This is NOT an HPV vaccine debate. There is an open letter out (if you google, I won't post petition and link and all that) from Sanevax regarding Gardisil that had me interested in the fact that new studies are showing increases in cancers in vaccinated women in the strains of HPV not protected by the vaccine. This in addition to the fact that the decrease in the cancers it does protect against is very small. But fine, small is better than nothing and no one knows who to believe, fine, irrelevant. BUT.
To me this increase in the OTHER unprotected strains probably means less condom usage and more risky behavior. This makes sense to me, because I have heard peers saying things like "Well kids are going to have sex no matter what, so at least I can prevent cervical cancer with a vaccine" etc....and then YESTERDAY (the reason for this post) A 19 year-old daughter of one of the guests at a picnic we were at was sitting in on a sex talk with older ladies about their wild times and about herpes, AIDS, blah blah, and the 19-year-old said, "My generation doesn't have to worry about any of that because we're vaccinated." MY JAW HIT FLOOR as I looked over at my tiny kids about to age into this brave new world.....
OK, MOMS, I KNOW none of YOUR kids are that uninformed, but their peers are!!!! So educate educate educate your babies! This girl went to a great school that supposedly has a great sex-ed program. So I'm just sharing my shock. My question is, People do know their kids aren't SAFER having sex because of this vaccine right??!! Even if it does protect against the few strains of HPV it says it does, it doesn't protect against anything else. Sex is no safer. How are people not getting that?
"Education doesn't work"??
I get the part about kids thinking they're bulletproof-and that been true forever, but if not education--what?
Good kids that were "raised right" get diseases, get pregnant, etc.
But Kids educated in an honest, guilt free way are the best bet.
People that feel "it won't be my kid, they were 'raised right'" are deluding themselves unless they pair that raising with a BIG dose if FACTS!
they're probably getting it from their medical professionals. my college student just got wrung out by the assistant at his doctor's office when he went to get his vax form signed because he didn't get HPV or one of the other optional ones. her lecture to him implied heavily that even though he's only ever had one partner, they are both likely to develop STDs because they have both chosen to forego this ONE risky, highly limited vaccine.
she didn't SAY 'you will be safe from all STDs if you get this' of course, but it's not a huge stretch for a young adult to infer it.
the marketing campaign for this vaccine has been nothing short of remarkable.
khairete
S.
Wow. That is disturbing. Thanks for bringing light to this....for me anyway.
Why can't we just be open and honest with our kids and tell them the realities of sex? Yeah, I get what Jo is saying....they do think they are bullet proof, however, they still need to be taught the facts.
Someone (whom I know very well) commented to me that "isn't it great that we have a vaccine for herpes now?" That's what this person thought the HPV vaccine was supposed to prevent. So I get what you're saying.
My personal belief is that modern medicine has barely scratched the surface when it comes to the immune system. The unforeseen consequences of some of these interventions may not be positive.
There are many mainstream articles about drug companies and the suppression of negative data when it comes to drug trials. Yet we are supposed to believe that these SAME companies treat vaccines as sacrosanct. It doesn't make much sense to me.
JMO and I'm not a health care professional of any type.
PS: Sometimes I think the drug companies secretly like people to have the wrong idea (preferably a good one) about what a drug or vaccine actually does. The disclaimers are always in fine print, or spoken very quickly at the end of a commercial. Again, JMO.
Kids will find a reason to be stupid, it is just the nature of the immortal beast. You can tell them 99.9% of their peers will have this happen and they will stubbornly believe they are the .01%.
So yeah I don't think education works, you just have to have raised them right until the point of independence and then hope for the best. I taught my kids to think, that was the best I could do.
