New Cervical Cancer Vaccine

[Christine]

I think it's wrong to say that strains of HPV are deadly. HIV is deadly, not HPV. HPV can increase your risk of getting cervical cancer...it's not the actual virus that can "kill" you. You also run the risk of unnecessarily scaring people by saying it's "deadly." Cervical cancer is one of the most sucessfuly treated cancers there is. The 5 year survival rate of cervical cancer, if caught early (this means getting your annual exam) is almost 100 percent.

Okay, by "deadly" I meant "harmful." But some of the websites I was viewing said "deadly." And yes, HPV doesn't kill, it only causes a problem when it changes your cervical cells to the point that they become malignant.

 

[mickeyboat]

Anyway - I think we're all saying about the same thing.

What do you all think about vaccinating men and boys to prevent transmission to their partners. Parents of boys, would you do this?

Denae

 

[Christine]

Anyway - I think we're all saying about the same thing.

What do you all think about vaccinating men and boys to prevent transmission to their partners. Parents of boys, would you do this?

Denae

Definitely. But why do I feel like the burden is going to fall on the woman? I mean, I realize it is the woman who gets the worst disease but it also causes two other types of cancer in men. I won't type what they are because I think they will be censored out.

 

[Free4Life11]

I am wondering, what is HPV? I remember learned about all the "H" STDs in healthy lifestyles class last year but all I remember is HIV and Herpes.

 

[Chris2597]

The poster that said that HPV is not deadly is wrong....HPV can lead to cervical cancer..not all HPV will lead to cancer but there is definite risk...90% of cervical cancers arise from the HPV virus. If cervical cancer is not caught early it is deadly.
I think all children should be vaccinated at a young age....There is a very high % of the population that has been exposed to this virus....Of course I havent read any of the side effects or cons about this vacine....I am sure there will be more info forthcoming.
A young woman in her 30's died of this condition. She had abnormal paps, had the area taken care of, but it came back....she had a hysterectomy and the cells returned, spread and she died a short time later....All starting with the HPV virus, cancer and then it was too late.

 

[Christine]

I am wondering, what is HPV? I remember learned about all the "H" STDs in healthy lifestyles class last year but all I remember is HIV and Herpes.

HPV = Human Papilloma Virus

 

[ReneeA]

I've read somewhere that now not all HPV is thought to be spread sexually. That you can get it other ways...one way I remember is that you are much more likely to get it if you "injure" your cervix. (Although I can't think of a more likely way to injure your cervix than through childbirth)


This article also mentioned that an 85 year old nun (who had been a faithful nun since she was 18 years old) was found to have HPV, and didn't contract it sexually.

I wish I could remember where I read it...it was interesting.

ReneeA

 

[summerrluvv]

It's good that a vaccine is coming because I have read stats that anywhere between 50-70 percent of sexually active people have HPV. It is usually symptom less and only certain strains increase a woman's risk of cervical cancer. However, if a women gets her annual papspear, the woman has an almost 100 percent chance of surviving cancer b/c they will catch the abnormal/pre-cancerous/cancerous cells so early. So while the vaccine would be good, it's still very important for all women to get checkups. Probably half of us have hpv and don't even know it.

I'm confused as to how they test for HPV. Is it just from the Pap? If you don't have abnormal cells can you still have HPV?

I JUST went for my checkup a week and a half ago (hadn't been in a couple of years) and well, no news is good news

 

[Kermit]

I'm confused as to how they test for HPV. Is it just from the Pap? If you don't have abnormal cells can you still have HPV?

I JUST went for my checkup a week and a half ago (hadn't been in a couple of years) and well, no news is good news

To the best of my knowledge (and I haven't read any of the links in this post), I don't think that they do routinely test for HPV. I'm not sure if there is a test. When you have a pelvic exam and Pap, it's to see if you have the cancer that would be most likely caused by HPV.

 

[summerrluvv]

To the best of my knowledge (and I haven't read any of the links in this post), I don't think that they do routinely test for HPV. I'm not sure if there is a test. When you have a pelvic exam and Pap, it's to see if you have the cancer that would be most likely caused by HPV.

Ahhh okay

 

[Kermit]

I forgot to answer the part about what I'll do with my children.

While they're young now, my plan is to tell them that we don't approve of premarital sexual activity, but we will tell them about birth control and any vaccines that exist that might be a good idea. They'll make their own choices, more or less. I won't let them make absolutely really dumb decisions, but I'm also not going to be one of those parents who makes her DD's go on birth control (or take vaccines that are only effective if they're sexually active) "just in case". I think that shows a level of distrust, and since hormonal bc pills and vaccines have some amount of risk, I don't think I have the right to make them accept that risk if it's absolutely unnecessary. My mom tried to make me go on the pill in high school just because all the other moms were doing it, and I refused to do it. I knew that going on the pill makes many women gain weight, and since I had no reason to be on it, I didn't want that to happen to me. I was very unhappy with my parents that they chose to not believe me and that they were willing to take that kind of risk unnecessarily with my health.

 

[Nutsy]

From what I heard the guy who developed this vaccine saying on tv (an Aussie) was the vaccine would be given to pre-sexual teenagers. Seems that it is far more beneficial to administer the vaccine before the personal starts having sexual intercourse.

 

[Christine]

I'm confused as to how they test for HPV. Is it just from the Pap? If you don't have abnormal cells can you still have HPV?

I JUST went for my checkup a week and a half ago (hadn't been in a couple of years) and well, no news is good news

I had a test for HPV once. I was having unusual symptoms (burning and just being uncomfortable) that were not caused by the usual suspects. I'm not sure how they tested for it but it was with a cervical smear of some sorts and it was "coded" separately for my insurance. So it was a separate test from the Pap smear, but I guess it is a culture of some sort.