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Should I get the HPV vaccine?
October
03 ,
2007
So your considering the HPV vaccine for your daughter, or for yourself. How safe is it? Does it really work? Do I really need it? The advertising is slick, but should you be convinced by advertising? It's not required for school, so is it really necessary?
Let's look at the evidence and try to think about it rationally. The vaccine Gardisil protects against infection by four common types of the HPV virus, although there are many types of this virus, these four types cause about 70% of cervical cancer, and about 90% of genital warts.
So are you guaranteed not to get cancer or warts? No. Can you significantly decrease the chance that you will get cervical cancer or warts? absolutely! So why not get it?
So what about side effects? Well, unless you allergic to the ingredients in Gardisil, or if you are pregnant, there really are very few side effects other than a little soreness for a few days after the shot is given. Occasionally there may be itching or swelling as well.
If I am going to need pap smears anyway, why bother with the HPV vaccine? Well, that is something like asking, if I need to wear a seatbelt anyway, why bother driving carefully? The silliness of this "logic" should be obvious.
So is this HPV vaccine perfect, of course not. Should you get it , of course you should!
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