My sister's enounter with a fundie in the doctor's offce

[dairyfreelife]

Your fear of the vaccination is no different than a child scared of the boogey man under her bed. On the other hand, not getting the vaccination could cause serious harm to someone you love.

Why is this even a thing?

You and anyone you have sex with. And anyone they have sex with. And so on.

Since I don't have HPV and I'm currently a virgin, that's not a problem right now. If I got infected by someone else and then he slept with another woman, he's the one infecting people, not me. Since I see my OB/GYN a couple times a year thanks to my health, I would get tested for things like that at least once a year and would do so before sleeping with someone else. Since I have no intentions of getting pregnant, I would require any man I slept with to use a condom anyway. It may not be 100% fully able to protect against HPVs, but it will certainly decrease the odds of becoming infected.

[Little Miss Alien]

If I got infected by someone else and then he slept with another woman, he's the one infecting people, not me.

But if YOU go on to have sex with someone else, YOU will be the one infecting other men, who will sleep with other women.

Since I see my OB/GYN a couple times a year thanks to my health, I would get tested for things like that at least once a year and would do so before sleeping with someone else.

HPV also causes penile, mouth and throat cancers. Your OB/GYN likely won't test you for oral HPV.

Since I have no intentions of getting pregnant, I would require any man I slept with to use a condom anyway. It may not be 100% fully able to protect against HPVs, but it will certainly decrease the odds of becoming infected.

And speaking from experience, condoms break.

Also speaking from experience, know what else spreads STIs, including in my very specific eperience, HPV? Rape does.

[valsa]

Since I don't have HPV and I'm currently a virgin, that's not a problem right now. If I got infected by someone else and then he slept with another woman, he's the one infecting people, not me. Since I see my OB/GYN a couple times a year thanks to my health, I would get tested for things like that at least once a year and would do so before sleeping with someone else. Since I have no intentions of getting pregnant, I would require any man I slept with to use a condom anyway. It may not be 100% fully able to protect against HPVs, but it will certainly decrease the odds of becoming infected.

Do you think you're only going to have sex with one person in your life? Because if you catch it from someone, then have sex with someone else, you'd be the one infecting them. Little Miss Alien already covered the testing issues and the rape angle. And using a condom still gives you about a 30% chance of contracting HPV.

How likely is it that you're going to catch the mumps or measles? Yet most people would get the vaccine anyway. Sounds almost like your suffering from a case of "Only sluts get HPV and I'm not a slut, so I don't have to worry about it."

[Aurora]

Yup condoms do not protect against HPV. It is transmitted by skin contact.

You do not have to have actual sex to get it.

If you are in your 20s, you often clear it so fast that a test will not catch it anyway. That does not mean you can't pass it to someone else. Statistics show something like 70% of women get it at some point in their lives.

If I remember correctly, regular Pap smears are not even tested for HPV until a woman is over 30, for that reason.

The vaccine only protects against a few of the most common and dangerous strains. That absolutely doesn't mean you shouldn't still be careful, as there are many other strains still out there. You should, most definitely. But protecting against those strains already will make a big difference. And hopefully if the vaccine is successful, they will develop vaccines against the other strains as well.

[ilovetchotchkes]

I get the flu vaccine every year because i'm asthmatic. The last time I got the flu without the vaccine, I was seriously VERY ill for a good 2+ weeks. Vaccinated? I got it anyways and it only lasted about 48 or so hours at its worst.

I was thinking of getting the HPV vaccine, but the OBGYN i was at at the time gave me the same stupid line "you're in a monogamous marriage" blah blah blah. Now, i'm too old. O_o

I'm also concerned about the reactions to that one. Compared to other vaccines, there seem to be a LOT more adverse reactions to the HPV vaccine. I'd rather wait and see- a few years, let em work the bugs out before I let my kids get it. ~ My children won't be old enough to get it for over a decade anyways.

[dairyfreelife]

But if YOU go on to have sex with someone else, YOU will be the one infecting other men, who will sleep with other women.

HPV also causes penile, mouth and throat cancers. Your OB/GYN likely won't test you for oral HPV.

And speaking from experience, condoms break.

Also speaking from experience, know what else spreads STIs, including in my very specific eperience, HPV? Rape does.

You can get the vaccine and still get HPV since the vaccine only protects from a few of the most common strains. I would use a condom as well because I am not allowed to get pregnant right now so that's not an issue. I don't want to get the vaccine right now. I'm not sexually active. This isn't an issue at the moment for me. Rape is a serious thing (understatement) that I won't get into. I am sorry that happened to you and if you were infected with any STI from that-just-I hope the sick bastard rots in jail. Horrible, horrible, no other way to say it. Let's hope I never get raped.

