a huge issue now but not back in the 90s.

 

[MillauFr]

Really curious as to why it's a huge issue now but not back in the 90s.

I thought the vaccine was relatively new. I'm sure it was still a problem back then.

 

[disneychrista]

There is a 100% natural way to prevent HPV, and I'm hoping she will choose that

There is only one way to 100% prevent HPV and it is the same as preventing pregnancy. Never having sexual contact.

 

[CdnCarrie]

My kids school gave out flu shots last year. I signed the permission form for them to have it. My son refused the shot. He was scared of the needle.

Back when I was learning about sex Ed and health class, we learned about all the other stds (AIDS, gonorrhea, syphillis, etc) but not HPV. Really curious as to why it's a huge issue now but not back in the 90s.

Vaccine for HPV is new. HPV is not.

 

[disneychrista]

I thought the vaccine was relatively new. I'm sure it was still a problem back then.

The vaccine first became available in 2006.

 

[MillauFr]

There is only one way to 100% prevent HPV and it is the same as preventing pregnancy. Never having sexual contact.

I think you would have to give people hormones to eliminate their desire to have sex. Not sure that is going to happen.

 

[Magpie]

My kids school gave out flu shots last year. I signed the permission form for them to have it. My son refused the shot. He was scared of the needle.

It didn't work that way in my daughter's (Ontario, Canada) school. I signed the form. My daughter called me in tears, begging me not to make her get the shot (she was afraid of needles at the time, she's since got over that fear). I told her to pull up her big girl panties, and I told the teacher who came on the phone that I was giving them permission to go ahead and give her the shot.

So, they did. According to my daughter, there was much crying and sobbing. But, afterward she got a cookie.

No hard feelings, she says. She says, "I needed to get the shot, I was just completely in a panic."

Back when I was learning about sex Ed and health class, we learned about all the other stds (AIDS, gonorrhea, syphillis, etc) but not HPV. Really curious as to why it's a huge issue now but not back in the 90s.

Cervical cancer!

Most Sex Ed programs in the 90's hadn't caught onto the research about HPV's role in cervical cancer. And now it's been shown to cause oral cancer, too.

We've learned a lot over the past several decades. When I was a teenager, they told us that, "Everyone gets HPV, don't worry about it. If you get warts, the doctor will just remove them."

 

[Happyinwonerland]

There is only one way to 100% prevent HPV and it is the same as preventing pregnancy. Never having sexual contact.

Yes, thank you for the info on how STDs work ;-). My hope is that she will wait until she is with someone who is also 100% sure they don't have it.

Again, when she is ready, I will let her decide about this particular vaccine. I personally want to see long term how this works out. This vaccine has only been around 11 years and now they are recommending it to 9 year olds. If a 9 year old is at risk for an std, then social services need to be investigating. How do you even explain to a 9 year old what you are "protecting" them against.

 

[mom2rtk]

Yes, thank you for the info on how STDs work ;-). My hope is that she will wait until she is with someone who is also 100% sure they don't have it.

Again, when she is ready, I will let her decide about this particular vaccine. I personally want to see long term how this works out. This vaccine has only been around 11 years and now they are recommending it to 9 year olds. If a 9 year old is at risk for an std, then social services need to be investigating. How do you even explain to a 9 year old what you are "protecting" them against.

Mine had it when she was 11 or 12. I didn't explain it, just like I didn't explain Whooping Cough or Measles. Just explained the shots were part of keeping her healthy.

 

[MrsJackSparrow4Life]

Yes, thank you for the info on how STDs work ;-). My hope is that she will wait until she is with someone who is also 100% sure they don't have it.

Again, when she is ready, I will let her decide about this particular vaccine. I personally want to see long term how this works out. This vaccine has only been around 11 years and now they are recommending it to 9 year olds. If a 9 year old is at risk for an std, then social services need to be investigating. How do you even explain to a 9 year old what you are "protecting" them against.

They recommend 9 because they want to have the 3 shot series finished before the child is of an age to be considering sex. They started with 11-12 years but sadly discovered with some children it was already too late.

 

[kimblebee]

There is only one way to 100% prevent HPV and it is the same as preventing pregnancy. Never having sexual contact.

That response had me scratching my head (the one you replied to). The only way is abstinence or male contraception (not sure I can say the c word LOL) and I'm not sure that in a marriage that's a long term solution (at least for anyone I know).

 

[ronandannette]

There is only one way to 100% prevent HPV and it is the same as preventing pregnancy. Never having sexual contact.

Right; not even with your spouse. I know several women who I fully believe their accounts of never having been with anyone but their husbands. They contracted HPV from their husbands, who didn't know they were carriers (so they say).

This vaccine was extremely controversial in some Christian circles, due to the moral implications. My DS went to a private church school and we were forced to think through the issue very carefully. We certainly had specific views and expectations on sexual activity outside marriage. But that doesn't change the facts that even in the best-case scenario, we have no way to control who our kids might marry. HPV is a scourge that MUST be eradicated and like with polio in past generations, vaccine is the only way forward.

...We've learned a lot over the past several decades. When I was a teenager, they told us that, "Everyone gets HPV, don't worry about it. If you get warts, the doctor will just remove them."

Sadly, that's almost true. The vast majority of Canadians under age 65 either have, or will have HPV if it remains unchecked.
https://www.canada.ca/en/public-hea...tted-infections/human-papillomavirus-hpv.html

 

[Magpie]

That response had me scratching my head (the one you replied to). The only way is abstinence or male contraception (not sure I can say the c word LOL) and I'm not sure that in a marriage that's a long term solution (at least for anyone I know).

Okay, now I gotta know...

Condom.

(Edited to add) Yes, we can say it! A very important tool in reducing the risk of pregnancy and (some) STIs.

 

[kimblebee]

Okay, now I gotta know...

Condom.

(Edited to add) Yes, we can say it! A very important tool in reducing the risk of pregnancy and (some) STIs.

I feel like I'm constantly being watched by mods so I don't take any chances. Believe me, if I had my way most of my replies would have at least one starred word LOL

ETA~ I totally agree that it's an effective tool, I just didn't think it was very popular among married couples.

 

[Magpie]

I feel like I'm constantly being watched by mods so I don't take any chances. Believe me, if I had my way most of my replies would have at least one starred word LOL

ETA~ I totally agree that it's an effective tool, I just didn't think it was very popular among married couples.

Popular, I'm thinking definitely not. I do know we used them for a long time, out of an excess of caution and a desire not to accidentally get pregnant. ("Belt and suspenders," as my husband says.) But we were very happy to ditch them after he got snipped.

I can't imagine anyone use them forever. If we want to eradicate HPV, immunization is the only way to go.

By the way, this conversation is reminding me of the summer my kids (aged 7 and 9) came running in the door to tell me the astonishing news that our neighbour's kids didn't know what a condom was. A bit worried, I said, "What did you tell them?" My 9yo daughter said primly, "I told them it's a barrier method of birth control," and my 7yo son shouted, "And if you blow them up and draw faces on them, NEVER use permanent marker, or they'll POP!"

Yep, they'd sat in on a couple prep sessions for our church's middle school sex ed program, which I helped teach.