Gardasil

[miz-kitty.livejournal.com]

What are your feelings about getting the Gardasil shot? The new HPV vaccine?

I'm going to my interist tomrrow and I'm going to talk to her about it. I've got a birthday coming up that is going to make me too old for the vaccine (26, and WTF is up with that anyway?)

I'm trolling the web trying to find out its availability and cost....god knows if my insurance will cover it.

For those of you who are going to be expiring, would you rush to get it?

Thoughts?

Comments

[sawyerlove.livejournal.com]

I'm 16 so I've still got another 10 years before I'm too old but honestly I think it's a little too new. How do we know the longterm effects of it?

[evilinchw0rm.livejournal.com]

The age thing is that they're trying to hit up people before they're sexually active.

[queensugar.livejournal.com]

Perhaps that's part of it, but more specifically the vaccine has not been tested on women over the age of 26. As a result, the FDA will not license (http://www.cdc.gov/STD/HPV/STDFact-HPV-vaccine.htm#hpvvac22) the vaccine for older women. From that site:

The vaccine has been extensively tested in 9-to-26 year-old girls/women, but research on the vaccine’s efficacy has only recently begun with males, and with women older than 26 years of age. The FDA will consider licensing the vaccine for these other groups when the research is completed to show that it is safe and effective in those groups.

[jasminelily.livejournal.com]

True, but they are specifically trying to get girls to get the vaccine before they're sexually active, which is why they're specifically targeting 11-12 year olds.

[queensugar.livejournal.com]

For sure. But in terms of the upper age limit, that's why that exists.

[queensugar.livejournal.com]

As I understand it from previous discussions in the community, the reason the vaccine is not currently approved for women over 26 is because the studies that were performed did not include any. Because the tests only have results for people of that age group, they can't vouch for it outside of that group.

If someone else more knowledgeable about the vaccine could confirm this, that would be stellar. :) I'm just repeating what I learned from here as well.

Here are some links from this community about the vaccine. Perhaps some of the discussions there will be informative, especially this one (http://community.livejournal.com/vaginapagina/8230804.html). Here's the rest:

http://community.livejournal.com/vaginapagina/7919997.html
http://community.livejournal.com/vaginapagina/8071382.html
http://community.livejournal.com/vaginapagina/8091230.html
http://community.livejournal.com/vaginapagina/8230416.html

[queensugar.livejournal.com]

Ignore my first paragraph, I found a great link from sweetrush to the CDC's HPV Vaccine (http://www.cdc.gov/STD/HPV/STDFact-HPV-vaccine.htm) with tons of great info. :)

[miz-kitty.livejournal.com]

How did you find all those? I used the search options and only came up with the press release.

Thanks!

[queensugar.livejournal.com]

I just did an LJ-seek for "vaccine," as that's the only vaccine that's been talked about in recent weeks here. :)

[sandi1743.livejournal.com]

i hope that this helps to answer what i think you are asking: vaccines, as well as any medications, can be rx by a doctor to a person for any reason they see fit - off label rxing is what it is called. my gyn will be vaccinating anyone that wishes to be vaccinated no matter what the age.
oddly enough the digene HPV test was approved for women over 30 by the FDA but many doctors use it with women that are much younger or when a woman has a new sexual partner, no matter what her age.

[beachbanshee.livejournal.com]

I spoke to my gyno about it because I have three daughters. She believes it is safe and is hoping that they add it to vaccine regiments like MMR, varicella, etc. For what I have read it is only effective if you are not sexually active and have not been potentially exposed to HPV and it is not effective against all forms of cervical cancer. Cost looks like $120 per shot and a course of 3 is needed. Here is more info that I found http://www.webmd.com/content/article/123/115099.htm.

[fightsactualfoo.livejournal.com]

I don't think it is rendered at all ineffective if you are already sexually active, but they are saying that you should get if if you have not already contracted HPV.

[beachbanshee.livejournal.com]

After speaking with my Dr they really want to innoculate before the girl/woman is sexually active. Well I guess this would be optimal circumstances. I guess all women would need to have normal pap tests before the shots are adminstered.

[sandi1743.livejournal.com]

they are looking into to giving it to women that have already gotten a strain of HPV that has been hard to clear via their own immune systems. that research was started before this phase III was approved to be given and are still con't. the meeting for the HPV vaccine happened last month, and more data will be released to the general public soon.

[evilinchw0rm.livejournal.com]

A link to a post I made a few days ago--

Skim the comments for details, if they're helpful. (http://community.livejournal.com/vaginapagina/8245403.html)

[ever-abstract.livejournal.com]

I generally don't trust vaccinations to begin with. I won't be getting it for myself or my children for a very long time. At least, not until I see more long-term research regarding possible side-effects of the vaccination.

[frolicnaked.livejournal.com]

I think I'll probably get it as soon as I can find it available in my town. This is based on several factors that mostly work in my favor:

1) I'm currently 24, which puts me close to the cutoff age but not over it. I'm okay with the concept of vaccines in general, and I'd rather scurry a bit to get vaccinated now than to wait until it has FDA approval for people over 26.

2) Last summer, at my annual exam and IUD consult, I tested negative for the strains of HPV for which the vaccine works. (At least, I'm pretty certain of the overlap. I'll ask my gyno to be sure.)

3) My insurance will most likely cover it; they tend to like things like vaccines and most forms of BC.

4) I have to schedule my next annual exam pretty soon anyway; may as well ask about it during the process. ;)