Column: Making a grown-up decision about Gardasil

By Rachael Shockey

This past weekend, I went to Planned Parenthood and got my second Gardasil shot a whopping four years late. When I first realized about two years ago that I had completely forgotten about my vaccination series, I concluded that I was a goner, doomed to death by genital warts as punishment for my faulty memory. To my delight, I learned from a Planned Parenthood representative that, so long as I am still under age 26 and have not yet been exposed to the strands of human papillomavirus, I can receive the rest of the vaccines and they will be effective in prevention.

I was reminded to inquire about Gardasil by last week’s news that the Center for Disease Control has officially recommended that boys and men ages nine to 26 begin receiving Gardasil in addition to girls and women, a suggestion that has already met plenty of resistance. The vaccine has been around for five years and its controversial nature has not yet simmered down.

The media representations of Gardasil are enough to discourage many people from requesting the vaccine. Many parents and politicians have expressed dismay over the young age (usually 11 or 12) at which children are encouraged to concern themselves with a shot that protects against sexually transmitted infections. Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry was attacked by fellow conservatives when, as governor of Texas, he tried to make Gardasil a required vaccine for girls. In September, republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann went so far as to fabricate claims regarding the dangers of Gardasil to back up her moral opposition to it. In a New York Times article from last week on the high expense of administering Gardasil to boys by the masses, Gardiner Harris erroneously suggested that HPV-related illnesses are almost exclusively a concern for males who are gay.

“Many of the cancers in men result from homosexual sex,” Gardiner said (the fact that he believes there is a singular, fixed definition of “homosexual sex” should leave us feeling skeptical about his expertise on the subject).”Vaccinating homosexual boys would be far more cost effective than vaccinating all boys.”

Between being a busy college student and the ever-persistent scandals over Gardasil, it is difficult to get the facts on the vaccine and determine what HPV-preventative solution is best for our individual lifestyles. Many of us receive the vaccine blindly without questioning what exactly it is and is not protecting us against, and some of us are so far removed from the facts that we cannot make an informed decision on whether or not it is right for us. The following is a guide for those who need to know about the objective natures of HPV and the Gardasil vaccine.

Getting acquainted with the enemy. Given that genital HPV is the most likely sexually transmitted infection to contract, it seems especially important to familiarize oneself with the threat. There are more than 40 strands of genital HPV, which means that most of us will be exposed to at least one of these strands at some point. The good news is that it will probably run its course through our bodies without notice.

“In 90 percent of cases, the body’s immune system clears HPV naturally within two years,” the staff at http://cdc.gov said.

In the event that genital HPV does not come quietly, it most commonly afflicts carriers with genital warts or cervical cancer (one or the other; genital warts are very treatable and do not turn into any kind of cancer). Other cancers linked to HPV infections include oral, anal, vaginal, penile and vulvar.

“HPV can cause normal cells on infected skin to turn abnormal. Most of the time, you cannot see or feel these cell changes. Warts can appear within weeks or months after getting HPV. Cancer often takes years to develop after getting HPV,” the staff at http://cdc.gov said.

Unfortunately, there currently is no way to test an individual for HPV, although standard Pap smears test for cervical cancer. As far as preventative measures go, using condoms and dental dams during oral, vaginal and anal sex will reduce your risk of infection. However, infection could still occur in areas not covered by the contraceptive barrier.

The goods on Gardasil. Gardasil is a trilogy of vaccines, administered over a six-month period, that protects against four of the 40 HPV strands (two are the most common causes of genital warts, and the other two are the ones that most commonly lead to cervical cancer). It has been FDA-approved since 2006, although most people agree that the research done on the vaccine’s effects is still insufficient. At this point, there is evidence to suggest that Gardasil is highly effective in protecting against cervical cancer in females and against genital warts in both males and females. It may protect against other cancers to which both sexes are susceptible as well.

Gardasil is a preventative vaccine, which means that one should receive all three before coming into contact with the associated strands of HPV. This is why the suggested age at which one should receive Gardasil is so early.

“The [CDC] committee suggests that boys receive the vaccine when they turn 11 or 12 when their immune systems are considered to be most robust and before they become sexually active,” Susan Todd at http://connect.nj.com said.

It is still unclear how long the vaccine can protect one from HPV, or whether the vaccine provides effective protection for people over 26.

Opting for the vaccine. Should you choose to request a preventative vaccine, know that two options, Gardasil and Cervarix, are available to women, but men are recommended to stick with Gardasil. Relatively speaking, this vaccine is free of major risks.

“The most common side effects are bruising, itching, redness, swelling or tenderness around the area where the shot is given. Women may also experience dizziness, fainting, mild fever, nausea and vomiting. There is no live virus in either HPV vaccine, so they can’t give you an infection,” the staff at http://plannedparenthood.org said.

When I got my vaccine last weekend, I suffered nothing more than a mildly sore arm…and a bit of shame over owning up to my four-year period of procrastination.

Speaking from experience, while the vaccine series should supposedly be spaced out according to a set schedule, you can get vaccinated whenever it is convenient for you, provided that you are still younger than 26 (and that cutoff age may change as more research is conducted). The vaccines can cost up to about $375, which is a horrible figure if Gardasil cannot be covered by your health insurance provider. If Gardasil is financially inaccessible to you through a regular physician, consider contacting a Planned Parenthood clinic. They typically offer Gardasil vaccines for all clients and are able to accommodate your financial situation.

Read more here: http://www.maristcircle.com/lifestyles/sexual-healing-making-a-grown-up-decision-about-gardasil-1.2678402
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