GARDASIL Vaccine for BOYS

won't do it for my girls, and if I had boys I wouldn't do it for them either.

www.truthaboutgardasil.com

I don't have a teenage boy. I vaccinated my 11 year old daughter with the Gardasil vaccine. She has had 2 of the 3 shots and has had no side effects, other than a bit of tenderness at the injection site lasting for about 30 mintues each time.

Since boys can contract as well as transmit the virus, I believe that the responsibility to vaccinate in an attempt to protect them as well as eradicate the virus would be the responsible thing to do.

you will get a TON of answers - for and against.

Good Luck with your decision.

ETA - condoms don't prevent HPV transmission all that well, .... as it can be transmitted orally. So, if there is ANY fluid contact (fingers, mouths etc) the virus can be contracted. As there are no symptoms, you don't know you have it.
Neither does monogomy.... unless both partners have never ever touched any fluid of another person who may or may not have been infected..... that is not a 100% guarantee either.

Hi momang-

I have not gotten this for my boys...too new in my opinion.

The 'sample' population used for ALL drugs is SO small...that I wait...and see...and decide for a few years AFTER a drug/vaccine has been on the market (with the exception of my very medically fragile daughter...when I approved use of some cardiac meds that had not been trialed in the pediatric population...but that was a 'then and there' life/death issue).

A condom goes a LONG way toward preventing A LOT of STD's (as does abstinence). So, in my opinion...teaching 'condom' control/ and waiting for a monogamous partner) is a 'better' gift?

Just my thinking...
Best Luck!
michele/cat

***ETA***

Based on an 'addition' to an answer below...I guess I will just have my kiddos all 'laminated'...lol

I will not be getting this for my son. My daughter will not get it either. I am anti vax anyway and will not be finishing up my kids vax's at all.

I did. It's a gift from me to my son and future wife. I truly believe that preventing the major reasons for cervical cancer 20 or 30 years from now is a gift to them both.

I cannot control if his future wife has sex with someone other than him. But I can keep him from getting penile cancer or other STD's.

Dawn

I have answered this question (or similar) a handful of times.

Search mamapedia for HPV and I'm sure you'll have so many more answers to look through! Good luck.

Yes, my 16 yo son has had it. No side effects. I did it more for the benefit of his future partners/girlfriends/wife. I agree w/ everything that Wickerparkgirl says - my feelings exactly!

I didn't get this vaccine for my daughter and I don't plan to have it administered to my son. This doesn't prevent a disease that you catch without taking action on your part. It doesn't prevent cancer, just a virus that may lead to cancer in some minority percentage of cases. I never do "new" vaccines, and the VARS reports on this vaccine are scary. I only do the school mandated immunizations, and a flu shot for the asthmatic kid (not for the non-asthmatic one). I would never have my child vaccinated and take on the risks of that vaccine to prevent disease in a future sexual partner. Good luck in your decision.

Nope. there are too many strains it does not protect against, and it's too new.

My son is not a teenager yet and I am undecided. Intially I refused to have my daughter vaccinated, I felt it was a std drug being touted as a cancer vaccine. I also had some other issues with it, then when a friend contracted it from a cheating spouse, I thought differently. She went through a lot and if I could lessen the chance of my daughter having to go through that, I would and did by getting her the shot. When they started giving them to boys, I said he would get it also. I don't want him to ever get or give it to someone, esp since they don't have a test for males. Relying solely on condoms, abstinence is nice...in a perfect world. I live in reality and know that that may not always happen. However, that was before I heard about the side effects people were having. DD was fine, but I don't know if I want to risk it. I have many years to go before I have to make the decision for him and hope by then better drugs will be in place. I know that doesn't help you much, but I just wanted to give my two cents. I always say go with your gut. If it feels like the right thing to do, do it, if not, don't. I think we dismiss our intuition to often. I delayed the MMR for that reason, I knew and understood both sides, my gut said wait and I did. Good Luck.

My son is 6 so I have some time. But yes, I plan to give him the vaccine (or actually have someone in his pediatrician's office do it). Men can be silent carriers of HPV and unknowingly infect their partners.

Oh - and the truthaboutgardisil site is complete propaganda.

I plan to let him decide, same for my girls. They are currently 13 yrs old and the doc reminds us at visits but respects that I am letting them make the decision. They have time and I plan to make sure they understand the pros and cons of both sides of the issue as well as what HPV is and can do. I want them to make an informed choice. If they cannot make up their minds and do not know what to do and ask me, then I will say I think they should. But their decision.

I don't feel comfortable with it. I admit i haven't researched it much, but I'm not hearing anything too positive.

If i can bring this up, I have only had one partener, and he has had only one before me, We don't have this disease. and since i don't generally sit around discussing STD's i don't really know anyone personaly that has admitted to having this.

how awful is it? Is this what is responsible for so much infertility?? is there no treatment for the virus??
I have some time before he is old enough but if anyone wants to PM me and fill me in on what it's like living with this, you might convince me to do the vaccine.

No. The best thing you can do is to educate. Educate your child on contraceptives and that it is ok to abstain. I know people are going to flip out over the abstinance advice, but a teenager needs to be aware of everything. Abstinance has been getting knocked down and made fun of, but some people are strong willed enough to practice it. (My hubby's and my first time was when we got married as hard as that is to believe.) Just make sure they know about back ups in case and please teach your boys to get used to wearing "raincoats." Nothing can prevent HPV better than a "raincoat" or meds. and limiting partners. Keep in mind that there's still a chance. Why Circumcission was mentioned by a poster on this topic, I have no idea. It has no barring on this topic, since we are talking about teenagers. It's a little late to even think about that.