[Little Miss Alien]

I'm also concerned about the reactions to that one. Compared to other vaccines, there seem to be a LOT more adverse reactions to the HPV vaccine. I'd rather wait and see- a few years, let em work the bugs out before I let my kids get it. ~ My children won't be old enough to get it for over a decade anyways.

I think it's more the case that it's such a new vaccine that people report anything as a side effect, even if they so much as fart after having it.

[fluttershies]

Do any other Brits know what the situation is with wanting the HPV vaccine if you're too old for it but are still not sexually active? Will your GP generally give it to you or do you have to pay for it?

[Little Miss Alien]

As far as I'm aware, you have to pay for it. The NHS pays £80 per vaccine, so you're looking at at LEAST that amount privately, but probably more for the Dr's time too. I think some larger Boots stores do it in-store though, for £400 for the course of 3, which is a HUGE markup (quite possibly because Glaxo are selling it to them at a higher price).

[fluttershies]

Well that's me out until after uni :/

[Guest Anonymous]

I confess I don't understand people who don't get flu shots (including myself for most of my life). Once I discovered the flu shot I realized I could save myself 24-96 hours of misery a year by getting one tiny, painless, quick injection. When I was in college, I couldn't afford to be down during finals week and reading period, so I decided to start getting the shot and I have never looked back.

I have to get a flu/pneumonia shot every year per doctor's advice due to some heath problems I have. It hurts like hell for about 24 hrs, but I'll take that over getting very sick & in the ICU.

[Wolfie]

I confess I don't understand people who don't get flu shots (including myself for most of my life). Once I discovered the flu shot I realized I could save myself 24-96 hours of misery a year by getting one tiny, painless, quick injection. When I was in college, I couldn't afford to be down during finals week and reading period, so I decided to start getting the shot and I have never looked back.

This- after having a flu that turned into walking pneumonia one year, and then H1N1 a few years later, I always get the flu shot. I have also noticed that I get fewer "colds" those years, so some of the colds must have been mild flus. I'm currently getting allergy shots, and I hope that reduces the number of colds and sinus infections that I get too.

(I'm very lucky that the case of H1N1 I had was mild, but I still missed about a week of work, and once I went back I was pretty much only sleeping when I got home from work for another several weeks.)

[Wolfie]

You're essentially burying your head in the sand if you think homeschooling is going to necessarily prevent your child from engaging sexual activity. I'm not sure how old your child is, but kids are experimenting at quite young ages these days. As in 5th and 6th grade. Kids/teenagers can be pretty sneaky, even while living under their parents' thumbs. (Plus, you don't have to have sex to get HPV.)

Um, do you have kids or work with kids or are you just repeating rumors? Kids who experiment this young have always been around, and they've always been a very small minority of children. (and often they have been sexually abused) It does happen, but very rarely. However, by high school there are more children experimenting, so that's why it is done when it is done- so that they have had the entire series by then, not because they generally start having sex in elementary school.

But I do agree that if a child wants to do something, they will do it- that's why it is important to talk to them about it before it could happen. Let them know the risk, and the consequences, but I think that if you just forbid stuff, they'll go out and figure it out anyway.

[Terrie]

The problem with vaccine "injury" reports is that VAERS is open to anyone. One of the deaths that was reported for this vaccine was a car accident. Heck, one scientist, to make the point that individual VAERS reports are worthless (it's for catching trends that need to be looked at), reported that the flu vaccine turned him into the Hulk. This report was accepted by the system.

[valsa]

Heck, one scientist, to make the point that individual VAERS reports are worthless (it's for catching trends that need to be looked at), reported that the flu vaccine turned him into the Hulk.

... I want to shake that man's hand.

And see exactly how that side effect was reported afterward. "Warning: Side effects of this vaccination are soreness at the injection site, fever, headache, chills, and the ability to turn into the Hulk."

[dawbs]

Since I don't have HPV and I'm currently a virgin, that's not a problem right now. If I got infected by someone else and then he slept with another woman, he's the one infecting people, not me. Since I see my OB/GYN a couple times a year thanks to my health, I would get tested for things like that at least once a year and would do so before sleeping with someone else. Since I have no intentions of getting pregnant, I would require any man I slept with to use a condom anyway. It may not be 100% fully able to protect against HPVs, but it will certainly decrease the odds of becoming infected.

I read this then went back and checked...yes, I DID post in this thread, it wasn't my imagination.

I am confuzzled how someone who may want to, eventually, have sex w/ someone wouldn't take the statistically logical steps to protect herself.

Says the virgin-when-I got married, yes, we used condoms for a while, he was tested for everything, oooh, look, I got HPV person.

[fluttershies]

I read this then went back and checked...yes, I DID post in this thread, it wasn't my imagination.

I am confuzzled how someone who may want to, eventually, have sex w/ someone wouldn't take the statistically logical steps to protect herself.

