The Cervical Cancer Vaccine: Timing Is (and Isn’t) Everything
At my 12-year-old daughter’s last check-up, the pediatrician asked if I wanted to give her Gardasil. I said no. I knew that Gardasil, the cervical cancer vaccine, works by providing immunity against the human papillomavirus (HPV), which is primarily shared through sexual contact. Why on earth would I need to protect my child against a sexually transmitted bug? While it might make sense for an older teen or woman in her early 20’s to take a needle in the name of warding off a virus she might catch from someone she’s sleeping with, sticking it to a seventh-grader (or a fourth-grader: Gardasil is approved for males and females ages 9 to 26) seems tantamount to giving her permission to start hooking up.
On the other hand, we are talking about the third most common cancer in women, and since January is National Cervical Awareness Month, it seems a good time to get the facts straight. Here’s what one of the developers of the vaccine, Diane M. Harper, M.D, a professor in the department of biomedical and health informatics at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, told me about the HPV vaccine for girls:
Did I make the wrong decision in not giving Gardasil to my daughter, who I know isn’t having sex?
Not at all. Vaccinating kids against HPV at age 9 or 10, or even 11 or 12, would be fine if we knew that they would be protected for 30 or 40 years, but Gardasil stays effective at most for seven years. You want to have protection throughout the years she’ll be most sexually active, which according to national surveys is between ages 16 and 26.
So when should girls be vaccinated?
Gardasil and a newer HPV vaccine, Cervarix, work best before a girl starts having sex and gets exposed to HPV. So the best time to consider the HPV shot is when she starts asking about birth control or showing other signs that she’s interested in having sex.
If you’re already having sex, it’s too late for Gardasil. But Cervarix can still be effective in preventing cervical cancer for women who’ve already been exposed to the virus.
How is Cervarix different from Gardasil?
Cervarix got FDA approval for females ages 10 to 25 in 2009 and is, in some ways, a better option. It lasts longer than Gardasil—10 years rather than 7—and protects against four high-risk strains of HPV in addition to the two in Gardasil. For Gardasil to be completely effective it has to be given in three carefully timed shots; the FDA recommends that Cervarix be given in three doses too, but you’re really protected after just one. Plus, it’s about five bucks cheaper.
Are the HPV vaccines safe?
Whether or not the HPV vaccines are safe depends who you ask. The Institute of Medicine says there’s a significant risk of anaphylaxis. There’s been concern about neurological problems, but there’s not enough data to say whether or not Gardasil causes these. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has an ongoing study of 400,000 girls and is seeing neither side effect. You should discuss all this with your child’s doctor—or your own doctor if you’re thinking about getting the HPV shot.
At what age did you vaccinate your daughters—or did you? Leave a comment and share your thoughts on the subject.
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Contributor
Maura Rhodes
Maura Rhodes is a senior editor at Sharecare. She has covered health, fitness, nutrition and well-being as both a writer and an editor at numerous print and on-line publications, including Self, Parenting, and Women's Health magazines, and iVillage and RealAge.com. Her goal as a journalist is to make complex information accessible and useful for readers. She maintains her own health by taking hip-hop dance and relying on her four kids and her energetic Sheltie to keep her on her toes physically and mentally.
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16 hours ago
Cat
My mother died from cervical cancer at the age of 38. Give the vaccine….why would you ever not do it? I cannot think of one good reason!
AK14
My daughters got vaccinated in high school. I researched the vaccine quite a bit and decided to do it. They ddn’t seem to suffer any ill effects.
Hilly
After consulting with my daughter (now 19) and our family practitioner several years ago, we decided against her getting Gardisil, which at that time, was the only FDA-approved option. Add to the mix two other questions – should boys be vaccinated and will HPV vaccines have any impact on oral cancer risk, since HPV is now a recognized risk factor for that disease? Certainly, any claims about oral cancer risk reduction are purely conjecture and based only on the knowledge that the HPV strains found in some oral cancers are the same ones linked to cervical cancer. While the demographics of oral cancer are changing, most cases in this country are in people over 40 and are related to years of smoking and heavy alcohol use. The real impact, if any, of HPV vaccination on oral cancer remains to be seen.
Donna
I did get my daughter vaccinated around 13 years old, I do not think Im giving her the ok to have sex, it was to protect her when or if she decided. Not all children are open about having sex and even if you dont get it doesnt mean the child will decide not to. To many kids are doing things younger & younger and sadly dont use any protection. So if the fear of pregnancy or any other disease you can contact doesn’t scare them then not having a shot wont stop them either.
