Should I take the Guardasil Shot?

[kaylerson]

Hi everyone I was just wondering I have been in a committed relationship for about almost 2 years.  I am currently HPV free I was wondering if there are any reasons to not get the guardasil shot, I heard some people got weird reactions and one girl even died.

I know that there is a risk with any vaccine but I was just wondering if anyone else has chose NOT to get the guardasil shot.

I want to get it but I am not really knowledgeable of all the risks involved etc.

[roses711]

The FDA is actually looking into approving the vaccine for women (hopefully men too) up to the age of 45..probably due to the large amount of older ppl becoming single and sexual..I'm married and 36 and I'm thinking about getting it because you just never know...

[Pocohantas]

misslisa28 I am sorry that even though you got the vaccine you still have high risk HPV...
however, I have to say that reading your post is gonna help me blame myself a little less...
i am 30+ years old and for the first time in my life i became sexually active this summer... and unlucky me, got infected with hpv even though i never had unprotected sex... what kept making me blame myself was that last year i did a lot of research about taking the vaccination but i didn't because of the same concerns kaylerson has mentioned in her post...
of course, I am getting a second opinion hoping that this was a mistake (which I doubt)... but I have been blaming myself so much why I did not take the vaccination before I became sexually active...

btw, misslisa28 did you take the vaccination before you had any sexual partners? because if you didn't it is very likely that you had got exposed to the virus before receiving the vaccine and it just showed symptoms later on...

[roses711]

i think protecting yourself and any future partners is everyone's responsibility...i've two kids ( 4 1/2yr old boy and two yr old girl) and I plan on getting the vaccination when they're old enough...

[kaylerson]

thanks roses711 and everyone else for your input i am definitely leaning towards getting it just in case ... not that I would ever think my bf would cheat on me but you never know what could happen

[roses711]

the vaccine can't increase your chances of getting the virus/or affecting any strains you may already have..odds are you unknowingly already had it before you got the vaccine..you may not think it did anything for you..but it could still be protecting you from three other hpv strains!
kaylerson..you may still want to get the vaccine..to protect yourself since your partner will never know if they have it ..it lasts for 4 yrs and can protect you from the 4 most common strains ( two low=warts and two high= increaseed risk of certain cancers

[misslisa28]

i dont know if you should or not. i have been vacinated with gardisil when i was 26 and hpv free. a week ago my pap results came back with low grade abormal changes due to having a high risk hpv strand. i 28 now. i am scared, and confused because i thought i was protected against the high risk hpv. well i guess not. now i have to have a colophosy done next wednesday, and i am depress and scared. just because you get the vaccine does not mean you are protected. i feel as though it did nothing for me or made me worse. just use protection and limit your sexual partners if you can and you would be fine. gotta watch putting all these drugs in your system. i feel i would have been better of not ever gettin the vaccine.

[kaylerson]

no i never had it I was just wondering if I should beacuse i was nervous about some the reactions some ppl have had.  But i figured since I am in a committed monogamous relationship that it didnt seem necessary I just wanted someone to reassure me of that.

[roses711]

if you've been in a committed monogamous relationship and have been having unprotected sex and are HPV NEGATIVE then getting the vaccine doesn't seem necessary...you say cuurently HPV free..does that mean you've had an active infection @ some time?