cervical cancer

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I do hear what you are all saying. I'm no fan of cervical cancer, and I'm not generally anti-vaccine. I just think about this one differently. I think a minimum 10 year study on some volunteer young girl subjects would be ethical before mandating injecting the entire nation of millions of young girls. At least find out if it leads to later fertility problems or birth defects first.
Merck Pharmaceuticals has invested big money in pushing the mandatory vaccination law proposals, and stands to become filthy rich (again).

[Tuckervill]

Lisa, I just wanted to say that I agree with you, that we should be more cautious about what we inject in our children. It's the mandatory nature that I disagree with.

Karen

[matagi]

I do hear what you are all saying. I'm no fan of cervical cancer, and I'm not generally anti-vaccine. I just think about this one differently. I think a minimum 10 year study on some volunteer young girl subjects would be ethical before mandating injecting the entire nation of millions of young girls. At least find out if it leads to later fertility problems or birth defects first.

By what mechanism do you think it is going to cause birth defects or fertility problems? The vaccine is designed to stimulate the immune system against the virus. If the vaccine has the potential to cause those problems, then the virus itself would have the same effect and I don't think there have been any reports linking HPV to birth defects or fertility problems (other than the obvious one that occurs after you've had half your insides taken out because of cancer).

I agree that there should be more discussion before any proposal for mandatory vaccination is considered but more from a cost-benefit perspective than a risk of adverse reactions.

[Grog]

Well the only thing I can think of is that HPV might have a role that we don't know about yet in... something we don't know about yet.

Otherwise, vaccines are a pretty well-understood technology.

I generally agree with Lisa SH that pharm companies are a powerful lobby, and that this decision to make the vaccine mandatory (can anyone post a link to information about this "mandatory" thing?????) might be no stranger to that.

However it's also common to give a given vaccine to everyone of a generation so that the disease is eradicated. But then boys should get it too, since they will keep transmitting it. By vaccinating only girls, aren't we perpetuating the problem (and making an eternal market for the vaccine)?

[matagi]

Boys can't get cervical cancer, so the immediate cost benefit is not there, even though males can be asymptomatic carriers of HPV. I believe there are trials currently underway assessing the vaccine in boys, because males can get anal cancers from HPV. FWIW, the guy that developed the vaccine has had both his sons vaccinated against HPV. In Australia the vaccine has been made available to females aged 12-26 free of charge. Boys can also receive the vaccine but you need to pay for it.

I guess it is analogous to rubella vaccine - in Australia, girls were the first to be vaccinated because of the consequences of rubella in pregnant women. The vaccine has subsequently been made available to everyone and is now part of our routine childhood immunisation program, which means both boys and girls receive the vaccine.

What is the situation in the US if this vaccine becomes mandatory? Are you expected to pay for it, or do you get it free of charge?

[HillSlugger]

What is the situation in the US if this vaccine becomes mandatory? Are you expected to pay for it, or do you get it free of charge?

There are many immunizations that are mandatory. For the majority, we are expected to have it covered by medical insurance. They are free through special programs to only those you can't otherwise cover the cost

[Pika]

I read this thread with great interest- it seems like ages ago now..
today my sister is off to surgery in vancouver for ovarian cancer
I don't know if there is a link but she did have HPV.
The whole thing is very scarey- until 3 weeks ago I was running with her weekly- she seemed in good health - although she was complaining more of abdominal cramping and pain after she ate.
I find it shocking how quickly one's health can deteriorate.
Today when she left, she looked like the living dead God: it is awful!
We won't know too much until after the surgery- ie whether it has metastasized and to what extent- hmmmm I am sick with worry and regret- I wished i had spoken up when she looked worn out, I wished I had pushed her more to see another Dr when she first complained of odd abdominal pain 10 yrs ago...I just feel sad about the whole thing.

[crazycanuck]

(((((((PIKA)))))))))

Don't feel like it's your fault Pika-Even if you had said something, she may not have heeded your advice. You're not a bad person.

Sending good thoughts your way. Please keep us updated on your sister.

Take care

c

[Grog]

{{{Pika}}}

Don't worry too much okay, that's not going to help her anyway. Focus on recovery.

Good luck.

[Wahine]

(((((((Pika))))))))

I'm so sorry you're going through this. I know that this is very difficult for you. CC is right, it's not your fault and you need to try to let go of the guilt. Not easy. I'll be saying blessings for you and your sister in my meditations.

Take care.

[Running Mommy]

OMG OMG OMG!!!! Ok, this is scary!! I so hope that she is ok. But on a selfish note what you posted is beyond scary to me. You see when I was IM training I had some bad cramping and a bit of bleeding. I've had cervical cancer so I went to the doc. The pap came up ok, but she said I had an ovary that "didn't look quite right" and she wanted me to have some tests on it at an OB who specializes in such stuff. Well I've put it off for two months now.
But after what I just read, I will be calling the doctor MONDAY!!!
OH man!!! I sure hope she is ok! I'll be doing the Subaru womens tri in Oct. that benefits ovarian cancer research, so I would love to run it for her!
Give her my best! I'll be praying for the entire Pika family!!
Denise

[Pika]

Thank-you for all the well wishes and prayers. We are hoping she will have surgery today- though I haven't heard anything yet so that may mean tomorrow!
RM don't delay! I guess if I will have learned anything from this it will be to keep asking questions until I am satisfied with the answer.
I do believe we must take responsibility for our own health, that being said my sis is a non-smoker/non-drinker/exerciser who didn't eat crap.
What she did have was a mystery abdominal pain that would come and go- stay away for many months just to return to make her sick( crampy) but no missed day at work or anything.
She was told it "was in her head", that she had some parasite that "everyone has but you are just more sensitive".
I know I will listen to my body more closely now and get answers when needed.
Thanks again everyone

[Triskeliongirl]

Boys can't get cervical cancer, so the immediate cost benefit is not there, even though males can be asymptomatic carriers of HPV.

Actually, I learned recently from a virologist colleague that indeed gay men can get anal cancer from HPV, yet the vaccine has never been tested in men and is not available to men. While a women can live without a cervix and man cannot live without an anus, so this appears to be real discrimination.

[DrBadger]

Actually, I learned recently from a virologist colleague that indeed gay men can get anal cancer from HPV, yet the vaccine has never been tested in men and is not available to men. While a women can live without a cervix and man cannot live without an anus, so this appears to be real discrimination.

it is true the HPV can cause cancer in men, it is just much more rare than cervical cancer in women. However, Merk is currently in the process of doing clinical trials of the vaccine on men (in addition to the trials on women > 26 yrs old, and who have already been exposed to HPV), so it is very likely that in the future men would be inocculated also.

PABadger...who has now completed her 3-shot HPV series!!!

[Laterider21958]

Has anybody considered another way this virus could be contracted? We all go to the Dr. for pap smears at some time or another, and many of us have given birth (often assisted, not entirely natural), but has anyone ever asked whether the equipment used at such times has been sterilised effectively or at all? I'm sure that the task would be relegated to an administrative assistant in the Dr.'s Clinic. Everybody has bad days where we aren't on top of everything and forget stuff. We all just assume that the "right" thing has been done. Perhaps we need to enquire about this before allowing medical instruments to be inserted. Just a thought.