cervical cancer.

[x_perfect_stranger_x]

Hey ladies,

 

This one is for you.

 

I got a letter today to get a free vaccination for cervical cancer. Where I am, the vaccination is fairly new, I dont really feel comfortable getting it due to the fact of adverse reactions etc

 

But then again, cervical cancer rates are pretty high these days. I read that its linked with a sexaully transmitted disease called human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. So I was wondering, if someone is still a virgin and not interested in having sex until they get married thereforeee having 1 partner (who hopefully is loyal), will be at risk of getting cervical cancer??

 

Has anyone had this vaccination yet? Its pretty expensive if I wait and get it later on, its only free because it recently came out.... sounds alil risky...

[rose2summer]

I think it's an excellent option you should consider.

 

We all think it won't happen to us but it does.

 

You say you want 1 partner and only 1.

 

I had only 1 partner who I had intercourse with unprotected and I contracted HPV, and have the dysplasia changes that can be associated with development of cervical cancer in the future.

 

So, do I wish the vaccine was available recently, yes, definitely!

 

And it protects you from the most common strains.

 

Vaccines/drugs do not go on the market until they are heavily tested in clinical trials, so I don't think you would be under any great risks.

 

It's better taking that risk, then getting cervical cancer.

 

Hugs, Rose

[applepie]

If I could get the vaccine for free, I would in a heartbeat.

 

Gardasil protects against HPV types 16 and 18, which cause 70% of cervical cancer cases. You still have a chance of getting it via the conditions that cause the other 30%, but the risk is significantly reduced. I'd say it's a good investment even if you want to stay a virgin until marriage. It's possible that your future husband may have been exposed to one of the strains without knowing, and could pass it on to you.

[CarnelianButterfly]

I've had 2 of the 3 shots, I had planned on getting them even if I didn't have sex. Its good to be protected.

 

HPV is a virus that men can carry without knowing it, so even if you are a virgin and he isn't, you could be infected. Most people have been exposed to it already (one strain or another) and the vaccination won't help, but if you haven't had sex its a very good idea to get it.

 

I know a lot of groups in the US are trying to block the vaccine, saying it encourages sex, but that is like saying a tetanus shot encourages kids to play in a rusty junkyard.

[Ash]

As a counterpoint, with recent things I've just become aware of regarding vaccines I don't think I can ever honestly believe that in the future me taking certain types of vaccinations will in the long run do more good than harm.

 

What am I saying? I'm saying that the medications we take are being found to cause unforeseen problems not necesarily related to the reason for taking the medication in the first place. As an example, for many years a form of mercury has been used as a preservative in vaccines, long after the medical community has known that mercury is a bad thing for humans to ingest. They're finding that more and more cases of autism in children may very well have been caused by the immunization shots they were pretty much required to take as younger children because it was felt they were for the better good.

 

Even the flu shot is a good example of this. Some info can be found at:

link removed

 

I'm not saying don't get the shot. All I'm saying is ... regardless of what we're being told today we simply don't know the long term effects of all the medications we take.