Would you let your own sexual hangups prevent your daughter from being vaccinated against cervical cancer?

Question

I recently read an article regarding the new cervical cancer vaccine. The vaccine can be given to girls as young as nine years old. Many parents don't want their daughters to be vaccinated because those parents think that the vaccination will lead to sexual promiscuity. I think that the parents who hold this viewpoint should be jailed for child endangerment.

Would you let your sexual hangups prevent your daughter from being protected from an extremely lethal form of cancer?

If someone has objections to this vaccine because of questions about its safety, its effectiveness, things of that nature, that's fine. I view those as rational objections that should be addressed before any action is taken. But if the vaccine is proven safe and effective, and parents still use the argument of promiscuity to not vaccinate their daughters, then I view that as irresponsible and dangerous.

Becca, HPV (the virus that causes some forms of cervical cancer and is what the vaccine protects against) much more serious than the flu. The flu vaccine protects you from influenza, a disease that makes you go at both ends and makes you miserable for about two weeks, but in the end, you get better. This vaccine, Garvacil, could prevent CANCER, which is much more serious than the flu. This shot, if proven safe and effective, should not be seen as a convenience vaccine, like the flu shot. It should be part of regular immunizations.

Answer 1

No way!!!! I intend to be the first in line when the vaccine becomes available in australia, with my two girls... I nearly died from this horrid disease, went through years of hell. There is no way i would neglect to do this simple thing to save them all the misery i suffered! Yes i think it is a form of child abuse not to do this for your daughters!!!

Answer 2

If a child thinks that having a vaccine to prevent cervical cancer is a license to have sex, then the parents and the school system and the child all need to be sent to a course that teaches them about sex and the hazards and precautions. This is my frustration with abstinence only education that is being taught in schools. Getting a vaccine preventing cervical cancer does nothing that should lead ANYONE to think they they can just run around and have sex.

Answer 3

I have already started my daughter on the shots. In this day and age you have to protect your children from everything. But they have to know that the shot just prevents cervical cancer not aids VD or pregnancy or any other transmitted disease. It is not a free for all to have sex with anybody you want. I have known women with the disease and it is not a pretty sight to watch someone you care about go through. I would encourage any parent to do the right thing and have your daughter vaccinated against this disease.

Answer 4

I am definitely getting my girls the shot as soon as they are old enough. I figure I can tell them it is a shot that will help protect them from a virus that can cause cancer. I figure at 9 years old they don't need to know more than that - everything I said is true. When they get older, they can figure out for themselves how HPV is transmitted. The sex talk I'll give will tell them about the other STD's they can get. Being immune to HPV is not a free pass to having unprotected sex.

As a side note - I'm in a drug test for second HPV vaccine that will likely come to market soon. If I only got the placebo, I can get the real shot when the test is over. I plan to do it. Why wouldn't I do all I could to protect myself?

Answer 5

I would be a mite concerned about givng a child the HPV vaccine. Females should truthfuly have a pap smear in conjunction with the vaccine....and 9 year olds are far too young for a pap. Their cervical cells haven't even matured at that age. However, if my daughter of 13: years asked for the vaccine, how could I say no..she is acting responsibly about her maturing health. If she has been brought up with good morals and knows about good and bad choices, then why would i worry. I think irresponsible sex, or sex for sex sake is not appropriate for young women. Lots of feelings get in the way in teen sex....and most are not mature enought to handle them. But contraception and guarding against disease should be #! on any mother's list of concerns.

Answer 6

I really think this is something very important to get done. I do believe that if the doctor believes it is time, to do it. I am 22 years old and found out a couple of months ago that I have cervical cancer. I wish this was something that would have been offered to me because I am Also pregnant and have to a close eye kept on everything during the pregnancy. Many people think that sleeping around is a reason most get it and that is not true because I sure didnt, but yet here I am 22 and I am dealing with it.

Answer 7

I think we should treat this vaccine as we treat any other. Anyone who thinks not getting the vaccine would keep their daughter from having sex is living in a fantasy world. I would not tell a nine year old that this will make it safer for her to have sex, but rather that the vaccine will provide some protection from her contracting cervical cancer later in life.

Answer 8

I dont think its necessary for a 9 year old to get it anyways. They dont usually go to their first appointment for a pap smear even until they are older than that. I mean I dont have anything against getting a younger girl vaccinated, but is there a study that shows that they become sexually promiscuous or is this just something some women are coming up with on their own? I have heard lots about this vaccine, but havent really read up on it. I definitley dont think its child endangerment. If that was the case then many parents should be jailed for LOTS of other things too. Like just letting your kid outside to play. Its dangerous too.

Answer 9

If this was to prevent cervical cancer yes .The vaccine has nothing to do with sexual actsScientists have developed a cancer vaccine to help prevent young women dying from this disease.

Answer 10

I've read about this. Out of 100 types of HPV viruses (yes there are 80 types, most of which heal completely on their own and have no symptoms), approximately ten MAY lead to cervical cancer. The vaccine provides protection against FOUR of those (which accounts for 80% of the cases of cancer caused by HPV) and it is not entirely efficacious.

The fear is that people who get this vaccine will one, think that they are protected from cervical cancer entirely (which is not true, there are dozens of causes of cervical cancer) and two, not take annual screening seriously because they *think* they are protected. I have no opinion on sexual promiscuity, but I sincerely doubt that the risks of the vaccine are worth the small chance of protecting my children against that particular type of virus, and in turn, the very slight risk of cancer.

However, several of my children have severe neurological damage caused by other vaccines, and we have medical reasons for not vaccinating. It would be child endangerment to take those risks, and my children know that they must be safer due to this. As we talk about sex, they will certainly hear about this as well.