HPV Vaccine

**Darlene** · 10-07-2006, 11:15 AM

http://www.wftv.com/health/10007847/detail.html
http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials...er-vaccine1102

"Each year about 15,000 women in the United States learn that they have cervical cancer; an estimated 4,100 women will die of the disease this year. Worldwide, about 500,000 new cases of cervical cancer are diagnosed each year, resulting in 250,000 deaths. The disease is the second or third most common cancer among women (cervical cancer and colorectal cancer are virtually tied for second place after breast cancer)."

I hope this is the start of more good news to fight other cancers too. To be able to save our daughters from possibly getting a cancer is just amazing.

**baxjul** · 10-07-2006, 11:25 AM

We've started giving these vaccines at our office, they are great.

**Goodwin17** · 10-08-2006, 01:52 AM

We've also started these vaccines at our office. I hope that they put it on the regular immunization schedule for childhood vaccines. Just the other day I saw a sweet young 17 y.o. girl, and her test came back positive for HPV, and it's terrible that she has to go through this at such a young age. She doesn't have cervical cancer, but she does have the high risk cells that could become cancerous if not treated now. This is something most people aren't educated on. I know I never was until nursing school.

**JustJoy** · 10-08-2006, 08:08 AM

I'm all for the vaccine! I don't know if I have HPV, but I'm pretty darn sure. I plan on having my GYN test me when I go in for a follow up pap to surgery in a couple of weeks. I had moderate cervical dysplasia in my early 20's which required surgery and was fine until last spring (20 years later) when it returned. I ended up having a colposcopy, 2 biopsies and surgery again. My pap as of 3 months ago is still showing atypical cells

I'm hoping the one coming up in a couple of weeks comes back clear.

**miss_thrifty** · 10-08-2006, 11:41 AM

yeah i hope it workd too, it would save so many lifes. So far in in my side its hasnt been cervical mostly breast cancer and liver cancer. it doesn't skip every 2nd generation either, like that myth says.

**babetteq** · 10-08-2006, 01:20 PM

For 10 years I did HIV/AIDS work which included sex ed and disease prevention for kids. It's great that there is a vaccine for it, but it's a sexually transmitted infection for the most part and it's not been part of the education in a broad way like herpes, hiv and pregnancy has. We've known it leads to cervical cancer for like 15 years at least. Sorry about the rant but this is something that should be taught and should've been taught for the last 10 years. If someone is at risk for hpv, then they're also often at risk for everything else.

end of rant.

babs

**Stella** · 10-09-2006, 01:14 AM

People really need to be educated on HPV. I knew nothing about it until I was diagnosed with dysplasia. I had no idea until my pap came back as abnormal. I too had to do a colposcopy, biopsies and the LEEP procedure. Thank goodness my Dr. caught all of this before it could have had a chance to turn into a pre-cancerous state. The worst thing about this whole ordeal is I asked my DR about the shot. Because I am 30, my insurance will not cover the shot, yet anybody at any age can get this virus. Now i have to pay out of pocket for a series of three shots at $170 each. I was told that nowadays 80% of women will have HPV by the age of 50. Since I had my abnormal Pap I know of 3 other women that have also had dysplasia. It is a very common virus, yet many women know nothing about it.

**JustJoy** · 10-09-2006, 09:02 AM

Stella... I was under the impression that if you have HPV the vacccine won't work for you. Am I wrong?

**Stella** · 10-09-2006, 11:14 AM

From what my Dr. told me there are 12 strains of HPV (4 of them being the major ones that most people catch). The shot only covers you against the 4 major strains. So if you happen to catch one of the 8 strains that the shot does not cover you can get the virus again. I also believe that you cannot catch the same strain twice (not sure on that). The bad thing about is that with males it does not affect them, but they carry the virus. I have been with my BF for 4 years and the abnormal cells just showed up. They had been there, they just had not gotten to a state of major dysplasia yet. That is why everyone should be tested. You may have the HPV virus and not have any symptoms (like me). Until the get to a state of abnormal cells it will not show up on your regular pap test.

**nuisance26** · 10-09-2006, 11:25 AM

~This is really interesting because I just learned 2 years ago that this was an STD. I remember searching books and articles about 10 years ago trying to understand what causes cervical cancer and why I should be tested. I never saw any info tying it to sexual activity. Maybe I wasn't looking in the right place or maybe the info wasn't available. No doctor ever told me of this link either. Strange.~

**Stella** · 10-09-2006, 01:08 PM

Nusiance26, it is an STD, it is just that it can go undetected.
THis is a great link for info on HPV
http://www.thehpvtest.com/index.html

**babetteq** · 10-09-2006, 02:32 PM

It can affect men too. Men can get genital warts they just don't get cervical cancer. http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/...nitalwarts.htm. The virus is also shed from the fingers (study came out about 4 years ago - I can't remember the dr's name.. patricia something) so you don't actually have to have intercourse to catch them. Also, many warts are so small you can't see them. You don't have to have a wart to shed virus.

babs

**Telephus44** · 10-09-2006, 06:09 PM

I think that this is a great idea - I had told DH that if our child was a girl she'd be getting it. I was diagnosed with HPV when I was in my early 20s (I had external warts) even though I had very few partners and was always careful to use condoms. I had never even HEARD of HPV until I was diagnosed. Three years later I also had moderate dysplasia, a colposcopy and a LEEP procedure (after three consecutive abnormal PAPs). I spent a lot of time worrying if I was going to get cancer or if I'd have any trouble conceiving in the future (I didn't, but I know it can happen!). If they had had this shot out when I was younger, I wouldn't have had to go through what I did.

I'm really glad that more people are becoming educated about HPV because of the vaccine.

**frugal.lass** · 10-10-2006, 09:43 AM

I have to agree with the opinions here. I was diagnosed a little over a year ago and was heartbroken mostly because it's not an STD that is discussed often. I had NO idea that it is so common and so easy to get (even when using protection), many people carry the virus and never even develop any signs of it. I went through a rough time after diagnosis and now get to "look forward" to more physical exams and tests to make sure things are okay. I'm thrilled to know that my children (when I eventually capture Mr. Right and start a family) will be protected from what I had to go through.

I'm also glad to see that people are now able to discuss it intelligently instead of becoming awkward and avoiding the subject. When things can be brought into the open, we can deal with them much more effectively.

**Stella** · 10-25-2006, 10:44 PM

I just wanted to give everyone an update on the vaccine. I had to go back to my Dr. today for a checkup and asked him about it. He gave me a pamphlet on the gardasil shot and this is what was included:
Will GARDASIL help me if I already have Human Papillomavirus?:
You may benefit from GARDASIL if you already have HPV.
This is because most people are not infected
with all four types of HPV contained in the vaccine. In clinical trials, individuals with current or past
infection with one or more vaccine-related HPV types prior to vaccination were protected from disease
caused by the remaining vaccine HPV types. GARDASIL is not intended to be used for treatment for the
above mentioned diseases. Talk to your health care professional for more information.
If you go to garadil.com they have info on the vaccine. I got my first shot today and have to back in 2 months for the second installment.