I like being shot
Monday, February 05, 2007
Just last year, the HPV vaccine was approved and released to the public. HPV stands for Human Papillomavirus, a virus now known to cause cervical cancer. There are over a hundred strains of HPV which can cause genital warts, vulvar lesions and other genital conditions. Both men and women can contract the virus. In most people, HPV goes away on its own but for others, it stays on for life or recurs over time. The vaccine is manufactured by Merck under the brand name Gardasil. It takes care of strains 6, 11, 16 and 18. The vaccine does not give a 100% guarantee you will be cervical cancer-free because there are other causes aside from HPV. Although the vaccine is now mandated by the Texas government to girls ages 10-13, most of the US states are just advising women until the age of 26 to be vaccinated. My OB - GYN told me that I could still get the shots before I turn 30 even though I have had no history of an STD and my Pap Smears have all returned normal. You get three shots within 6 months. I had my first shot today and will be getting my second one on April, the last one on August. This vaccine has been very controversial for some time now because some mothers think that this shot will give their daughters the best excuse to have promiscuous sex. The government's like, "We just want to help your daughters avoid cancer!" A father said it best on the news- "Anything that saves my daughter from having cancer... it's a no-brainer."
I believe that it is every girl and woman's responsibility to take care of her body. Sexually active or not, every woman needs to know how her reproductive system is functioning. That's why even though the shots were quite pricey, Joen and I decided to go for it. AND TO THINK WE'RE ALREADY MARRIED! Haha. Anyway, I hope this shot gets to Pinas and CHEAP. God knows what teenagers and young adults are getting themselves into these days.
posted by maudester @ 4:58 PM
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