Vaccine for cervical cancer

[unusualtaste.livejournal.com]

Does anybody know if any health centers like Planned Parenthood have the new vaccine that prevent cervical cancer?

Comments

[ericalorraine.livejournal.com]

I have heard from a reliable source (a person that works there) that they will carry it.

[scien.livejournal.com]

It's still very new and things are a little uncertain. You're best off phoning your local health centres and asking them individually.

[pinkgatorgirl06.livejournal.com]

There is a vaccine for cancer? Wow. Technology is really improving.

[betterbebalboa.livejournal.com]

I think the OP is talking about the new HPV vaccine.
To the OP: My local Planned Parenthood said they didn't have it yet, and although they planned to get it, they didn't know how long it would take. My student health care center at Uni had it, though.

[aechei.livejournal.com]

they are advertising it as that, though...its a little misleading. but i guess it is probably as effective against cervical cancer as it is against hpv in general.....whatever. point is, its not for the cancer itself, it is for the virus that causes it. pretty awesome, actually. I'll get it when it becomes reasonable...assuming that there is no risk of getting the virus from the vaccine (this is a risk with some vaccinations, and i have not done any risk regarding this one in particular.) .

[scien.livejournal.com]

More info here:

http://www.cdc.gov/std/HPV/STDFact-HPV-vaccine.htm

The vaccine protexts against some strains of HPV, a sexually transmitted disease, but it's not marketed as such because no one likes to think they need it... and more importantly most mothers don't think their daughters do. So the 'vaccine for cancer' statement is an oversimplification, as is 'vaccine for HPV'. It protects against both, but only partially.

[sara-t-05.livejournal.com]

I'm too late for the vaccine. =( I was diagnosed with HPV just this past month.

The state of Michigan is trying to pass a law to REQUIRE that all 6th grade girls get the vaccine. It's crazy!

[scien.livejournal.com]

Not too late at all. The vaccine is for several strains, and will protect you against any of the ones you have not yet acquired, which will still lower your chances of cervical cancer. If the strain you have already got is in the vaccine, you won't be protected against it, but you will be against all the others. And it's also entirely possible you have one that isn't in the vaccine, so you'll get as much protection out of it as any other woman.

Making the vaccine mandatory sounds sensible to me, it's what my country (the UK) is doing. Remember, it protects the population as a whole - one girl is vaccinated, the guys who sleep with her don't acquire it and don't pass it on to other girls who perhaps have not been vaccinated. In fact, guys should be vaccinated too, for that reason! they probably will be here.

[sara-t-05.livejournal.com]

Interesting. It kinda scares me, though. This vaccine was JUST introduced, am I correct? I'm just afraid that it'll back fire and somehow cause you to get HPV or something.

But, in the state of Michigan, they're trying to make it so that all 6th grade girls recieve the vaccine. (You can opt out for religious reasons) Honestly, with how girls are today, I think it should be sooner. Birth, perhaps?

[scien.livejournal.com]

I'm afraid as a UK person '6th grade' doesn't mean anything to me! :)

Birth is probably not a good idea. The vaccine was only tested on girls of 9 years and older (up to 22). While there is sense in 'the earlier the better', particularly considering that not all sexual encounters are consensual, that's the lowest age that has been *proven* to be safe (not that it's been shown to be unsafe earlier, just hasn't been tested).

And yes, just introduced, but they do have to test these things, so you can be reasonably sure of its safety. I can understand your hesitation on wanting to wait until it's less new - if that's what's holding you back then I completely see your point, a part of me agrees with you.

I was contesting the 'too late beacause I already have HPV' comment. Many people think of 'HPV' as one entity, but in fact it's over 100 strains. The vaccine protects against some of the worst offenders, but not all. And it's always at least a little useful to get it, as it's very very unlikely anyone will have every single strain it protects against.

[betterbebalboa.livejournal.com]

6th grade=11-12 years old

[scien.livejournal.com]

I see. Well, that doesn't sound unreasonably old to me... although I don't see why it shouldn't just be given to 9 year olds, I gather that 11-12 is the upper limit.

[violet-tigress1.livejournal.com]

A vaccination against a vaccine? That's a new one.

[unusualtaste.livejournal.com]

gah my horrible grammar. i realized it halfway thru these responses but was too lazy to change it. here i go.