Brie
I had a young friend pass away from cervical cancer at age 34. I thought I would initally want to give the shot to my daughter who is now 14, but not knowing enough about the side affects concerned me. From the info I’ve now read, I think I’m okay with my decision to wait.
I’ve had this conversation about vaccinating my daughter with friends who also have preteen and teenage daughters and haven’t had one mom tell me she was comfortable about using Gardisil, so none of them have used it either.
Patty
If you think that your daughter is going to ask for birth control or even tell you that she’s interested in sex before becoming sexually active, think again. It’s best to vaccinate before it’s even a potential problem. We need to stop thinking that it “gives them the green light” by giving them the vaccine and think of it as it is: preventive health just like any other vaccine.
Mary Arling
Ihad severe displaysia(one step away from cerv cancer) of cervix, have hpv, and had to get cone biopsy and leep surgery. Now I’m praying that took care of it. I may havevto get hysterectomy which cures cerv cancer 100 percent. Other problems come withnthat operation though. I still not trustvthe vaccine. Many problems with it. Read dr. Mercola website
Lela Barnhart
My daughters are split oldest said NO I dont want it so I did not force her she was 17 at the time is 20 now younger daughter said sure I want to be safe and trust my Dr. who says yes it is a good immunization and he would/ has given it to his children so she has had them with no ill effects. I believe my daughters should have some say as to what is done to there bodies as long as it is with in reason and I felt this was.
Anita
I would definitely have gotten my girls vaccinated had I known about this when they were teenagers. I only pray that they will get it now that they are grown women in their 20′s. I grew up in an incestuous home. My father chose to rape all three of his daughters. With that being said, and the way kids are using “date rape drugs” so freely, not to mention the fact that someone may rape your daughter, I hope and pray everyone educates themselves on both vaccines and trust your OB/GYN . Ask your doctor for his advice. If you trusted that doctor to help bring your child into this world, you can surely trust him/her to give you the facts you need in making this decision.
Lisa
I was diagnosed with adenocarcinoma of the cervix, which required removal of the uterus, Fallopian tubes, and lymph nodes. All surgery carries a risk. The insurance costs of the surgery were significant.
Thankfully, I had already had my daughter. But if you are young when you are diagnosed, you might not be as lucky, and might miss the opportunity to have children. If they had the vaccine when I was younger, knowing what I know now, yes I would have gotten the vaccine. Yes I have gotten it for my daughter.
This is a health issue and nothing more. You can get the vaccine and potentially avoid the risks and costs of surgery (assuming you survive) or you can get caught up in a vague moral issue. Your child need only know that the vaccine will prevent a certain kind of cancer, like the flu vaccine prevents getting certain strains of flu. I don’t think most kids care beyond that.
Sharon
As a high school counselor, I do my best to discourage students from having sex at an early age, however, many students have already had sex before they enter high school. I don’t know how many times I have talked to parents that think their children have not had sex, when in fact, they have already had an STD/STI and/or an abortion.
I talk to my daughter and son (age appropriate info, of course) about abstinence, but I also know that as much as we do to watch over our children and teach them, they often don’t do what we teach or heed our warnings.
I had my daughter, age 20, and my son immunized around age 12. I want to protect them from HPV just as I want to protect them from the mumps and the flu. Is it perfect, no. But it protects against 90% of HPV. Also….since a good portion of cancers are caused by it and within one year of their first sexual experience, about 20-25% of girls get it, then why wouldn’t you want to protect your child.
Lastly, I tell my students that are sexually active that I know several students over the years that had their first encounter with someone else that was having their “first encounter” and was diagnosed with HPV, herpes and even HIV. That is why they need to protect themselves by using condoms. Do you think that a teenager would say, “wait….let me take several months of getting a series of shots THEN let’s have sex.” I don’t think so.
Lynn
I thought my sister was being ridiculous when she decided not to get her 13 year old daughter vaccinated. Her only rationale was that she didn’t want to give her the “green light” to have sex. I was sure I would get it for my daughter but reading more about the side effects and the fact that it is only good for 7 years has made me reconsider and realize that I need to do more research to make a truly informed decision. Thanks for the info!
Kim
I believe all girls & boys now should be vaccinated. As a two time cervical cancer survivor I have met a few women who practiced abstinence until they married. Unfortunately, they contracted HPV from their spouse. It has nothing to so with being promiscuous. If you can prevent the chance of cervical cancer why wouldn’t you.