BellaOnline Forums News and Politics Women's Issues Should Girls Be Vaccinated for STDS?! Gardasil?!

So the Gardasil "One Less" commercials got me thinking. Gardasil is the only cervical cancer vaccine that helps protecs against 4 types of human papillomavirus (HPV). But what shocked me was the age range! Gardasil can treat women 9-26 yearsold. That's right a 9 year old girl (5th grade) can be treated for sexually transmitted disease. Will or should 9 yearolds be sexually active? How about 11 or 12 yearolds?

Many parents disagree ( I don't blame them) with the vaccine because they feel it will encourage teens to be promiscuous. Others feel it is a good way to protect teens if they choose to engage in sexual intercourse. What do you think? Read what other teens feel:

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I don't have much faith in vaccinations period. I know many work... but this is a new vaccine and I want to wait until I am sure it is both safe and effective before administering it to any of my girls. But I leave the choice to them starting at age 13, however I won't be giving it to them before that age.

I don't think the vaccine encourages girls to be promiscuous anymore than birth control pill or condom availability does. Promiscuity has a lot more to do with many other factors such as self esteem.

I believe this is an issue best left to individual parents and girls to decide.

There are young girls and women dying from this vaccine, in several countries including our own. The info is there to search for, it's just not highly reported.
My girls aren't going to be guinea pigs for any new thing that shows up on the market. We stopped vax'ing due to family reaction history anyway-simple reaction to eggs and milk allergy (casseine protein) which are the two protein bases used in vaccine creation.
this one has too many red flags to me.

Our policy is that when our daughter is old enough to make the decision for herself we will allow her to. We selectively vaccinate (meaning our children do not get all of the recommended vaccines), and I'm not a fan of Gardasil. I don't have a problem with it with regard to sexuality; I'm a big believer in making all forms of birth control/STD prevention available. I just don't view it as necessary.

Gardasil will not encourage children to have sex. Cervical cancer is not something you 'catch' from having sex, but there are many other nasty STI's that can result from unprotected sex.

Cervical cancer is a horrible disease, every girl should be vaccinated as soon as possible. The first injection is the worst, the other two less painful. I found that I felt a little ill after the first shot, and slightly under the weather with the subsequent two. I am happy I had this, at least I do not have to worry so much about getting this dreadful disease.

I don't think it will encourage them to have sex. If they are having booster shots etc. they don't even know what they are getting anyway. Most kids don't care, it's up the parents to know what is going on etc. I doubt most kids would ask what each and every shot is for. That said, kids that young are allowed to have abortions without parental consent, so I think if a child DOES know and wants to have it, let them. As long as it is safe. I am not an advocate for rushing out and doing new drugs etc. without enough testing to know it is safe (remember norplant?)

We just had a very long discussion about this with my 11 yr old daughter's pediatrician at her checkup last week, because it was time to start her on it.

I was very torn on the issue, because it seemed like I was giving in to give her this vaccine. That I wasn't believing that she would wait to have sex.

But then I thought about my initiation into sex. I was raped - I didn't have a choice. The same thing could happen to her (God forbid). Or she could slip up and give in to her BF one day when she's a teen. Sex is very seductive (kinda the definition of the word).

And her pediatirician (who is a woman) said, "This is the first pro-active drug we have against cancer. I cannot give you a single reason for her NOT to get it" And she knows how leery I am of vaccinations because of autism in our family.

It is a prevention against a disease. It is not a license to have sex. My daughter does not even know that the two have anything in common.

I personally am not very convinced and although this may sound a little stupid, here is my reason. If the shot really does prevent disease, why is it only available or work for women in that small age group ? Plus how much research have they really done with this shot ? Many times, especially with anything having to do with women, they do not research properly or long enough. I don't want to sound negative but I am so afraid that we are going to start hearing a couple years from now those commercials, you know the ones...."If you had the Gardisil shot from these states or these times please contact attorney so and so you may be entitled to blah blah blah". Again I'm not convinced that it works or that it will work for everyone. I don't think that it will promote sexual behavior as I am a firm believer in educating or as I prefer to call it "empowering" young ladies with knowledge.

The varied responses to this made me think. Initially, my thought was "of course girls should get vaccinated." I didn't think about all the problems there are with vaccinations, etc. I just got wound up about (what I think is) the stupid argument that telling kids about sex and its repercussions is encouraging them to do it. Geesh. As if they need encouraging. Thanks for the food for thought.