Says the virgin-when-I got married, yes, we used condoms for a while, he was tested for everything, oooh, look, I got HPV person.

MTE. I plan on being a virgin when I marry but I would gladly have the HPV vaccine if I could afford it.

[muffynbear]

I took the HPV vaccine. I had no allergic reaction to it at all and it was FREE thanks to Planned Parenthood. :dance:

[MissNomer]

... I want to shake that man's hand.

And see exactly how that side effect was reported afterward. "Warning: Side effects of this vaccination are soreness at the injection site, fever, headache, chills, and the ability to turn into the Hulk."

:lol: :lol: That guy is awesome.

I got the Gardasil vaccine, no problems.

[ladypuglover]

... I want to shake that man's hand.

And see exactly how that side effect was reported afterward. "Warning: Side effects of this vaccination are soreness at the injection site, fever, headache, chills, and the ability to turn into the Hulk."

When I got the flu shot last fall I got all the side effects that valsa listed. Yes, even the ability to turn into the Hulk. When anyone bumped my arm with it's huge goose egg size that was bright red, I would turn into the Hulk. Thankfully my arm returned to normal in a few weeks and I would gladly go through it again if it meant keeping myself well for my family and friends who need me. All other times I got the flu shot I never had any reaction of any kind, it was just a one time deal.

[valsa]

When I got the flu shot last fall I got all the side effects that valsa listed. Yes, even the ability to turn into the Hulk. When anyone bumped my arm with it's huge goose egg size that was bright red, I would turn into the Hulk. Thankfully my arm returned to normal in a few weeks and I would gladly go through it again if it meant keeping myself well for my family and friends who need me. All other times I got the flu shot I never had any reaction of any kind, it was just a one time deal.

Yeah, I had that happen once, though not as bad as you. I got my flu shot and it didn't absorb right or something. For about a week after the injection, I had what felt (from both inside and outside) like a marble stuck in my shoulder, complete with a raised red spot.

[HijabiLady]

Something that is bothering about some of the posts...you cannot get the flu from the flu shot. It's impossible. What you can experience is your immune system thinking it has the flu and having a raging fever, aches, malaise as your system kicks into overdrive trying to fight a perceived threat. So those of you around small children, elderly and immune compromised folks are NOT helping by avoiding the flu shot. You are rolling the dice on a very risky gamble.

And while the vaccine for HPV only prevents the 4 most common strains, those are the MOST deadly strains and the MOST likely to cause cancer. Over 77% of cervical cancers are due to these strains! I just don't get this "Not my daughter/son!" mentality as well as the assumption she will be pure as the newly fallen snow when she marries. If someone offered a vaccine that prevented leukemia I wonder if there would be so much avoidance? I think because HPV is usually sexually transmitted we have this backlash from parents who refuse to acknowledge that their children may eventually start screwing around.

[Guest Anonymous]

MTE. I plan on being a virgin when I marry but I would gladly have the HPV vaccine if I could afford it.

I personally think it and all other vaccines should be provided free of charge.

[Kelya]

I personally think it and all other vaccines should be provided free of charge.

They are, if you get them according to schedule or before you're 18. The Vaccines for Children program assures that. Here's a link, its one of my favorite programs. http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/programs/vf ... efault.htm

If you're indigent, your local public health department may have clinics. If you're insured, your insurance should (and may have to, I forget) cover the necessary adult boosters. Pregnant women on Medicaid have free vaccination access. Vaccine clinics for things like h1n1 and the seasonal flu are often free or low cost. Your doctor or public health commission should have more information on where you can access free vaccines- but it is important to note that free vaccines only have the vaccine as being free, the administration of the vaccine can cost, but there are state regulations about how much the fees can cost and they usually hover around 15 dollars.

[dairyfreelife]

I read this then went back and checked...yes, I DID post in this thread, it wasn't my imagination.

I am confuzzled how someone who may want to, eventually, have sex w/ someone wouldn't take the statistically logical steps to protect herself.

Says the virgin-when-I got married, yes, we used condoms for a while, he was tested for everything, oooh, look, I got HPV person.

Like all vaccines, there is the only the hope that it will protect, not the guarantee. This is new. I am uncomfortable with taking something when the long term effects are sketchy. Sorry. End of discussion for me. I might get HPV, but it's more likely that I won't. I have a far better chance of getting seriously injured in a car crash than catching a strain of HPV. Even if you got the vax, the strain you got may have not been protected by it anyway.

http://www.cdc.gov/std/hpv/stdfact-hpv.htm

I'm not he only person on here uncomfortable with this vax yet so I will ignore any future bashing on my choices. I was given info about it and decided against it. The end. It doesn't affect you-my choices that is. I'm not refusing a polio or tdap or mmr vax that would if I caught it. My body, my choices what I put in it. I still have a couple years to change my mind if I want to get it.