::sigh::
Vaccinations aren't 100% effective. They're not a cure all. They're not a guarantee. They've never claimed to be. They are simply a line of defense that is effective for most of the general population. Therein lays the need for education. Do I teach this to my children? Yes, because they ask questions and I also feel it's important for them to know so that it helps minimize the anguish about going to the pediatrician. ;-)
I don't know how we can expect children and young adults who are still "children" themselves to fully grasp these types of concepts without immersing themselves in the literature and without asking questions. Assumptions are made that are not corrected until they start asking questions of people who ARE educated.
I don't see how that's really shocking. It's exactly the same situation when it comes to sex education.
I think (some or most) people think that ALL vaccines are 100% effective in preventing everything. That is the way they are advertised and that is what most doctors will say when they want you to get all of them. Most people don’t understand how they work.
This is the way of our society now, everyone wants a magic cure or prevention through a shot or pill. They do not create invisible shields and they do not make you healthier.
My son is educated on the HPV vaccine and decided with his Doctor and me to wait on the vaccination. He also plans to be abstinent until marriage.
He can tell anyone who will listen that this vaccination does not prevent STDs. He has had to educate some of his peers about this.
All these hormone driven teens hear is the the HPV vaccine prevents STDs - then they stop listening. They don't hear the "fine print" and frankly, their parents are not hearing it either.
Sex education in schools will not solve this problem - it may help ameliorate it - but not solve. Parents need to more vocal with their children and more educated about what vaccinations they are giving their kids. Then they need to teach that to their children.
The best sex Ed class I was ever fortunate enough to receive was in bootcamp.
Full on pictures of worst case scenarios that are STILL burned in my brain.
Not a lecture on this is what COULD happen but
This is what DOES happen when you DON'T take care of it early.
The assumption that we were all going to get these things, just a matter of time before we needed treatment, was an eye opening lecture that 'stuck' in a way no other lecture ever has.
Blink blink blink.
So, too, that civilians DON'T GET TESTED.
And really they/we don't.
Military, people often got tested once a week or once a month. When ya get something, it's treated immediately.
Civilians don't even bother. Or can't (too expensive).
Also, in part of your orders, are the STD stars of the place you're being transferred to.
The ethos, being on top of your sexual health, I WISH was as prevalent outside the military as in. But it's a different sexual culture. It's not 'Don't so you won't", it's "You will, so stay on top of things, and protect yourself as much as you can in hopes you'll get something treatable."
I tried to google and I can't find anything indicating what you are talking about. I would love if you would PM me the link.
To me - it makes sense that there would be an INCREASE in the other strains that are not protected against in the vaccine - if you aren't also educating kids on generally *how* you get infected. Once you vaccinate for 4 strains (or 2) but you still have sex.... it just means you are at risk for the other strains.
There is so much misinformation on this.... even parents on this site think if their daughter is a virgin when she marries, she has ZERO chance of getting HPV. That is factually inaccurate. A virgin can still have HPV and can still spread HPV without having vaginal intercourse.
HPV is spread through oral sex, anal sex etc. You can ask kids if they used a condom..... but then dig a little deeper and they only used a condom for INTERCOURSE..... well, not protected from STDs then. But because they didn't get the entire lecture........ didn't get the difference. Thought it was just "sex" not exchange of fluids anywhere in your body to their body.
Each parent has to make the decision on whether or not to vaccinate - and has to know that the "vaccine" alone is not enough if there is not a good infection control behaviors in place - across the board.... flu, chickenpox, STD's whatever.
Their not I hear teens say thye have sex it's just sex all the time.They either misinformed,uneducated and just listen to what they think is true or just plain stupid.I was at a WIC meeting the lady who didn't speak much english was talking to the immunization dept she told her the next immunization will be Gardisil the mom asked what is that never heard of of it instead of taking the mom and daughter into a room for privacy to explain to them what it is she was asking for a pamphlet to give her.SEX can equal so many horrible things even if you have had it once
For this very reason, I've struggled whether to tell my daughter that she is vaccinated (only have had the first shot so far.) It she thinks she isn't protected, maybe she will be more likely to take proper precautions when/if the time comes?
