Is the HPV vaccination really the way to go?

Question

ive read a lot of things that make it seem pointless

Answer 1

Heres a write up I did not long ago.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AqmagELOFk3luk_xtlx2OL3sy6IX?qid=20070419130210AAMdszP&show=7#profile-info-T6e2A19Taa

Now contrary to popular belief, HPV is NOT found in all cases of cervical cancer. Some might argue that HPV is found in 99% of women with cancer. That number is rather misleading actually. You could also say HPV is found in 99.8% of women without cancer as discussed in my link. Where they both claim 99%, the cancer rate is a very small number. 100% of a small number is STILL a small number. Even yet, gardasil only vaccinates what is said to cause 70% of cancer cases. Regardless of what ANYONE here says or thinks, the long term effects of gardasil are UNKNOWN. Everyone be your OWN judge. On a side note,Vioxx had the same effect on Merck as it did on people; It killed the company, well financially anyway.

whoever thumbed down my answer, I challenge you to post why and actually base it on scientific citations. I triple dare you to do so actually. If you just dont like my answer, thats fine. i dont like my answer either but that doesnt change the fact that its still true.

Answer 2

GET IT NOW!!! DON'T WAIT!!! it is shown to be about 99.999% effective against 70% of the high-risk strains of HPV (the kind that cause cervical cancer), and 90% of the low risk ones (the kind that causes warts).

with such good numbers and with how common HPV is, why not save yourself the heartache and physical pain of surgery when you can have a vaccine that will protect you from a lot? it isn't pointless at all. it is totally the opposite.

now, if you're older than 26 and have already been exposed to the strains that the vaccine protects against, then it is pointless, because you already have immunity to those strains because your body fought them off.

one of the frequent posters on this board had cervical cancer and warts and plans on getting the vaccine. you never know what types of the virus you have and have not been exposed to. even if you've had 100 partners (and i'm not saying you have or anything), you still don't know if you've been exposed to certain strains.

go get that vaccine. i have high-risk HPV that i had to have surgery to have removed from my cervix, and i'm 28, and still plan on hitting up my gyn for it.

i look at it this way- it can't hurt and can only help. any help against this disease is welcome. anything that would keep me from another surgery is very, very welcome!

Answer 3

I wish you would elaborate on what seems to be pointless about it. this vaccine is a major development for young women in preventing the complications of infection with the most common STD, HPV.

Answer 4

In the US there were 13,000 new cases of cervical cancer in 2004. That's hardly pointless.

If monogamy were the norm, perhaps HPV vaccine would be unnecessary. Unfortunately, our Public Health experts have to be realistic.

Answer 5

If you're under 26, it's recommended.

I'm not sure I understand why a vaccine for a common, often asymptomatic virus that causes cancer would seem pointless.