In my last blog I didn’t get around to discussing Gardasil, so let’s look at it now.
In my last blog I didn’t get around to discussing Gardasil, so let’s look at it now.
Gardasil is the HPV vaccine. It contains four strains of HPV, two of which are responsible for about 70% of all cervical cancers and the other two are responsible for causing warts. Gardasil has been a hot button issue for many parents and for good reason.
First of all, HPV is different from chickenpox and other communicable diseases because the only way in which a girl can get HPV is through sexual activity. The best way to prevent getting it is simply through abstaining from having sexual relations. You can believe that I let all the kids in my practice know this from the get go.
Second, many mothers worry that if they immunize their daughters with Gardasil then they have given the ‘green light’ for them to have sex. I use the Gardasil discussion as a means to do just the opposite. I tell girls that sex is such serious stuff that millions are being immunized against diseases that come as a direct result of having sex. I hope this help sober them regarding sexual activity during their teen years.
Third, there is the fear that Gardasil may cause physical damage to girls since it is a relatively new vaccine. There are anecdotal stories about things happening to girls who have gotten Gardasil, but nothing has been definitively linked to Gardasil. Remember, we must be very careful about stories circulating on the internet.
Fourth, many mothers feel protective of their daughters and feel that it is ridiculous to give girls an immunization against an STD when their girls aren’t sexually active. I understand this.