The Gardasil Vaccine for HPV – Moms, Are You Getting the Whole Truth?

The Gardasil vaccine television commercials are aimed at moms of pre-teen and teen girls. But the whole truth isn’t being told.

The Gardasil vaccine is being called the next best thing to sliced white bread for safety against the HPV Virus. HPV causes 90-99% of all cervical cancer cases, according to a study by Johns Hopkins University. Moms are being advised in the television commercials to get their daughters vaccinated.

What is HPV, and how does a girl catch it?
Human Papillomavirus, a form of genital warts, is spread strictly by sexual contact. By getting your pre-teen or teen daughter vaccinated, you are basically saying “Go ahead and do it.”

The Facts:
The Gardasil HPV vaccine promotes a false sense of security. It doesn’t protect against pregnancy or AIDS. It doesn’t protect against Herpes or other STD’s like gonorrhea or syphilis. It doesn’t even protect against all types of HPV and cervical cancer. Cervical cancer is the second most deadly women's cancer.

HPV is not protected against by condoms, as it is easily transmitted through the sweat glands around the areas of the sexual organs, and also the anal area. HPV is very widespread. The Hopkins study calls it the most prevalent STD. It may be encountered at some point by 75% of sexually active girls and women. Both heterosexual and homosexual boys and men can carry the disease, transmitting it to every partner, but never knowing.

The Gardasil vaccine was only studied for a brief period of approximately 4 years, and is controversial because many believe it was approved too quickly by the FDA under pressure from anti-abstinence lobbying groups.

Moms, as for being advised to get this vaccine on girls as young as 6-10, there is no research proving that this vaccine will last through to their sexually active age.

The side effects, supposedly mild according to the TV ads, can include paralysis, a compromised immune system and there have been 15 reports of death. According to CNN News as of mid-2008, there have been over 7,800 complaints to the FDA of reactions and ailments linked to Gardasil inoculations.

So moms, think about this long and hard. Perhaps a better protection for your daughter than the Gardasil vaccine is a good, open relationship with conversations about purity, self-respect and how to say “NO” to sex.


© 2009, Sheryl Young